Honorable, honest…virtues Liam’s parents had instilled in their sons. Up until that night at Kismet Cove, Liam had done his best to live up to their expectations. It hadn’t been difficult. His father modeled the attributes every day and ingrained them in Liam and his brothers. He’d made a drunken mistake, but it had been an honest one. Silence had seemed the better part of valor. He’d been protecting Sophie, Michael, and in the end, he acknowledged, himself.
He’d never intended to go to the party. Couldn’t stand seeing his cousin with Sophie. He’d done his best to avoid them that summer. But the day of the party at Greystone, his cousin started asking him questions, and Liam knew he was close to figuring it out. So he went. And like pretty much everyone there, he had too much to drink…
Liam’s T-shirt stuck to his skin. The night was hot and sultry and smelled of salt water and roses. He stretched out on the damp grass and tracked the clouds moving across the moon. He closed his eyes when everything started to spin. It didn’t help, and he staggered to his feet.
“Hey, lightweight,” Marco called out to him. “Where you going? Get over here and meet my new friend. She’s got a cousin.”
He waved him off. “I’m gonna crash at the manor. Have fun.” The word cousin left a bitter taste in his mouth. He pretty much hated his right now. Hated what Michael was doing behind Sophie’s back.
As Liam made his way to the trash can to toss his half-full bottle of beer, he saw Sophie staring at a couple making out under a tree. It was Michael and Shay Angel. Standing in her white string bikini with her long hair streaming down her back, Sophie was so beautiful it hurt to look at her. He wanted to go to her, take the wine bottle from her hand, and tell her to forget about his asshole cousin. Tell her she’d picked the wrong Gallagher; she should have picked him.
He headed for the manor. She wouldn’t listen to him. Wouldn’t care that he’d been in love with her for years. He heard the sound of a bottle breaking, a muffled cry, and turned to see Sophie running for the beach. He called out to her. She was drunk, upset, and heading for Kismet Cove. It was dark and dangerous. He started to run, tripped over a rock, and landed on his knees. Shit, he was wasted too. He pushed himself to his feet, calling out to her as he ran across the grass to the beach. He jumped from a boulder into the cold sand. He heard her crying, the sound muffled by the waves rolling onto shore. A few feet to his right he saw a flash of white and went to her, kneeling at her side. “Soph—”
She threw herself into his arms, nearly knocking him on his ass. “I’m sorry—” He started to apologize for his cousin being a jerk, but she shut him up with a kiss. He tasted the wine on her lips, in her warm mouth when she opened and touched her tongue to his. He groaned as he pulled back. No matter how much he wanted Sophie, he wouldn’t let her use him to forget about Michael. “You’ve had too much to drink. You’re upset.”
“No, I want you. I want this,” she said, pieces of white cloth flying over his head. She took his hands and placed them on her full, bare breasts. Breasts he’d fantasized about. He’d spent two years fantasizing about her naked and under him, and then she was. She stripped off his shirt and tugged down his shorts. He couldn’t resist anymore. He wanted her, and she finally wanted him. “I love you. I’ve always loved you,” he whispered in her ear as he buried himself inside her. She wrapped her legs around him, taking him deeper, rocking against him. He worshipped her with his hands and his mouth. She moaned and writhed beneath him. He wasn’t going to last much… “Soph, I don’t have a condom on. I have to pull—”
She giggled. “You know I’m on the pill, silly. You…yes, yes.” She lifted her hips, her legs tightening around his waist.
“You know.” The words dropped into his head like a stone in the ocean. Ripples of shock crashed over him as they sank in. She didn’t know. She didn’t know it was him. His heart raced and his stomach turned. He had to stop. He had to stop now. Panicked, he struggled for control. “Sophie, we have to stop. You have to let me…” She moved her hands to his ass, deepening the connection. “Jesus, no, don’t…” He trailed off on a groan as he shuddered his release.
She stroked his hair. “Oh, Michael, that was so good. I love you. I love you too.”
He shouldn’t have gone after her. Ah, but he was the gallant Gallagher, wasn’t he? He’d helped her back into her bathing suit and got dressed without saying a word. Smiled when she said something she thought to be funny. Turned his head when she tried to kiss him again, took her hand so she’d stop touching him, and walked her back to the manor.
He couldn’t find his cousin. Later he found out that Michael had taken off with Shay. Liam had dragged a lounge chair over to Sophie, sat her down on it, and went in search of Marco. He’d told his best friend that Michael had to take off and Sophie was drunk, and he should take her home. Liam never told anyone about the night Sophie had broken his heart. He didn’t want to ruin his friendship with her, Marco, or Michael. No matter that his cousin was an idiot, he was still family. Michael left Harmony Harbor two days later. Three days later, Liam headed out West to fight a wildfire.
He felt Sophie staring at him and scrubbed his hands over his face. “Soph, I can explain—”
“I think I know who I slept with, Liam,” she snapped; then her eyes went wide and filled with concern. “You’re delusional. Should I call a doctor? No, that wouldn’t be good, would it? For your job, I mean. I’ll call your dad.”
“What are you talking about? I’m not delusional.”
“It’s all right. Your grandmother explained what happened to you. That you’ve had problems since the warehouse fire.”
For a split second, he was tempted to let it go at that. It would be easier than telling her what he had to. But he had a daughter. Mia was his. All he’d been thinking about was how to tell Sophie what he’d done without her hating him. He’d forgotten the most important person in all of this. Their little girl. Maybe somewhere deep inside him he’d already known she was his, sensed the connection.
“Come here, Soph. Come here and sit down.” She did as he asked, taking the seat across from him. He moved his chair closer and took her hands in his. “I’m not delusional. Mia is mine.” She tried to pull her hands from his, and he tightened his grip. “No, you have to hear me out. I didn’t mean for it to happen, Soph. You have to believe me. I thought you knew it was me.”
He saw it was starting to sink in and knew he had to talk fast, try to explain his side. He told her everything, barely taking a breath between words. “I’m sorry. I should have told you the next day. I loved you, Soph. I never would have done anything to hurt you. Please tell me you believe me.”
She ripped her hands from his and jumped to her feet. The chair fell backward with the force of her movement. “You took advantage of me. I was drunk, and you took advantage of me!”
He stood up. “Hold it right there. That’s not true. At the beginning, I tried to tell—” He broke off and took a second to calm himself down. He’d been living with the memory of that night for eight years. She was only hearing about it now. He had to give her time to digest this. She knew him. She knew he would never take advantage of her or any other woman. He wouldn’t remind her that she threw herself at him. Stripped off her own clothes, and his. They’d been willing participants. Both of them. “I thought you knew it was me. It was only near the end when you said Michael’s name. Told him that you loved him.” Loved him too. In response to Liam’s earlier I love you.
She slapped him across the face, her eyes sparking with anger in her bleached white face. “I hate you. I hate you for keeping this from me. I stayed away because I thought Mia was Michael’s. Everything I suffered, everything she suffered, was because of you, Liam Gallagher.”
“I’m sorry. Tell me what I can do to make it right, and I will.”
“Stay away from me and my daughter.”
“I don’t know if I can do that. She needs—”
Sophie put her hands on his chest and shoved him back. “Don’t you dare tell me what she needs. Where have you been for the last seven years? I’ve been the one who raised her, who was there for her when she was sick and scared. I was the one, not you.”
“If you’d just give me a chance—”
“No. You may be Mia’s biological father, but you will never be her father. You didn’t earn that right.”
Someone cleared their throat. Liam’s eyes shot to the door. Jasper stood there with his hands resting on Mia’s shoulders. “I’m sorry. Miss Fitzgerald said that you’d cried out, Sophie. I was worried something had happened.”
Sophie stood in the bathroom adjoining Liam’s apartment and checked the lock. She’d heard him pull up to the carriage house an hour earlier. She turned on the cold water and splashed her face. Her eyes were bloodshot and swollen from another sleepless night, thanks to him. The past three nights had been worse than the first one because she had a daughter who knew she had a father. A man Mia had been intrigued with from the moment she met him. It was as though she’d sensed the connection. Or maybe like her mother, she recognized a good man when she saw him.
Sophie lifted her eyes and looked at herself in the mirror. Looked past the hurt and anger to see the truth. She knew it was there, lurking beneath the ugly emotions and accusations. He hadn’t taken advantage of her. They were equally responsible for what had happened that night. Equally irresponsible. Their daughter was the one who’d paid the price. Liam should have told her. At the thought, self-pity and anger rose up inside her once again.
Hypocrite.
The word came at her hard and fast. It was true. She’d done the same thing when she thought Michael was Mia’s father. She’d convinced herself she was protecting her daughter. It had never been about Mia; it had always been about her. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing her daughter.
And Liam, who had he been afraid of losing? Her? Marco? His cousin? All three of them if he was to be believed. There was part of her that wished she didn’t believe him. It would be so much easier to just shut him out of their lives completely. From past experience, though, she knew he didn’t lie. She gave her head a slight shake. Right. It may have been a lie of omission, but it was still a lie. Knowing Liam like she did, she imagined the guilt had eaten at him. She knew only too well what that was like. But she couldn’t work up any sympathy for him. Not with Ms. Olivetti scheduled to arrive in three hours.
There was a knock on the bathroom door. She shut off the water and stayed quiet. She didn’t want to see him.
“I know you’re in there, Soph. We have to talk.”
For the past three days and nights, he’d repeatedly texted her, tried calling her. She couldn’t bring herself to respond. Not with the memory of her daughter’s face that day burned into her brain. She’d practically dragged Mia from the manor with Jasper assuring Sophie he would keep what he’d heard to himself. He was actually the one who’d suggested she take a couple days off and work from home. Without his help, she didn’t think she would have gotten Mia out the door.
“Will you at least tell me that you and Mia are okay?”
No matter how much Sophie wanted to keep him out of their lives, she had to face reality. Liam wouldn’t walk away now that he knew he had a daughter. She unlocked and opened the door. He was in his navy dress uniform, his hands above his head gripping the door frame, his head bowed. He raised his head and searched her face. “I’m sorry,” he said as he slowly lowered his hands and straightened.
She didn’t doubt that he was. “I know you are.”
“Can you forgive me?”
“We both made mistakes. We’re equally at fault.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“I know. It’s too soon. I need time.”
“What did you tell Mia?”
“That you’re her father and that I was young and scared when I found out I was pregnant and that I didn’t tell you until the other day.”
“I’m pretty sure she heard you tell me that I wasn’t welcome in her life. That I hadn’t earned the right to be her father.”
“You think you have?”
His jaw tightened under the inch of scruff. “I would have taken responsibility if I’d known she was mine.”
“And maybe I would have allowed you to had I known there was the slightest possibility you were her father.”
“All right, this isn’t getting us anywhere. I’ve got the stuff from the hardware store. I thought I’d take care of everything for you before the caseworker showed up. And I, uh, thought maybe it would help if I was there for the meeting. Present a united front. Let her know Mia has a father who’s willing to help out and support you both.”
Sophie stiffened at what he seemed to be implying. “I’ve supported my daughter on my own for more than seven years. I don’t need or want your money.”
“Too bad, you’re taking it. It’s time I paid my share.” He reached in his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He handed her a check.
“You don’t…” She stared at the amount and closed her eyes before looking again, positive it couldn’t be…“Fifty thousand dollars? Are you out of your mind? I’m not taking this.” She tried to give it back to him, but he kept his hands in his pockets. “You can’t afford to give us this kind of money. It’s not necessary. You don’t need to buy my forgiveness.”
“I wasn’t trying to. It works out to be five hundred a month plus interest. I’ll be giving you at least that monthly from now on. It’s not going to break me, Soph. I had money saved for a house. I don’t need—”
“What was I thinking? This will be pocket change once you sell Greystone.”
“Really? You don’t think we have enough to deal with without you putting that between us too?”
“There is no us.” There could have been. It had started to feel like there was. Kissing him, fantasizing about him, had been fun, made her feel like the girl she used to be. It had been simple. Now it was complicated. He had the power to destroy her world.
“Figured that out already, but thanks for the reminder.”
The door opened behind her, and Mia peeked her head around. A shy smile tipped up her lips when she saw Liam. He crouched down, his Gallagher-blue eyes shining. He had eyes only for her daughter. Mia had eyes only for him.
“Hey there, sweetheart,” he said, his handsome face lit up with a smile when Mia ran to him and threw herself into his arms.
It was like Sophie had disappeared for both of them.
Liam sat on one end of the blue-and-white striped couch. Sophie sat at the other end. Mia was in her bedroom coloring. Ms. Olivetti had moved the armchair to sit directly across from them. It felt like they’d been hauled into the principal’s office. The sixtysomething stern-faced woman could give Jasper lessons on intimidation, and that was saying something. With her salt-and-pepper hair pulled back in a tight bun that looked almost painful, she peered at Liam over her horn-rimmed glasses.
“When exactly was it that Mia became aware you were her father, Mr. Gallagher?”
“Three…days.” He stumbled at the death glare Sophie shot his way. What the hell did she want him to say? Maybe if she’d said two words to him between his and Mia’s first hug as father and daughter and Olive Olivetti’s arrival, he would have known what was off-limits.
“I see.” She turned that glacial stare on Sophie. “Is there a reason why Mia wasn’t made aware Mr. Gallagher was her father before now, Ms. DiRossi?”
That earned him another death glare from Sophie. Okay, so he should have thought before he blurted out his answer. But he was nervous. Nervous he’d screw up for Sophie’s sake and Mia’s. If he ever wanted his daughter’s mother to speak to him again, he had to make this right. Sophie wouldn’t talk to him before the caseworker arrived, but Michael had. Olive Olivetti had a reputation, and in this case, apparently an agenda since his cousin going over her head had ticked her off. Michael warned him not to let her gain the upper hand. It was time for Liam to take back the conversation. Thanks to Jeeves, he had some game.
“Like most twenty-three-year-olds, Ms. Olivetti, I was immature and stupid. When Sophie told me she was pregnant just before she moved to LA, I hurt her, said and did some things I shouldn’t. I had no interest in being a father. I do now. I plan to make up for lost time. I take my responsibilities seriously, ma’am.” He gritted his teeth. He really didn’t want to do this, but Michael told him it would play in their favor. It’s why he wore his uniform. “As you can see from my record with the BFD.”
She moved her finger over the tablet’s screen. “Impressive, very impressive, Mr. Gallagher.”
Liam relaxed for the first time since he’d sat down. He owed his cousin a beer. Or maybe he didn’t, Liam thought when Olive narrowed her probing gaze at him. “But you work and reside in Boston, which would preclude you from having the time I believe is required to establish a relationship with your daughter. Unless you plan to move back to Harmony Harbor. As I understand it, your father is the fire chief here. Would it be possible for you to find a position with HHFD?”
“He is, and yes, there’s a position available if I want it.” The caseworker smiled. Sophie looked like she’d turned to stone. “But I’ve been with BFD for six years, and I’m…” Beside him, Sophie exhaled and relaxed. Across from him, Olive’s forehead furrowed.
If he decided to take the job at HHFD, Sophie would be ticked and Olive would be pleased. If he did the opposite…Yeah, he was caught between a rock and a hard place. This was why he didn’t complicate his life with long-term relationships. But this was about Mia. It wasn’t about what he wanted, what Sophie wanted, or what Olive did. It was what was best for his daughter.
“I’ll be taking the position with HHFD. I should have everything wrapped up in Boston by Thanksgiving.”
“Excellent. I’m very pleased to hear that. In my experience, shared custody—”
“No! God, no!” Sophie gave a frantic shake of her head, her chest heaving. “I won’t. I won’t do it. I don’t care if I have to put up with monthly in-home visits for the next ten years.”