Page 138 of The Contract Marriage

I stare at them for the longest time, my heart racing a thousand beats a minute. Somehow this doesn’t feel real. I don’t dare to breathe too hard lest I wake up. “Tell me I’m not dreaming,” I murmur.

“You’re not. This is real. I’m crazy about you.” She hugs me hard. “I’m so sorry I was too scared to tell you what you truly mean to me, Liam. Never again. I’ll be brave for you—for us.”

Crying and laughing, I pick her up and spin around the deck. Tears in her eyes, she laughs and tightens her arms around my neck.

Then as the hidden speakers play “The Man I Love,” we sway to the music, Olivia crooning the words, her eyes on mine the entire time.

Chapter Sixty

Olivia

I stare at the house in the late morning—our home. The sound of waves and a briny wind greet me, as though I’ve never left. But what makes it the best is the feel of Liam’s arm around my waist as we walk along the garden toward the main entrance.

“I can’t believe I’m back,” I murmur.

“Why not?”

“I wasn’t sure if you’d accept my proposal. If…I’d hurt you too much.”

I reach for his hand, and he threads his fingers with mine. Step by step we head inside. The late morning light hits the Steinway just right; it gleams as though to say, “Welcome home.”

“Home sweet home,” I whisper. It feels like every cell in my body relaxes.

“What about your condo?” he teases, his eyes crinkling.

“I’m going to sell it. It was a place for me to escape to and plot my revenge. I used to think about it like I was a snake under a rock, coiling up, storing energy and just waiting to strike.” I take our linked hands and place them over my belly. “But this is where I want to live and raise our baby. I missed you. And so did our baby.”

He places a firm kiss on my forehead. “I missed you, too.”

I put my other hand around the back of his neck and pull him down for a proper kiss. Suddenly his phone buzzes. He ignores it, but another buzz and then another interrupt us.

“See what it’s about. Just in case. Might be your brothers,” I say with a rueful grin. They didn’t bother us last night, but today might be different.

Liam rolls his eyes but pulls out his phone. The smile vanishes.

“What is it?”

“Shit. It’s from Frederich. Grandma’s on her way.”

“What?” I blink. She never visited, and I don’t see why she would now. “What does she want?”

“Not sure.”

The security system pings with an alert. Liam checks the app and scrunches his face. “She’s here. Crap. Jesus, why is she here? Grandpa too!”

“This is ridiculous, Liam.” Cedric’s voice booms over the phone. “You should add us to the system. We are your family.”

Yup. They’re definitely here.

Liam squeezes his eyes shut for a moment. “The program is malfunctioning, so I can’t add anybody. But give me a second. I’ll let you in.”

I lay my hand on his tense arm. “It’s going to be fine. They can’t do anything to you.”

He nods grimly. “Yeah. I guess.”

I narrow my eyes. They better watch what they say and do to my husband. I don’t think Sorcha and Cedric are as obliviously cruel as his parents, but I’m not letting him suffer in silence. Several minutes later, the two elders of the family barge inside.

Sorcha’s in a fashionably elegant dress that makes her look like the sylph from La Sylphide, while her husband is in a starched white button-down shirt and jacket and slacks. No tie makes it casual, I guess…?