Page 120 of Falling for Love

“I know, and I just might hold you to it.”

She chuckled. “You never do. You’ve always been too independent for your own good.”

“Sounds like someone I know.”

My mom sighed. “And you know what? I wish I’d let someone lend a hand occasionally.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“No, you won’t, but that’s okay. Talk to you soon.”

I laughed as my mom hung up.

If nothing else, I felt better.

Until I let my mind start up again.

I squeezed my eyes shut and groaned as Liam flooded my world.

Liam had dreams—big, ambitious ones. Red Barn Cider wasn’t just an idea to him; it was a vision, something he’d talked about with so much passion that it made me believe in it, too. His enthusiasm was infectious, the way he described the space he wanted to create and the people he wanted to bring together. It was so much more than cider—it was community, tradition, and the kind of legacy that would stand the test of time.

And here I was, dragging him into my world of court dates and a nasty ex.

What was I doing? What if I became a distraction? What if, by letting him in, I unintentionally held him back from chasing everything he could achieve? The thought made my stomach twist. Liam deserved someone who could stand beside him without bringing a suitcase of complications.

I sighed, crossing my arms over my chest. But then, there was the way he looked at me and made me feel like I wasn’t too much for him.

Liam had this uncanny ability to make me believe he wanted to be in the middle of it all.

He didn’t shy away from the hard stuff, didn’t flinch when my reality crept into our moments together, and always had my back.

Still, what if the novelty wore off?

What if, one day, he realized that being with me meant sacrificing things he hadn’t even considered yet? The last thing I wanted was for Liam to resent me down the line, to look back and wonder what he could have accomplished if he hadn’t been tethered to a single mom with a complicated past.

I laughed and rubbed my temples, realizing I’d just managed to give myself a headache.

The truth was that he was stuck with me for now, which made me smile.

Chapter Thirty

Liam

I crouched down in the corner of the chicken coop, holding a scoop of feed in one hand like it was a peace offering. My other hand hovered defensively near my thighs, ready to fend off the tiny menace eyeing me from across the enclosure.

My thoughts wandered to Evie and the situation with her ex. My chest tightened just thinking about it. I’d already put some feelers out through a couple of contacts I trusted, and what little I’d heard so far hadn’t painted a pretty picture.

The guy was manipulative—that much was clear. He was the kind of person who knew how to twist a situation in his favor, leaving others to pick up the pieces. He wasn’t exactly living in luxury either, which made me wonder if this sudden custody battle had less to do with wanting Hayden in his life and more to do with dollar signs. People like him didn’t change overnight, and I’d bet my last dime that this was about control—or worse, money from Evie.

The thought made my jaw tighten.

Hayden deserved better than a father who saw him as a bargaining chip. And Evie... she’d worked hard to build a stable life for herself and her son. She didn’t need someone like him barging back in and tearing that apart.

If this guy thought he could waltz in and disrupt everything Evie had worked for, he’d have to go through me first. She didn’t deserve this kind of stress. Not when she finally started to let her guard down and trust again.

And not when I was falling harder for her every single day. Whatever it took, I’d help her fight this. The guy might be her past, but I was damn sure going to do everything in my power to be part of her future.

But right now, I had a chicken to tame.

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