Page 31 of Love Under Review

Moving to the front room, he grabbed a large jean quilt Kara had made back when she and Cory first married. After throwing it next to the bag of food, he retrieved a jacket from the hall closet.

“Where are you going?” Cari asked, walking in from the other room.

“I’m going out with a girl. Tasha is going to stay with you for a few hours until we get back, okay?”

A wide grin crossed her face, and she did a fist pump. “I was hoping she would come.”

Liam chuckled at her enthusiasm. He opened the front door with his arms loaded with the supplies and almost bumped into the teenager.

“Sorry, Tasha. Go on in. I’m just going to load this, and then I’ll be in.”

The girl smiled. “No problem, Mr. Pearson.”

Liam scrunched his nose, feeling really old now that teens were starting to address him like that. After loading everything into his Jeep, he ran back inside. There were only a few minutes left before he was supposed to be at Danielle’s house, and he didn’t want to be late.

He found the two girls already playing with some of Cari’s dolls. “Okay, I’ve got to head out now, but there’s some money on the counter. You can order pizza for dinner, and feel free to play games, watch movies, or whatever you want to do tonight. I’m not sure what time I’ll be back, but I’ll let you know.”

“Sounds good,” Tasha said, turning back to Cari, who was already talking in an animated voice as the character of her doll.

Liam grinned. Feeling that push of excitement, his feet moved quicker down the stairs than normal, and he burst out the door. Settling into the driver’s seat, he pulled out of the driveway and drove up a couple of streets to the Holloway home.

He’d done all he could to think of something fun for them to do, and as she’d grown up here, that made it even more difficult. Each place on his list had been considered more times than he’d wanted to count, but he’d finally decided on the Oakland Ranch. With several activities, like horseback riding, archery, and old cowboy games, it sounded like they’d be able to do something relaxed but fun.

Stepping onto Danielle’s porch at four twenty-five, Liam took a couple of deep breaths, hoping to calm his racing heart even as he waited for someone to answer. Mrs. Holloway came to the door with a wide grin, an apron around her waist. The smell of fresh baked goods wafted toward him, causing his stomach to rumble.

“Good evening, Liam. I hear you’re taking my daughter out for the evening.”

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll make sure to have her home at a decent hour.”

Mrs. Holloway tipped her head back and laughed. “If it were ten years ago, I’d appreciate that. But Danielle’s lived away from home long enough that I can trust her choices.” She stepped back and let him in. “I wish you good luck and hope it goes well. She should be down in a minute, but you can wait in the family room.”

Liam nodded, walking to the room she directed him to. “Thank you. How are you today?”

The woman nodded. “I’m doing quite well, thank you. I had a short shift at the grocery store this morning, and I’ve baked a few pans of muffins. Here, let me get some for you to take with you.” She disappeared into the kitchen.

Liam smiled at her enthusiasm. She seemed to have a watered-down version of Danielle’s personality, and he couldn’t help but grin at the thought. Usually, it was the other way around with parents and children, but in the case of Danielle, she was bound to break expectations.

When Mrs. Holloway returned, she was holding a small white bag.

Peering inside, he saw several large muffins. “These smell really good. Blueberry?” Liam asked.

Mrs. Holloway nodded. “And a couple cranberry-lemon. If you don’t eat them, take them home for you and Cari. I hope your sister is improving.” She paused a moment, looking as though she shouldn’t have said anything. “I’m sorry. Dottie McCready told me about your sister’s diagnosis. Kara is such a wonderful woman. I was just heartbroken when I heard she was sick.”

Liam dipped his head so she wouldn’t see the visible force it took to swallow around the mound in his throat. “Thank you. We’re hoping some of these treatments will help, and Cari is happy as long as she can see her mother every so often.”

With a quick tap to his cheek, the older woman said, “I’m sure. Sometimes a girl just needs her mama, even when she won’t admit it.” She glanced up the stairs where Danielle probably was. “Even the stubborn, independent type need a support system to lean on.” She winked at him.

He chuckled. Stubborn and independent were definitely words he’d use to describe Danielle Holloway. It was something he liked about her, her fierce spirit and zest for life. He’d dated a lot while in New York but always found girls who were looking for stability and security, meaning money. And that described Tawnee to a T, except that on top of all that, she wanted fame, doing everything she could to join every reality show out there.

While he had plenty of money saved up from his prestigious but stressful job in New York, he didn’t want a girl to like him for his money. He wanted someone who would stick by him even if that money ran out, who would work with him to make it through those slim moments and come out stronger.

Footsteps padded along the hall above, and Liam glanced up to see Danielle walking down the stairs in a pair of jeans and a flowing yellow shirt. She looked like the sun, and Liam grinned.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” she said about halfway down.

Liam shook his head. “No problem. I was just talking to your mom.”

Hitting the bottom stair, Danielle asked, her eyes wide, “What about?”

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