Page 44 of Love Under Review

“There are no buts. I think you’re a great writer.” He walked over to dump the contents of the dustpan into the garbage can.

“I didn’t mean to lie to you. I just wasn’t ready for people to know who I was. But I should have told you, because you’ve believed in me from the beginning.” Her eyes searched his face, but Liam couldn’t get past the betrayal.

He nodded, all emotion gone from his tone when he said, “Yes, I did.” He turned walking to the back door and out.

Rubbing his hands over his face, he took in several breaths. Lying shouldn’t be looked at as a serious crime, but for some reason, it felt like it was.

Chapter 27

After a day of celebration and hand cramps from signing so many books, Danielle couldn’t shake the exhaustion of guilt she felt. It was like the look on his face was now imprinted in her brain, and every time she closed her eyes, she saw the disappointment and betrayal.

Grabbing her phone from the nightstand, she rolled over, still under the covers, and went through her morning routine of checking the news and her social media. As she clicked on her inbox, the screen changed and a phone call with an LA area code popped up. Swiping, she said, “Hello?”

“Danielle Holloway? Chester Sebring, chief editor from theLA Sun. It’s come to my attention that you sent papers detailing the misdeeds of several government officials to our offices.”

Danielle felt her heartbeat in her throat and finally registered that the man was asking for an answer. “I did, sir. I—”

“We have an opening as a news anchor in our prime time slot and would like to offer it to you. If you accept, we’d need you to come here by Monday to get started.” Chester coughed, and Danielle barely registered the noise as she realized all of her journalist hopes hadn’t been dashed.

“I appreciate the offer, sir. Have you investigated how far out the scandal went?” She was sitting up now, too anxious to stay still for too long.

She heard some papers ruffle, and then Chester’s voice came over the line.

“Several people are to be indicted in the next few days, one of them being your ex-boss. None of us at theLA Sunhave taken part in such despicable—”

“Do you mind if I think about this and get back to you?” Danielle asked, cutting off what was sure to be a long monologue on the virtues of the opposing newspaper.

“Certainly. Please let me know tomorrow morning so I can make arrangements to fill the position if you turn it down.”

“Thank you, sir. I’ll make sure to have a decision by then.” Danielle said goodbye and then lay back down.

She’d wanted to have her job back for weeks, had wanted to get back out into the action of things, traveling all over and scooping the next big story. But something had changed, and she saw Liam’s face in her mind, the way it had softened just before he leaned forward in the stables after their date.

But if he wasn’t going to forgive her, she didn’t need a full twenty-four hours to decide. Her decision was made. Now all she needed to do was tell her mother.

Chapter 28

After sending Cari off to school, Liam arranged for Tasha to pick her up from school, and he drove to Grand Junction, needing to get out of town. The chance to check on his sister seemed like the perfect opportunity.

When he walked in, he saw the paleness of her face and heard the beeping of the machines. Her eyes were closed, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

He took a seat next to the bed, placing his head in his hands as he leaned forward on his knees. Sleep had evaded him the night before as he kept seeing Tawnee and Danielle, the two of them laughing at what he could only assume was him. But toward the end of the nightmare, Danielle’s face would transform into the one she’d given him yesterday, with her brown doe eyes and her mouth pleading for him to understand.

“What’s got you all tied up in knots?” a hoarse voice asked.

Liam looked up to see his sister with her eyes only open a slit and a broad grin giving her just a touch of color to her cheeks. He forced a smile and leaned back in the chair. “I just needed to get out of town.”

Her mouth dipped into a frown with his response, and Liam turned his gaze to the wall. “Liam, you can’t push her away.”

Frustration rose in his chest and up his throat. “She lied to me, Kara. Not just a little white lie, either. It was a big one.”

“It couldn’t have been worse than Tawnee’s.” Her pursed lips and raised brows reminded him of getting a lecture from his mother years ago. “Finding out you’re on film for a future reality show is what I’d consider a big one.”

“She’s the author of those cozy mysteries everyone in town has been reading, MK Malone. We talked about the author and how Danielle could do something similar so she could stay in Sage Creek. The whole time it was her.”

A weak chuckle came from Kara, and Liam worked to keep the irritation at bay. “If that’s the worst she’s done, I’d say you’re okay, Liam. Think about it. She’s been on billboards and has traveled all over the world for her career. Writing might have been her one thing she could do without receiving a ton of criticism.”

Biting the side of his lip, Liam tried to think of it from that perspective. It wasn’t like Danielle had been working to be seen through her books. And it seemed like she hadn’t told anyone but her mother. For a woman he’d seen as adventurous who couldn’t be tamed, it almost seemed like she now needed the stability she hadn’t had since leaving Sage Creek.

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