Liam had both ridden bikes during their high school years; she’d seen Liam countless times ripping down a Harbor Town street with some girl who looked thrilled to be clutching onto him.
“Hi,” Natalie replied, hoping that she sounded completely at ease with this unexpected meeting. In truth, her heart had started to beat an erratic tempo against her breastbone.
“I was just going to walk over and see if you were still in your office.”
“Were you?”
The lights in the parking lot were dim, but she still sawsomething indefinable flicker across his face. “What…you don’t believe me?”
“Why wouldn’t I believe you?” she asked, glad to hear her voice sounded calm.
He gave her a level look. “Mainly because you sounded like I was full of crap for saying it,” she thought she heard him say under his breath. A car door slammed in the distance. Liam glanced past her shoulder and waved at a man who was walking toward them. He continued quietly. “I really was about to walk over to your office, whether you believe me or not. I saw your car parked on Ontario Avenue and figured you were still there. Do you make it a habit to work until almost nine o’clock?”
“Why were you trying to find me?”
Liam scowled when she ignored his question. “I thought you might want to sit in on this conversation. I did a little digging and rumor has it that this guy—” he nodded toward the man he’d just waved at who was approaching where they stood “—saw my father on Silver Dunes Beach on the night of the crash. Not sure yet if it would have been before or after the time period he was at the club. I thought you might be interested,” he finished in a low murmur.
“Of course I’m interested, but…” Liam looked up as the man’s footsteps grew closer.
“Roger Dayson?” Liam asked.
“That’s right.” Although Roger’s gruff voice was amiable enough, he gave Liam a cautious glance. He was in his late forties and had the weathered complexion of an outdoorsman. He stuck out his hand and Liam shook it. “You must be Liam Kavanaugh.”
“As charged. Thanks for stopping by. Like I said on the phone, I got your name and number from Joe Brown. He seemed to think you might have some information about my father’s actions on the night of the crash sixteen years ago.”
“Not a problem. I usually swing by Jake’s on Tuesday nights, so it wasn’t out of my way. As for what I saw on the night of the crash, it doesn’t amount to much.”
“Anything you can tell us will be useful. This is Natalie Reyes. She’ll be joining us.”
Natalie opened her mouth to protest, but was interrupted by Roger.
“Ma’am,” Roger said cordially, extending his hand to her as well.
“Shall we go inside?” Liam suggested.
The two men started toward the door of Jake’s Place, but Natalie wavered in her planted heels. As if he’d sensed Natalie hadn’t followed, Liam turned around and paused.
“What’s wrong?”
She watched as Roger approached the entrance of Jake’s Place. Someone exited before he got to the door. Live music and the sound of people having a good time leaked out into the still night air. Jake’s was hopping.
“Natalie?” Liam asked, looking puzzled by her hesitancy. “Is everything okay?”
“Of course,” she lied. She’d never admit to Liam Kavanaugh, of all people, that she’d never set foot in the popular hangout. Everyone in Harbor Town went to Jake’s, whether to enjoy the live music on Tuesday nights, to hang out with friends or to celebrate with family on special occasions.
Everyone but Natalie, that is.
“Come on, then,” Liam prompted. He casually grabbed her hand and led her toward the entrance.
She pulled back on his hand, but he refused to let go.
“Wait…let me at least put on my jacket,” she said.
His blue eyes skimmed over the ivory, sleeveless silk shell she’d worn under her suit. Her arms were bare. She suddenly felt like she was naked under Liam’s
“Hi,” Natalie replied, hoping that she sounded completely at ease with this unexpected meeting. In truth, her heart had started to beat an erratic tempo against her breastbone.
“I was just going to walk over and see if you were still in your office.”
“Were you?”
The lights in the parking lot were dim, but she still sawsomething indefinable flicker across his face. “What…you don’t believe me?”
“Why wouldn’t I believe you?” she asked, glad to hear her voice sounded calm.
He gave her a level look. “Mainly because you sounded like I was full of crap for saying it,” she thought she heard him say under his breath. A car door slammed in the distance. Liam glanced past her shoulder and waved at a man who was walking toward them. He continued quietly. “I really was about to walk over to your office, whether you believe me or not. I saw your car parked on Ontario Avenue and figured you were still there. Do you make it a habit to work until almost nine o’clock?”
“Why were you trying to find me?”
Liam scowled when she ignored his question. “I thought you might want to sit in on this conversation. I did a little digging and rumor has it that this guy—” he nodded toward the man he’d just waved at who was approaching where they stood “—saw my father on Silver Dunes Beach on the night of the crash. Not sure yet if it would have been before or after the time period he was at the club. I thought you might be interested,” he finished in a low murmur.
“Of course I’m interested, but…” Liam looked up as the man’s footsteps grew closer.
“Roger Dayson?” Liam asked.
“That’s right.” Although Roger’s gruff voice was amiable enough, he gave Liam a cautious glance. He was in his late forties and had the weathered complexion of an outdoorsman. He stuck out his hand and Liam shook it. “You must be Liam Kavanaugh.”
“As charged. Thanks for stopping by. Like I said on the phone, I got your name and number from Joe Brown. He seemed to think you might have some information about my father’s actions on the night of the crash sixteen years ago.”
“Not a problem. I usually swing by Jake’s on Tuesday nights, so it wasn’t out of my way. As for what I saw on the night of the crash, it doesn’t amount to much.”
“Anything you can tell us will be useful. This is Natalie Reyes. She’ll be joining us.”
Natalie opened her mouth to protest, but was interrupted by Roger.
“Ma’am,” Roger said cordially, extending his hand to her as well.
“Shall we go inside?” Liam suggested.
The two men started toward the door of Jake’s Place, but Natalie wavered in her planted heels. As if he’d sensed Natalie hadn’t followed, Liam turned around and paused.
“What’s wrong?”
She watched as Roger approached the entrance of Jake’s Place. Someone exited before he got to the door. Live music and the sound of people having a good time leaked out into the still night air. Jake’s was hopping.
“Natalie?” Liam asked, looking puzzled by her hesitancy. “Is everything okay?”
“Of course,” she lied. She’d never admit to Liam Kavanaugh, of all people, that she’d never set foot in the popular hangout. Everyone in Harbor Town went to Jake’s, whether to enjoy the live music on Tuesday nights, to hang out with friends or to celebrate with family on special occasions.
Everyone but Natalie, that is.
“Come on, then,” Liam prompted. He casually grabbed her hand and led her toward the entrance.
She pulled back on his hand, but he refused to let go.
“Wait…let me at least put on my jacket,” she said.
His blue eyes skimmed over the ivory, sleeveless silk shell she’d worn under her suit. Her arms were bare. She suddenly felt like she was naked under Liam’s
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