Chasing Shadows (First Wives #3)(25)

The hair on her neck prickled.

No one was there.

Except James . . . the doorman.

“Good evening, Ms. Grant. Are you expecting any visitors tonight?”

She shook her head. “Have a nice evening,” she told him.

Avery removed her shoes in the elevator. From her front door, she beelined to her alarm panel and stopped the ringing. With a sigh, she flopped on the couch, realized she sat on her phone, and pulled it out from under her butt.

Liam’s message called out.

What would he say?

They were old girlfriends? Women who didn’t let go? Or maybe he’d be honest and say he had several out there. With his broad shoulders, sexy grin, and capable lips . . .

Avery pressed the button.

Liam’s voice was deep and clear even though the background was noisy. “Okay, you’re impulsive . . . and jump to conclusions. I get it. But before you delete this message, I want someone to say hi to you. Say hi, Cassandra.”

Avery was about to toss her phone against the wall. No way he was going to have a woman come to bat for him on a phone message.

“Hi.”

Avery’s heart jolted. A child. Liam was a dad?

“Tell Miss Avery who I am.” It sounded like he had the phone on speaker.

“Who is Miss Avery?”

“A friend. Who am I?”

The girl laughed, and Avery found herself smiling. “Uncle Liam.”

Oh, shit.

“And who is Michelle?”

“My mommy. Can we play more Skee-Ball now? I was winning.”

“Sure can.”

Avery rested her head in her hands. What an idiot.

“There you go, Miss Avery. Michelle is my sister and Cassandra is my niece. My Saturday night is being spent in a kids’ arcade, eating ice cream and french fries while I’m babysitting.”

“I’m not a baby, I’m five.”

“Call me” were Liam’s last words before he hung up.





Chapter Eleven

Liam woke to a text. It had come in at two in the morning.

I owe you an apology was all Avery said.

Yes, she did. He’d stayed up until after one, seriously contemplating calling her multiple times or dragging Cassandra out of bed and driving to Avery’s complex. He remembered the guy at the door and realized he wouldn’t be able to just waltz in. What if he did manage to make his way to her condo and she wasn’t alone?

That would suck.

It was Sunday, and Michelle was sleeping in. Cassandra was on the couch with the Disney Channel on low. It looked like Michelle had managed to pour a bowl of cereal before climbing back in bed. Whiskey sat next to Cassandra on the couch, hoping the girl would drop a Froot Loop or two.

“Good morning, Sweetpea.”

Messy hair, eyes glued to the TV. “Good morning.”

Straight to the kitchen, he worked his way around the coffeepot and opened the back door.

Whiskey shot around the corner and out to the yard.

The fog in his head started to lift with the first sip of coffee. Liam sat on the deck and watched the dog sniffing for the perfect place to pee.

He was contemplating how to respond to Avery’s two a.m. text when the woman he was thinking of called.

It was seven thirty in the morning.

“You’re up early for someone who was up so late.”

“I’m awake, not up.” Her voice was husky, like she was still lying in bed. The image that came to his mind was her head on a dozen pillows, with down comforters swallowing her whole. She wore silk in his fantasy. White silk to go with the pristine white sheets . . . a zillion thread count. Her barely there nightgown had strings for sleeves, and one was falling off her shoulder.

“Are you still there?” she asked.

“I am.” He brought his coffee cup to his lips and waited.

She paused.

He kept waiting.

“I’m sorry.”

He grinned. “Did that hurt?”

“Yes. It did.”

He sipped his coffee again.

“I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions. I have no right to jump. Even if it were true, my reaction was juvenile and stupid.” She took a breath. “I am impulsive and juvenile, and I’m not the sharpest pencil in the box. I told you I was a bad bet and I—”

“Avery,” he interrupted.

“I’m on a roll, Liam. I’ve apologized maybe five times my whole life and actually meant it. Once was when I hit my neighbor’s cat when I was seventeen. Stupid thing ran out in front of my car. Still, the cat meant everything to my neighbor. Then to my college girlfriend when I caught her boyfriend cheating on her and I was the one that delivered the news. I kinda had to eat crow when I misread my girlfriend Trina’s fiancé. Although that wasn’t an apology, per se.”

Liam’s amusement caught in his throat. “Avery.”

“I’m sorry,” she said one last time.

“Apology accepted.”

She sighed into the phone. “Really?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s it?”

“Yeah. Next time give me a chance to explain.”

“Really? You’re not going to drill me about it? Make me eat my words?”

Whiskey had unearthed a ball and now stood in front of Liam, slobbering all over his knees.