Page 65 of Meet Me at the Grand

“He explained the terms of the deal to me, Dani, so I understand that.” He plowed on, unaware, or uncaring, about what his words were doing to her. “What I don’t understand is how you could trust Mom’s side of the family not to screw us over.”

She shut her eyes and rubbed her temple. Breathed in. Breathed out. “Uncle Seb wouldn’t do that.”

“Wouldn’t he? He shares Mom’s blood.”

“Oh, come on. That’s a poor argument. Don’t you know the man at all? And we all share Mom’s blood—including me. Don’t you trustme?”

“Honestly, Dani? I don’t know anymore.”

The words slapped her. Never had her big brother been this unkind. Then again, the hotel had always meant the most to him. He’d planned to stay on Jonathon Island forever, to take over the hotel when Dad retired.

But then, Mom had cheated.

Dad had burned the hotel to the ground.

And Dani had made a mess of everything—effectively setting into motion the final dissolution of her family.

“You still blame me,” she whispered. Somehow, after all of these years, she’d hoped that her siblings had forgiven her lapse in judgment.

But James’s tirade was proof that all wasnotforgiven.

“Don’t makethisaboutthat.” He sighed. “I just don’t understand why you’d do it.”

“Because.” Eyes still closed, she felt the weight of Liam as he lowered himself onto the couch beside her. “I just want to fix all of this.”

“I don’t think you can.” Then the line went dead.

Dani dropped the phone into her lap. All of her senses buzzed.

“Dani?” Liam slid onto the couch beside her. “What’s wrong?”

“I…” Her eyes started to fill, but she blinked rapidly. “I don’t think he’s ever going to forgive me, Liam.”

“Forgive you for what?”

“For…” She choked on the words, and a tear fell despite her best efforts.

“Hey, come here.” Before she knew what was happening, Liam’s arms gathered her close. She buried her head in his chest, inhaling the hints of bergamot and saffron emitted by his expensive-smelling cologne. “I’m here if you want to talk about it.”

She couldn’t answer him for a few long moments—she just let him hold her. Let him be still with her in this moment. Finally, she drew back, laying her head against the couch cushion behind her, facing him. Her body was still angled toward Liam’s, and his hand cupped her elbow. “I’m so sorry about that.”

“Hey.” He placed his head against the cushion back too. “Youneverhave to be sorry.”

“Thanks,” she whispered. Her eyes lifted briefly to the ceiling then back to Liam’s handsome face. What was this guy doing here with her? She was such a plain Jane, small-town girl. He was Los Angeles. But he’d known pain too, and that connected them. If anyone would understand loss, it would be him.

Not that he’d understand her sense of shame—her guilt—but maybe he wouldn’t judge her too harshly for that either.

“We were happy once. My family.”

He squeezed her elbow.

“My parents used to be so completely in love. Like, they’d dance in the kitchen—and my dad isn’t the dancing-in-the-kitchen type, you know? But he did it for her.” Until it changed. “Somewhere along the way, I guess they grew apart. Maybe when Dad took over management of the hotel from my grandparents and they moved away. Maybe when Mom got so busy running kids from activity to activity. Who knows how these things happen. They just do. And then Ryan came back to town.”

She shuddered at the memory.

“Ryan?”

“Ryan MacBride. You met his older brother Mac—Stuart—at the bonfire.” At Liam’s nod of acknowledgment, she continued. “Anyway, Ryan was my mom’s high school sweetheart until he moved away to Chicago to become a lawyer. He came back years later wearing suits and talking fancy and swept Mom off her feet.”

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