Hidden Falls Read Free Page A

his living room that he used as a home office. “And look what I found you doing. Working.”
    His laptop was open and stacks of papers crisscrossed each other. Six different pens peeked out from beneath the disarray because he could never find the last one he used.
    “I’m just taking care of a few things that can’t wait.” Liam took a swig of water.
    “You haven’t even showered or shaved. Do you think I can’t tell? What time did you go to bed last night? Have you eaten?”
    He looked away from her. “Why does any of that matter?”
    “Because I asked you to come in after the movie last night, and you said you had to work. And clearly you’ve been working again all morning. Maybe all night for all I know.”
    Liam winced. She knew him too well. He was up most of the night, and he slept—briefly—in the clothes he wore yesterday. “I have a lot on my mind.”
    “I can see that.” Jessica sat on a stool. “So give yourself the night off and relax. With me.”
    “I explained that my business has had some complications lately.”
    And if anybody at corporate got wind of Liam’s complications, he would never work as a financial consultant again. Or in any career. He would be spending too many years in prison to worry about his career.
    He could make the money back. He would find a way to cover that it had gone missing at all. He just needed a few new clients and a little bit of time. Ted Quinn was at the top of the list. Already they had met twice to talk about the services Liam offered, even before Liam realized the extent of his crisis. Quinn was interested, Liam was sure of it. In his fifties, Quinn was of an age where he was thinking about the future more carefully. He needed safe investments that would yield reliably as he moved toward retirement—though Liam had a hard time imagining Quinn would give up teaching anytime soon. Liam reasoned that as a single man with no dependents, even on a small-town teacher’s salary, Quinn was doing well. He must have paid for his house by now, and it was worth a considerable sum by Hidden Falls standards. Quinn said he had several accounts he needed to roll over and was looking for some fresh advice from someone he could trust.
    Liam wanted to be that someone.
Several
accounts.
    “I think Quinn is going to sign with me soon,” he said to Jessica. “It would be bad form if I blew off his big night. Tomorrow we’ll do something together. Anything you want.”
    Jessica rounded the end of the breakfast bar and put her arms around his neck for another kiss. “I promised my friend from work I would go to her baby shower.”
    “After that, then. You just call me when you’re ready, and I’ll be right there.” Liam cradled her face and kissed her hard.
    The doorbell startled them both, and Liam let out his breath. “Come in.”
    The door opened and his brother stood in its opening.
    “Cooper,” Jessica said. “What are you doing here?”
    “Am I interrupting something?”
    Liam glanced at Jessica, who was fidgeting with the ponytail at the back of her head. “It’s fine. What do you need?”
    Cooper tossed himself into a brown leather recliner. “Do I have to need something in order to come see my big brother?”
    Jessica rolled her eyes. “I guess I’d better go cut the tags off that dress and make sure I have shoes to go with it.”
    “I’ll pick you up at seven.” Liam leaned over and kissed her cheek. “There won’t be another woman there half as beautiful as you.”
    “Hmm.” She picked up her purse from the coffee table. “Flattery is not going to get you out of this. I’ll see you later.”
    The door closed behind her.
    “Get you out of what?” Cooper popped out of the chair, scooped up a football from the corner of the couch, and spiraled it across the room.
    Liam caught the ball, but instead of returning the pass, he set it on the breakfast bar.
    “Ooh,” Cooper said, “must be serious.”
    “She thinks I’m working too much and