Page 30 of The Red-Hot Stakes

Liam arched an eyebrow at Avery. “And you’re marrying this guy? On purpose?”

“What can I say? He’s good in bed.”

I grimaced. “And that’s our cue to leave. Hey, Liam.”

“Gina.” He paused, taking his time checking me out. “You look nice.”

“Thanks.”

He wore a dark green Henley that made his eyes pop. His tan jeans and light blue denim jacket told me were going somewhere casual.

“Tennis shoes okay?”

“Crap, I forgot to answer your text,” he said, swiping a hand over his face. “Sorry about that, and yeah, tennis shoes are fine.”

I shrugged. “No biggie. We managed.” I shot Avery a grateful smile.

“I got caught up in some family stuff, and it totally slipped my mind.” He glared at the floor.

Derek frowned. “Everyone all right?”

I kept listening as I went to grab my shoes.

“Desi’s husband, Brad, got himself into a tight spot and needed someone to bail him out. This isn’t the first time.”

He sounded like a real winner, and I bit back a snort.

“Dad cut him off, so Brad called me. He swore it was just this once, and I told him that’s all he’s going to get from me. One time, and he chose to use it now.” He grinned as I came back into the room. “All set?”

I nodded.

“Okay. See you guys.”

They chorused goodbye as we shut the door behind us. Liam didn’t say much as we made our way to the garage. He opened my door, then went around to sink into the driver’s seat with a sigh. “This isn’t how I planned today. I wanted everything to be perfect, and here I am scrambling for something to do.” He stared straight ahead.

This family thing had really stressed him out. “Hey, I’m not some fancy girl you have to impress. It’s just me.”

His eyelids lowered halfway in a dry stare. “There’s no ‘just’ about you, Red. I know I’ve got one shot, and that’s that.”

I blinked, uneasy with the truth in his words. “Then how about I pick? I ate lunch not long ago, so I’m not starving. You?”

“I’m fine.”

I thought for a minute, an idea popping into my head. “Do you like cider?”

He nodded.

“Well, now that it’s October, Harvest Acres is open. Have you heard of them?” When he shook his head, I grinned. “Fall is my favorite time of year, and they know how to celebrate all of it.” I pulled up the address on my phone, giving him directions.

The twenty-minute drive gave us time to chat. Liam still seemed tense so I told him about the bar, ridiculous stories that had him chuckling in no time. Little by little, the tension drained out of him, his grip loosening on the steering wheel and his easy smile reappearing.

I relaxed along with him, though a trickle of unease went through me when I realized just how hard I was working to get Liam into a good mood. Why does it matter so much? I brushed the unnerving thought aside, determined to just have a nice time.

When we pulled into the place, Liam laughed out loud. Round hay bales had been transformed into all sorts of Halloween decorations. One was a huge spider, spray-painted black with pool noodles for legs. Another a giant pumpkin. Scarecrows lined the winding lane in all sorts of fall scenes, guiding us to the grassy field that served as a parking lot.

We strolled to the main thoroughfare.

“This place has everything.” Liam’s voice was full of awe as he took it all in.

---