Full Circle (8 page)

That didn’t seem likely, because to avoid making Justin suspicious and causing trouble at work they had returned to being friends, and though she seemed to be at ease in his casual company, she was still plenty wary of intimacy. Their fingers had touched the other day when she helped him wrap a dog’s injured foot, and she’d jumped like his hand was the top of a hot stove.

“You still enjoy working with animals?” he finally asked.

She shrugged. “It’s part of the job. I can’t just let them sit back here all day.”

“Looks like you’re very good with them. I’m surprised you don’t have a pet of your own.”

“Why bother? I’d have to give it away when I move.”

Of course. When she moved. Somehow, Liam kept forgetting that at the end of next month, Elisa would be gone.

There weren’t any more appointments on the books and if the front bell rang, they would hear it, so he sat next to her. “I know I’m old and all now, but you can still talk to me.”

She didn’t move, and she couldn’t run away because she was trapped between him and the wall with a dog in her lap—which was why he’d chosen this moment to ask her to talk.

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

“What happened after you left school? Why are you bent on landing a corporate office when this is what you’ve always wanted and you obviously love it?”

Next to him, her body stiffened. “I didn’t want to be a receptionist. I wanted to be a vet.”

“So why aren’t you?”

“You’ve got a lot of nerve.”

Her eyes blazed. In a way, he was glad for that. She needed some emotion injected into the shell of herself that she’d become. If he had to piss her off to make it happen, so be it.

“A lot of nerve is acting like we hardly know each other. I was there, remember? I knew Brett well. I know you got pregnant. What I don’t understand is why you disappeared.”

“I did not—” The beagle’s ears twitched, and Elisa lowered her voice. “I did
not
disappear. You did. I found out I was pregnant and you never spoke to me again.”

He sighed. Unfortunately, she was right. He’d been disgusted to discover that shortly after she spent the night with him, she had fallen back into bed with Brett—and without protection, apparently, which was crazy given how much Brett got around. And she ended up pregnant with the baby she lost. It was a sad situation that could have been avoided.

But it also hadn’t been his business, and he knew that now. He and Elisa had never agreed to get together. She hadn’t owed him anything—he had just hoped her willingness to make love with him was a sign of something more than her being bored that particular night. In his dumb and hormonal youth, he’d taken what should have been an entertaining friends-with-benefits situation and blown it completely out of proportion.

Liam nodded. “I’m sorry. I was upset then, and I overreacted. I didn’t come in here to argue with you. Honestly, I’d just like to know about your life over the past several years.”

She stroked the beagle’s head. It seemed to keep her calm. “There isn’t much to tell. I’ve been here the whole time. After the baby…after I lost it, I moved in with my parents for a while to recuperate and then worked some odd jobs and started taking classes.”

“And Brett? When did he disappear?”

“Not long after we found out about the pregnancy. We only lived together for a few weeks before he took off with a fellow trust fund brat he’d apparently been dating behind my back for quite some time.”

Deadbeat. Liam wanted to punch his lights out. “I heard he got married a while back. I assumed it was you.”

“Hell no, it wasn’t me.”

He smiled at the tenacity in her voice. “I’m glad.”

“Me too. Because in a matter of weeks, it will be like none of that ever happened. Took long enough, don’t you think?”

She stood, clearly done talking. He followed suit, uneasy about her plans. He understood why she wanted a new life—he’d played that card himself, leaving the city after his mother died so his memories of her wouldn’t be so prominent everywhere he looked.

But the memories were still there, and always would be. Elisa seemed to believe that the moment she stepped foot in Nashville, settled into a job and a city so far from what she’d intended when she went to school and experienced so much pain, she would forget about Brett and her lost child. That wasn’t going to happen.

She returned the beagle to its cage and locked the door then checked to make sure all the animals had enough food and water. They went back to the waiting room and Elisa skimmed the appointment database on her computer.

“Looks like you’re done for the week, Dr. Barton. I assume you’ll be at the Fourth of July picnic tomorrow?”

“Definitely. Justin and I signed up for the sand volleyball tournament.”

She groaned. “Oh brother. Does this town need to see you guys having a testosterone contest?”

“Actually, we’ll be on the same team, representing the clinic. Businesses from all over town are competing, and the winner gets a year of free advertising in the local paper.”

“Whoopee. Like the two of you shirtless in front of every woman in Windy Flats won’t be enough publicity.”

“Who said we were going without shirts?”

“It’s going to be a hundred degrees tomorrow. Maybe even hotter.”

“We’ll wear muscle shirts. Tight ones. The kind that will stick to our sweaty bodies and—”

“Shut up.” Elisa smiled and gathered her things to leave.

“I certainly hope you’ll be there, but if you want to look at me shirtless, all you have to do is ask.”

She stopped and looked at him with an expression of feigned boredom, her hand across her chest. “Be still my heart.”

He was getting to her, and he liked that. Though he wanted so much more, if the stone-faced girl he’d seen during his first day on the job was comfortable flirting with him, they had made progress. With time, maybe their relationship would move beyond old acquaintances and she’d trust him again.

Except she can’t wait to get out of this town,
a nagging voice reminded him. And if he wanted a wife and children in the near future, he needed to start looking for a woman who was happy right where she was.

Chapter Six

Elisa tugged at her tank top and resisted the urge to wipe the sweat forming on her chest. The picnic had started only an hour ago and already crowds huddled beneath the misting systems mounted around the park, and bottled water vendors couldn’t restock fast enough. Many of the women in attendance didn’t hesitate to strut around town in their bikini tops, and Elisa couldn’t help but think that Liam would have no problem finding a “nice lady” before the end of the day.

Next to her, Laura wheezed and began sucking in gulps of air. Elisa stopped walking and put a hand on her friend’s arm. “Hey, are you all right?”

She nodded but bent her head down without responding. After a moment, she straightened and swiped the back of her hand across her forehead. “It’s really hot out here.”

Laura had dressed for the weather as best as she could in a loose cotton T-shirt and shorts, comfortable shoes and a wide-brimmed hat. But Elisa remembered her pregnant summer days and how easily the heat could make a woman faint.

“Do you want to sit down? Look, there’s an empty bench.”

They claimed the seat and Elisa offered Laura her bottle of water, but she refused. “No, thanks, sweetie. I’ve had two already and I’ll be in the bathroom all day at this rate.”

Elisa laughed. Laura turned to her and smiled. “You seem to be in high spirits today. Having a good time with Liam?”

The teasing tone of Laura’s voice suggested she already knew the answer. Elisa held back a smile and bit her lip, pretending to be unsure about what to reveal. Busy schedules—and admittedly, Elisa’s desire to avoid Justin’s lecturing—had kept them from spending time together in a while, and she was dying to share the news so they could squeal like a couple of schoolgirls. It had been a long time since she’d had that much fun.

“Come on, El, what happened? Don’t you dare leave me hanging like that.”

“We kissed.”

Laura gasped. “Oh, honey! That’s fantastic!”

It certainly had been. As well as amazing, earth-shattering, mind-blowing…

Elisa looked out at the crowd and the people milling around her. Justin and Liam had taken her nephews to get their faces painted. The sugary smell of funnel cake wafted through the air. Families lined up to play ring toss and eat turkey legs, and a sound system blared Top 40 hits from an Austin radio station.

She blinked hard and tried to shake off the emotional cloud hovering over her. She hated these moments when sentimental nonsense crept in and made her question the dream that, after nine years of pain and hard work, would soon be a reality.

Nashville was only, what, a two-hour flight away? Thanks to the money Brett dumped on her as well as the many years she’d been working, she had more than enough saved up to make as many trips back to Texas as she liked. She could come back any time if she wanted to visit Justin and Laura, Kevin and Jack, the new baby…and Liam.

Liam, the man she hadn’t been able to look in the eye since her moment of weakness in his living room. The one who managed to get her to talk about the past decade, a subject she never discussed with anyone.

Her answers had been vague, but still…how could she have let herself lose control like that? How could she allow herself to trust him, in a physical
and
emotional sense, when she knew where that kind of trust led? If she wasn’t careful, she would end up getting attached to that euphoric feeling. She’d pine away for him like she had with Brett, until his desire for her became her entire identity. She already thought about him each night before she went to sleep, and sometimes, she even wished he was there with her. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if they could share a fling, but Liam wanted a family. She could see it every time he looked at Justin, Laura and the kids.

Who was she kidding? She could see it every time he looked at
her
.

Liam wouldn’t have left her the way Brett did. No, he would have popped the question complete with stunning engagement ring and he’d have been the best damn dad in the world—because it was the right thing to do. Not because he loved her. Not because he had any real desire to spend his life with her. And she’d be damned if she would hand her heart and her life to a man for no reason other than obligation. She wanted to be chosen. Somewhere in her dark, wounded heart, she still believed in romance.

She couldn’t believe she actually wanted an affair, wanted Liam to be one of the casual Casanovas she usually despised. But that would be less painful than getting into a long-term relationship with him simply because he felt she was his responsibility.

Liam deserved to get married and have children with a woman he honestly loved. Elisa had plans of her own, goals she had spent years preparing for. Falling for her ex-boyfriend’s charms had been a huge mistake, keeping the truth from Liam an even bigger one, but she would not spend the rest of her life paying for her feelings for the two men.

She had to make a fresh start.

“Mom!” Kevin burst onto the grass to show Laura the baseball painted on the side of his face. “Isn’t this cool?”

“And I got a soccer ball,” Jack added proudly.

Laura leaned over and wrapped them both in a hug. “You both look great! Where’s your dad?”

“Over there.”

Elisa glanced in the direction of Kevin’s pointing finger, where Justin and Liam headed toward them.

Shirtless.

Oh boy.

She hadn’t seen Liam
sans
an article of clothing in almost a decade, but now, witnessing his bare skin in person, her mind overflowed with images of his young, strong body over her…next to her…beneath her. Time hadn’t touched him. If anything, he looked better. Suddenly, the blazing sun wasn’t the only reason she sweat.

She wanted him so badly she couldn’t sit still.

“Ladies,” Justin greeted them. “How’s it going?”

“It’s hotter than Hades out here,” Laura replied. “I don’t think I’m going to last too much longer.”

“The volleyball games are about to start. Think you can stay through those?”

She rubbed his arm. “Of course, honey. Reminds me of college, when you used to show off for me.”

Elisa pretended to stick her finger down her throat. “Tone it down, guys. Three’s probably enough, don’t you think?”

Laura laughed and patted her swollen tummy. “I’m thinking so. Hey, he kicked me!” She grabbed Elisa’s hand.

Liam stood next to where she sat on the bench, and she could feel him watching while Laura held her hand against the T-shirt.
Thump, thump, thump.
The surprisingly strong pulses pressed against her palm. Her own baby hadn’t grown quite big enough for her to have ever felt any kicks.

Oh, if only she had known from the beginning of her pregnancy that the baby was Liam’s. He would have been there for her, would have supported her. Maybe she would have carried her daughter to term if she hadn’t been so incredibly stressed about single-motherhood and Brett’s cruel abandonment.

Elisa snatched her hand back before tears could threaten. Justin and Laura would understand, but not Liam. He could never know her secret. At least, not until she was safely settled in Nashville and didn’t have to worry about facing him again.

“That’s really sweet,” she said, scrambling to her feet. “Hey, there’s a big shade tree right in front of the sand volleyball court. Let’s claim it before someone else does.”

She led the group across the park, knowing the adults were staring at her and praying that her brother and Laura would be kind enough not to blow her cover in front of Liam.

No one said a word. They tossed a blanket in the stretch of shade the tree provided, and Liam played Rock, Paper, Scissors with the boys until the referee asked volleyball participants to report to the side of the court for instructions.

“Wish me luck, babe.” Justin kissed his wife on the cheek and strode off.

Liam winked at Elisa then joined her brother. The gesture rocked her down to the tips of her toes. She couldn’t believe the things that man did to her body when he wasn’t even touching her.