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Ev shook his head and quietly joked, “I have to fucking follow that?”
Liv laughed. “No trouble for you at all.” She handed over the mic. “Thanks for having me on your stage.”
“Anytime, Liv. And you know I mean that. I’ll have my manager send you tour dates in a heartbeat.”
“You’re all sensational without me, but that’s very kind.” She kissed him on the cheek before leaving the stage, which was bittersweet. Liv loved the limelight. And loved singing songs that resonated deeply. Particularly with this crowd.
As she descended the steps to the dance floor, her friends and acquaintances gave her quick hugs and told her how amazing she was—a truly gratifying moment.
Grace Kaplan grabbed her by both hands and said, “Liv, I know you’re not a wedding singer, but Ryan and I just got engaged and I absolutely have to have you sing “Ave Maria” as I walk down the aisle. Daddy will pay whatever you ask.”
Liv’s heart constricted at the beseeching request. She said, “Gracie, I’ve known you since you were born. I babysat you, for God’s sake. Of course I’ll sing at your ceremony. Edward doesn’t have to pay me—consider it part of my wedding gift. And, holy cow! Congratulations on your engagement!”
“Thank you!” The younger girl hugged her tight, then added, “It’s supposed to be a secret until the announcement in the paper comes out, but I just had to ask you while I had the chance. That was so beautiful what you said up there . . . maybe you’ll make a toast at my reception, too?”
“Anything you want.”
Ryan Morley came to collect his new fiancée, just as she declared, “Oh, my God! Liv Tyner is going to sing at our wedding!”
Liv congratulated Ryan on the engagement, then she made her way through the adoring crowd to Tristan.
And Nate.
He’d joined his stepbrother during her first song. Nate opened his arms and she walked into them. He held her for a few moments, then Tristan provided a napkin for her to dab her eyes.
“Geez,” she quipped, “you’d think I was the one who’d just had a song dedicated to her.”
“It completely stole my breath,” Sylvia said from beside her. They hugged.
Chloe told Liv, “I never would have been able to get those words out, but you said exactly what I was thinking. Thank you so much.” Another big squeeze that had Liv weepy once more.
When she pulled away, she said, “Hey, hey. This is supposed to be a wild bachelor-bachelorette party.” Turning back to the band, she called out, “Give us a beat!”
Chapter Ten
Nate and Tristan stayed for the entire party—most of which they surprisingly spent on the dance floor—then returned to the Ariana with Liv. There was nothing quite like feeling her naked body pressed between them, their legs tangled and her moans of pleasure filling the room. Unfortunately, she slipped out first thing in the morning, citing the need to run through the checklist of wedding chores with Sylvia as they hit the homestretch. Nate and Tristan were departing early anyway for a trip up to Seattle, with a few stops along the way—the last of their big meet-and-greets.
Over the course of the past week, they’d managed to solidify their plans and come to terms with Dagney Presley on a building in the Embarcadero, with a view of the Bay Bridge. In so many ways, it seemed to Nate as though all the meticulous plotting and timing out of their chessboard moves was fully paying off.
With the exception of one critical piece blocking their checkmate. Liv was leaving town.
Apparently Tristan’s thoughts traveled the same path. Over Denver omelets on deck, Tristan said, “Last night was a hell of a lot fun.”
“Every minute with Liv is a hell of a lot of fun.” Nate sipped his coffee, then added, “And exciting. And spontaneous . . .” He could have gone on and on. He knew it wasn’t necessary, though.
Tristan swallowed down a bite before telling him, “She has a point about it all just being in snippets. When we were growing up, it didn’t seem that way, even when she was working. We still ended up with plenty of time with her. This past decade, though, has been a lot different.”
“We’ve all had other things to focus on, but our friendship with her hasn’t changed a bit. Even after that first night we’d shared her, she found an immediate opportunity to call us. And we make it a regular habit to phone her.” Nate sat back in his chair, lifted his arms, and laced his fingers at the back of his head. “Distance was such an impediment while we were all trying to get our feet beneath us. The problem is, since we’ve been back, we’ve had the luxury of knowing she’s going to be in her Towers condo. For another week. Maybe two, three, four . . . But eventually, she will be gone again.”
Tristan’s jaw clenched for a moment. He said, “The more we’re with her, the more difficult it’ll be when she’s away from us.”
“Precisely.”
“So . . .” Tristan mused inconclusively.
“Yeah. So.” Nate unlaced his fingers and reached for his fork, then took a few bites and washed them down with more coffee as his thoughts remained on Liv. “The fact of the matter is, we’ve always been in love with a woman who comes and goes at her own intervals, because that’s all she’s ever known and it’s how she exists. We’ve never wanted her to change, would never ask her to change. It’s up to us, Tristan, to bend and flex with her.”
“We couldn’t do that and start our company.”
