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“How did I never hear any of this?” he asked.
“Clearly, you’re not hanging out with the right people,” Chloe told him. “Anyway, when Tamara’s father died, Sterling could finally get off a horse and into an office. He fired Ryder, and no one saw him again until the will reading. Tamara’s father left Ryder a strip of land and not too long after that, Ryder struck oil.”
“It sounds like a soap opera.”
“Doesn’t it?” she asked brightly. “Anyway, Sterling was furious about Ryder’s inheritance and started talk that Ryder actually blackmailed Tamara into getting her father to leave him the land. Even though Tamara passed away years ago, Ryder and Sterling are still mortal enemies. Doesn’t that sound dramatic?”
“That’s one word for it. But how do you know if any of it’s true?”
She lifted one shoulder and let the blanket slide down just a bit. She was rewarded when she saw his eyes flash. “Of course, there’s a chance it’s not true at all. But, after watching my own parents wheel and deal all my life, I’m really not surprised by any of it.”
“Your father had an affair, too?”
She laughed and shook her head. “Oh, no. My father only cares about perception. How things look to the outside world. He and my mother are quite alike there. Neither of them would ever have an affair because then they might not be thought of as perfect anymore.” Chloe actually winced when she’d finished, as if she couldn’t believe she’d just said all of that to a virtual stranger. A stranger who knew every inch of her body. She shivered.
“Wow. You don’t hold back, do you?”
She met his gaze and shook her head. “No. I grew up on polite lies and pretension. That’s not how I’m going to live my life anymore. Don’t get me wrong, I love my parents—I’m just not interested in being what they want me to be.”
“Which is?”
“Do you really care about all of this?” she asked suddenly. “I mean yesterday we didn’t know each other at all.”
“And today I know you’ve got a birthmark shaped like a teardrop on the inside of your right thigh,” Liam said softly.
Heat pooled in her core as she remembered just how much attention he’d paid to that particular mark. And how much she wanted him to repeat that experience.
“So to answer your question, yeah. I really want to know.”
Nodding, Chloe took another sip of wine. “Okay. They want me to be another link in the Hemsworth chain. Don’t stand out. Don’t be different. March in lockstep with family tradition and don’t draw attention to yourself.” She stopped, inhaled sharply and said, “Wow, that sounded really bitter, didn’t it?”
“Little bit,” he agreed. “But I get it. You want to run your own life. Hard to argue with that.”
“Thank you,” she said, “but you’d be surprised how few people I know agree with you.”
He gave her a long look. “Maybe you know the wrong people.”
Maybe she did at that. After all, her friends were women she’d grown up with, who were all taking the route expected of them. She was the black sheep. The one who made waves and trod down the path less traveled and good God, how many clichés could she think in one sentence?
“Well, now I know you.” Really well, she added silently.
“Yeah,” he said, “you do.”
“Don’t sound so excited about it.”
He smiled a little and shook his head. “No, I’m just doing some thinking.”
“About?”
“That camp of yours.”
Chloe held her breath. Judging by his expression, he wasn’t going to be giving her the answer she wanted. So even before he spoke, Chloe prepared her arguments.
“I’m willing to try it.”
“What?” Stunned, she could only stare at him.
“Yeah, surprised me too,” he admitted. “But I’m willing to give this a shot under one condition.”
Chloe held her breath and waited.
Five
Angela Perry took another batch of corn bread out of the oven and set the tray on a wire rack to cool. Setting the hot pads aside, she walked back into the main room and saw a few new faces. The rain was still falling, though it seemed to be easing up a bit now. Still, it didn’t stop stranded people from making their way into the shelter. The roads were still impassable, so she was grateful the shelter was well set up to handle a crowd.
