Page 140 of Falling for Love

“I’ll keep you posted, but I think this phase will be behind us for now.”

“Thanks, Mr. Harrington.”

As I hung up, my fury mixed with a raw determination to protect my son. Liam’s steady hand remained on my shoulder, and his calm presence kept me anchored.

“So for the next eleven years, I have to be on the lookout for when Kyle pulls this prank again?” I looked into Liam’s eyes.

His gaze hardened, and he shook his head. “And I’ll be here every step of the way, Evie.”

“But why?” I shook my head. “Why would you want to bother with that…with me…?”

He bit his lip and let out a slow, deep breath as he shook his head. “Evie, you need to start seeing the truth.”

“The truth?”

“That you are incredible. That you are worth moving mountains for. The question isn’t why would I bother with you. It’s why would you bother with me?”

His words hit hard, and for the first time in my life, my body fell into a man’s arms, and I felt like I’d finally found home.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Liam

Three weeks.

That’s how long it had been since we heard from Evie’s attorney about Kyle.

My fists itched to remind her ex what kind of man he wasn’t. True to his word—or maybe his lack of follow-through—the custody case had been dropped. But Evie’s attorney had been smart enough to ensure he couldn’t pull that stunt again.

If Kyle thought he’d gotten off scot-free, he was in for a surprise. Turns out, the courts don’t look too kindly on wasting their time and money.

His little charade had backfired, and the cherry on top? Kyle would now be footing Evie’s legal fees, adding another brick to his mountain of debt.

Not that any of that mattered today.

Today, we were up north, tucked away in a cabin I’d rented for the weekend. Snow blanketed everything as far as the eyecould see, the pine trees bowing slightly under its weight. The sky was a soft gray, and the air was crisp enough to make you feel alive.

Evie, Hayden, and I were bundled up like marshmallows, the day's excitement bouncing between us. I’d rented snowmobiles, and the plan was to spend the day exploring the trails, making snow angels, and maybe seeing if I could finally beat Hayden at a snowball fight.

“Okay, who’s ready to rip it up?” I asked, slapping the side of one of the snowmobiles as Hayden practically vibrated with excitement.

“Me!” he yelled, raising his gloved hands like he’d just won the Super Bowl.

Evie laughed, adjusting her scarf. “Let’s maybe start with a nice, safe pace before we go all Evel Knievel, huh?”

I grinned at her. “Safe? What’s that?”

She rolled her eyes, but a smile tugged at her lips.

God, I loved that smile.

“Alright, champ,” I said, crouching down to Hayden’s level. “You’re riding with me first. I’ve got the need for speed.”

Hayden’s eyes widened. “Yes! Mom, did you hear that? He said speed!”

Evie planted her hands on her hips, giving me a mock glare. “If you two end up in a snowbank, don’t come crying to me.”

“No promises,” I shot back, winking at her.

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