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“I’ll check in later.” Blake stepped by him.
“Copy that.” Liam went to the front door and turned to scan the street just so he could catalog what vehicles and people were around. So he’d spot any changes that might be suspicious. Then he let himself in. “Destiny, it’s Liam!”
“Living room!”
He headed there and found Destiny and Roxie beside each other, under a blanket with a bowl of popcorn between them.
Destiny waved to the chair. “You’re just in time for the good part.”
Liam spotted the chick flick on the TV and groaned. No wonder Blake had been ready to leave so fast, and it wasn’t because he had a volunteer thing tonight coaching inner-city kids’ basketball. “Great.” He lowered himself into the chair.
“There’s enchiladas on the stove,” Roxie said. “Should be warm still.”
Liam levered himself out of the chair and headed for the kitchen. He heard both women snicker, but it wasn’t like this was a cowardly retreat. He was hungry, okay? He’d had a long day and lunch had been hours ago.
While he nuked the enchiladas a little just to make them piping hot, he texted his mom.
I really need you to call me.
She might have zero intention of doing that, but his mom couldn’t hide forever. They had dinner on Sundays every week that he could make it. As far as he knew, they were still on for this weekend. Sometimes Conrad and his family came, so they both got to see him and his wife and the girls. Not the time to talk about his dad’s case. But Liam wasn’t going to let this drop.
He needed to know why she’d hired Vanguard to reopen the case.
Liam took his plate and a fork and paper towel back to the living room and saw the TV again. He flinched.
Roxie smirked at him.
He shot her a look, and she burst out laughing. “It’s not that bad.”
As if shewantedto watch this. Knowing Destiny, this was about torturing both of them with too much sweet romance. It was practically thick in the air in this room.
“Welp, I have to study.” Destiny jumped up from under the blanket.
Liam got a flash of the back of her knee, and she was gone.
“Gotta study!” Destiny’s voice came from the hall.
Roxie started to laugh.
“There’s nothing funny about this.”
She only laughed harder, swiping a tear from her eye.
FIFTEEN
Asecond later, Roxie realized what she was doing and the awkwardness from teasing Liam hit home. She swallowed the laughter and reached for the popcorn bowl, scooping up what had spilled on the blanket and setting the bowl on Destiny’s coffee table.
Liam had his plate on his knee. “It’s good to see you laugh.”
It was an odd posture, especially since she’d just been thinking how much of a guy he was for acting that way about a simple show on TV. “The movie wasn’t that bad.”
He lifted one brow, his fork almost to his mouth. “You liked it?”
“No, but it was what Destiny wanted to watch.” Roxie grabbed the blanket, pulled her knees up, and held it to her front. As if the blanket would give her any kind of defense. It was more the feeling of being surrounded by comfort. Like strong arms—but none were available, and needing someone never ended well in her experience.
“You okay?”
“I never really know how to answer that.”
