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Liam didn’t pull her to his body, but he wanted to. He took one step and tugged her an equal distance. She skidded to a stop with only a couple of inches between them.
“Callie, if you start to go down, I’m going down with you, and the only thing you’ll land on will be me.”
Her gaze slid slowly from his lips to his eyes. “You don’t want to do that.”
He wanted to and he would. “Why wouldn’t I?”
“Because I’d fucking break you!” The words exited out with both volume and her fears smacking him in the face. He stepped back, the wind pushing him farther until he’d released her hand and was back at the stairs.
They stared at each other. Pieces of her hair whipped around her face and her chest rose and lowered sharply.
Liam believed the gods designed Callie Laurel with perfection in mind. The fact she worried about hurting him was ridiculous to him. But obviously, not to her. The terror in her eyes glossed them, but clearly, she was good at fighting tears.
The two hangar representatives came back for them. “We need to get you on the road,” the younger man said. “The airport’s closing in ten minutes, and the driver’s concerned about road conditions.”
Callie turned, and before Liam could say anything, she stomped off by herself.
Beautifully confident woman.
His shoes slipped a little on the slick concrete surface, but he double-timed it to catch up with her. “Callie, please, wait.”
Her back stayed to him, but he caught up to only an arm’s length away. The slip of her right leg happened so quickly, he almost didn’t catch the movement. He seemed to be running on instinct around her. He grabbed her hand and spun her until she was headed right for his body. The impact sent him back a couple steps, but he kept them both upright. She stared into his eyes, and the fright that was there settled into him like the cold rain.
She shivered and pursed her lips.
“Are you cold?” he asked.
She nodded without speaking. He pulled off his jacket to drape over her shoulders. She seemed more at ease without his arms around her.
“Now, are you okay?” He brushed a long piece of hair out of her face, and his finger trailed down her cheek.
“I am. Thank you.”
“Come on, let’s get to the vehicle.” He grabbed her hand. “And let’s walk side-by-side, Callie.”
She smiled. “Why didn’t I think of that?”
He wondered that himself.
“Señor Young, I know the place where your brother is staying. I’m greatly concerned about going there today.” Miguel, the driver, glanced in the rearview mirror and caught Liam’s gaze. “The road is dangerous. Mudslides. Rushing water.” His face paled.
Sam was the reason they were here, but if the local thought attempting the pickup was a stupid idea, it probably was.
“I’ll call him and let him know that you’ll come and get him as soon as possible.” Liam pulled out his phone. The line rang through only for Liam to hear a click on the other end. He tried again. Nothing.
“The line went dead.” He set the phone on his lap and stared at it. “Shit. What if we can’t get a hold of him before we need to go back?”
“Señor, I will head up there as soon as I can and deliver your brother to the hotel. I promise. He’s safe. It’s the road that is dangerous during storms. I promise, Señor.”
Miguel’s sincerity and genuine concern settled into Liam. Sam wasn’t that little boy that Liam had helped to raise when his parents focused on their careers. Both in law, they were well known for double-teaming their presentations for maximum effect. But when it came to their children, they remained hands off. His mother was a kind woman and cared for her children, but his father had high expectations of her. He liked how powerful she was in the family business and demanded more and more of her time. He transferred those requests and appeals to his grown children.
But Sam wouldn’t bow to his demands. He was a twenty-eight-year-old man who’d seen more life than Liam ever ventured to dream of. Liam could wait one more night to see his baby brother, even if he didn’t want to.
Need to stop thinking of him as a baby. He’s not.
“Thank you, Miguel. I’ll keep trying the number to let him know, but I’d appreciate the help.”
The plush leather seat warmed his body, but an emotional chill settled into Liam’s bones. Liam stared out the window. He could imagine the landscape appeared a lot more picturesque than at this moment. Palm trees swayed almost constantly like long, waving fingers. The roads were covered with a mixture of mud and rocks from runoff, and the vegetation flattened against the ground, colorful swaths of tropical flowers bending to Mother Nature’s vicious will. If Meg had anything to do with the conditions, she was a force to be reckoned with, and Liam would attempt to stay out of her way.
