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I can’t help but smile.
“I felt it,” I confess. “The ‘it’ factor… I felt it last night.”
Lana Mae claps her hands. “Iknewthis was serious. I’ve been wanting this for him for so long.”
I take my opportunity. “Why doesn’t he date?”
Mindy bites her bottom lip and glances at Lana, who sighs, her face suddenly serious.
“I’m not sure how much he’s told you about our upbringing, but our family had… some issues,” Lana Mae says quietly. “Our father wasn’t the easiest person to be around. He was particularly hard on Liam—he had such high expectations of him.”
“And this affected him dating?” I ask, trying to piece everything together.
“Liam’s a complex person,” she says slowly. “He takes things hard, carries the weight of the world on his shoulders, like he’s personally responsible for other people’s problems. He hasn’t dated since his girlfriend in college, and over the years, he’s put so much time and energy into SITL, I don’t think he really had time or energy to date. Well, his company and also caring for and supporting Legs. He wants Legs to have a father figure in her life seeing as my ex left while I was pregnant.”
Her shoulders slump slightly at the memory. I’m struck by how this beautiful woman has been through more crap than I can even imagine, and yet, she’s so strong and resilient. I’m in awe of her.
“Luke helped out a lot too, especially in that first year,” she continues. “Liam was away at college in California at the time.”
“He said he played baseball for a bit?”
She smiles. “Is that how he phrased it? Always so modest, our Liam. He could’ve gone pro. He had a life out west—an athletic scholarship, working on his business degree, a gorgeous girlfriend…”
Lana Mae trails off, shifts in her seat a little.
“Then our mom passed away and he walked away from it all. Dropped out of college, quit baseball, came back home. Built a company. He was here for Legs and me in a way that’s just… remarkable.” She pauses, sounding a touch tearful. “He gave up everything and nobody could stop him. I just don’t want him to have regrets.”
Mindy puts a hand on Lana’s arm. “Liam made the choice he wanted to make.”
“I agree.” My words come out barely above a whisper. This man I’ve fallen for, this man who has stolen my heart, is so different from any other man I’ve dated. In the best way possible.
Mindy glances at me and I see a glimmer of something that looks like approval in her sweet expression. “The path he chose led him to the right job. And now, the right person. No amount of baseball—pro career or not—could replace how precious that is.”
Her words are balm to me. I love that they see what I see—howrightthis thing between Liam and me seems to be.
Lana Mae nods and looks at me. Smiles. “You make him really happy, Annie.”
“He makes me happy, too,” I say, meaning every single word.
“Plus, he’s going to be even happier soon when they bag that investment—did you hear that they’re down to two companies now?” Mindy sparkles.
I grin. “I did hear that.”
“Luke made sure everyone within a ten-mile radius heard about it this morning,” Lana Mae adds with a roll of her eyes.
“It’s so exciting!” Mindy continues. “If SITL get this, they’ll be set. All of the risks will have paid off. They just have to beat out these Financify guys.”
Despite the killer heat in the sauna, a chill runs through me. “Wait. Who?”
“Financify, I think they’re called? Some finance app out of Boston.” Mindy raises a brow. “You’ve heard of them?”
I give a stiff nod.
Oh, I’ve heard of them all right.
39
LIAM
