Page 97 of Sugarloaf Ridge Lies

She yawns. “Hey.” Liv eyes the foil covered dish in my lap.

“I, ah, brought you some leftover pie. It’s probably too late. I can put it in the fridge for tomorrow.”

“Na-ah. Never too late. Thank you.” She holds out her hand with a giant smirk.

I chuckle. “I’ll go get you a spoon.”

“You’re the best.”

Pirate follows me to the kitchen. “I thought we were mates.” I wave a finger at him. He wags his tail, no doubt desperate for a taste of pie.

When I return to the lounge, Liv’s hair is up in a messy bun, her cheeks a rosy pink. Pregnancy lights her up. It makes it hard to take my eyes off her.

“How’s the family?” Liv asks as I hand her a spoon.

“Good.”

The moans of appreciation she produces as she eats the pie has me wanting to taste something else... her.

I swallow hard and try to shift my thoughts from the gutter. “You missed the grand announcement.”

Her eyes widen. “Oh?” she says around a mouthful of food.

“So, my sis, I mean”—Shit—“soon to be sister-in-law, Daynah, is pregnant.”

“Oh, wow. How far along?”

“She’s due Christmas Eve.” I rub at my neck. Her doctor better take care of her.The thought of losing her...

Liv rubs my shoulder. “You seem worried.”

It’s that obvious?“Yeah, she’s had a rough trot.” I fill her in on Daynah’s heart condition and the surgery last year that had everyone on a knife’s edge.

“She’s important to you. I can tell.”

“Of course. She’s family.”My sister.

Liv leans forward and places her now empty plate aside. “She’s lucky to have you in her corner.”

Liv’s gaze and hands move to her belly. She sweeps her hand over the bump in small circles and sniffs back.

I lift her chin with my index finger. When her glistening eyes meet mine, fire burns in my gut.I’m all alone, Jerry.The way she said those words that night was like a knife piercing my chest. “I’m in your corner, too, Liv.”

A nervous laugh escapes her before she sighs sweetly. “If I asked you to carry me to bed, would that be pushing my luck?”

I lean down and kiss her forehead. “Nope. If that’s what you need, I’m here.”

When I offer my hands to help her up, she eyes me warily. “I wasn’t serious.”

“If you weren’t, you wouldn’t have said anythin’. Come on, sugar.”

Carrying her bridal style, Liv links her hands behind my neck. When her warm breath tickles my ear, it takes all my resolve not to take her to my room instead and really show her I’m here for her.

Like a chicken shit, I take her to her room and settle her into bed. Leaving the room, when I reach the door and turn back, I swear there’s disappointment in her eyes.

“Night, Jerry,” she whispers.

I swallow. “Night.”

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