Just then, her phone buzzed. She flipped it over to see a text from Liam, which made her heart skip a beat. Even though she lived in his house, they were rarely in contact. He had texted a few times to answer Amelia’s questions (yes, she could buy anything she wanted for Grace using the credit card; no, he wouldn’t be home for dinner; yes, the maid would be coming in the next day), but he’d never initiated a conversation.

  Amelia. Just wanted to let you know I’ll be home around three. I’ve arranged a photoshoot for the three of us. Please be ready. Liam

  Amelia blinked at the text for several moments. At first, she wondered why Liam had arranged a photoshoot — but then she realized the obvious answer: that he needed some family pictures to uphold his reputation. That was fine. This was part of their deal, and Grace would be up from her nap by three.

  Okay. See you then.

  Despite herself, Amelia was a little nervous about seeing Liam. She took a few deeps breaths to steady herself, then turned back to her book.

  Just before three, Amelia and Grace were ready and waiting in the living room. Amelia had picked out a simple blue sundress for herself and a newly purchased flowery dress for Grace. It was perhaps a little too fancy, but it was Grace’s favorite, and the little girl had danced with joy when Amelia got it out.

  The elevator doors dinged open, and Liam stepped through. He was wearing his usual outfit of a suit and tie. He smiled at Amelia and Grace.

  “Hello, ladies.”

  Grace snuggled closer to Amelia on the couch, and Amelia put an arm around her. Even though Liam was her father, Grace had barely spent any time with him, so she still felt very shy in his presence. If this bothered Liam, he didn’t show it.

  “Thanks for being ready. The photographer is going to meet us downstairs, and we’ll take the pictures in the park across the street. Shall we head down?”

  “Sounds good.” Amelia got to her feet.

  “Up!” Grace lifted her arms to Amelia, who scooped her up. Together, the three of them returned to the elevator.

  “How’s work going?” Amelia asked pleasantly.

  “It’s busy, as usual. There are some bugs with our newest app, but the team is working on it.” Liam glanced at Amelia. “And how’s home?”

  “Great. Grace is really a joy. Aren’t you, sweetheart?”

  Grace squirmed closer to her, and Amelia chuckled.

  “A joy, but shy. I really love spending time with her, though.”

  “Yes, well.”

  Liam didn’t seem to know what to say. In that moment, Amelia’s heart went out to him. What must it be like to be a man so successful in business yet with no clue how to care for his own child? But she shut down her empathy. The truth was that Liam hadn’t cared to know his daughter when she was younger, leaving her care entirely in the hands of the girl’s mother. If he’d been involved from the beginning, he wouldn’t feel so distant now.

  “Are these photos for your office?” Amelia asked, trying to move the conversation along.

  “Yes. I need a few framed family photos for my desk, especially for my meeting with Stanley.”

  “Stanley?”

  “He’s one of our major investors, and the main reason for our… arrangement. He’s very traditional and cares about family above all else.”

  The opposite of you. Amelia bit her tongue.

  The elevator doors opened and the trio stepped into the lobby. Amelia was still holding Grace in her arms, but as they exited the building, Grace began to wiggle to get down. Amelia set her gently on her feet, and Grace took her hand.

  “She really likes you,” Liam pointed out. There was a slight undercurrent in his tone that Amelia couldn’t place.

  “I really like her,” Amelia countered. “We’re friends, right, Grace?”

  “Fwiends,” Grace repeated happily.

  “The two of you could be friends too,” Amelia pointed out.

  “Fwiends,” Grace repeated. Amelia wasn’t sure how much the child had understood of the conversation, but she squeezed Grace’s hand. Liam didn’t reply. He just gestured to a woman standing on the street outside.

  “Here’s our photographer.”

  The woman smiled. “Hi there. I’m Meg.”

  “Nice to meet you.” Amelia extended a hand to shake. “I’m Amelia and this is Grace. Grace, do you want to say hi?”

  Grace shook her head and buried her face behind Amelia’s knee again.

  “No problem.” The photographer smiled at them. “Shall we head to the park?”

  They crossed the street to a nearby park. Grace immediately spotted a duck pond and tugged at Amelia’s hand.

  “Duck! Duck!”

  “I know, sweetie.” Amelia smiled at her. “We’ll see the ducks a little later, okay?”

  “Ducks,” Grace said again, sadly.

  “Don’t worry,” Meg said. “Pictures can be fun, too. Let’s start with a few group shots. Mom, can you pick Grace up? And Dad, you can put your arms around them?”

  Amelia’s mouth opened of its own accord, ready to correct the photographer, but she closed it again. This was what she and Liam had agreed to — that she wouldn’t correct people who assumed that she was Grace’s mother.

  “Sure,” she said instead. “Grace, up?”

  Grace obediently held up her arms. “Up.” Amelia lifted her onto her hip.

  “Perfect. Now, Dad, put one arm around Amelia and rest your other hand on Grace’s head.”

  Liam hesitated, and Amelia could tell that he was uncomfortable with the arrangement. She wasn’t entirely comfortable, either. Holding Grace was one thing, but having Liam put his arm around her felt entirely different. Intimate.

  But Liam stepped forward. He slid an arm around Amelia’s shoulders, and Amelia caught the scent of his cologne, a masculine, slightly woodsy smell. Liam’s presence was warm, and all her focus was drawn to him, just like when he’d stood in front of her at the restaurant and asked her to reconsider their arrangement.

  Liam rested his other hand on Grace’s back, as instructed, and the photographer snapped a few shots.

  “Lean into each other,” she suggested. Amelia gave in to the magnetic force that pulled her towards Liam and allowed herself to lean against him. His chest was firm and muscular against her shoulder. The photographer snapped a few more photos, then instructed them to take a new position.

  This time, Amelia and Liam held Grace’s hands and swung her between them. Grace was hesitant to take Liam’s hand — he was, for all intents and purposes, a stranger to her — but she agreed when Amelia explained that they could swing her high through the air. When they lifted her up, the little girl shrieked with joy, her pink sneakers kicking up almost level with her head.

  Next, the photographer instructed them to hold Grace’s hands and look down at her, their backs to the camera. Grace looked from Amelia to Liam, grinning broadly. Amelia and Liam exchanged a glance, and Amelia’s heart warmed — perhaps Liam was finally bonding with his daughter. Maybe this photoshoot would be good for more than a few fake photos.

  After a few shots of this, Meg nodded. “Great. Now, Mom and Dad, bend down and kiss Grace’s cheeks.”

  Just then, there was a buzzing sound. Liam reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone.

  “Sorry, it’s work.” He answered and turned away, already speaking quickly into the phone. “I see. Tell Oliver that until we get a better figure for the service fees, we won’t be partnering with him at all. And…” His voice trailed off as he walked away from them.

  Amelia exchanged an apologetic glance with the photographer. “His job is very important.”

  “Right. Shall we take a few photos of you and Grace?”

  “Sure.” But as Amelia posed with Grace, holding her hands, chasing her around, tickling her small stomach until the child cackled with glee, she was distracted by Liam. It had seemed that he was finally connecting with Grace, at least a little, but the moment work had called, it was all over. Amelia couldn’t help feeling frustrated. It wasn’t right for him to prioritize his job during the few minutes he’d set aside for his child.

  And yes, Amelia felt a little personally slighted, too. She’d been having fun with Liam. It had been nice to see him again in a more relaxed environment. It had also been nice when he’d put her arms around her, even though she knew it shouldn’t have been.

  A few minutes later, Liam came striding back towards them. Amelia was relieved.

  “Sorry about this, but I will need to go into the office. There’s a minor emergency.”

  “You paid for the full two hours,” Meg reminded him.

  “Maybe you can take a few more shots of Amelia and Grace. Listen, I have to run.”

  And with that, Liam was gone, leaving Amelia in shock — and more disappointed than she should have been.

  CHAPTER 10

  LIAM

  Having a fake wife and a very real daughter was an exceptionally strange experience.

  Previously, Liam had worked long hours at the office simply because he always had more work than he could easily handle. Yet he’d always relaxed at home for a few hours in the evening and taken some time off on the weekends. Now, though, he found himself working longer and longer hours, just to avoid Amelia and Grace.

  It wasn’t that he didn’t want to get to know them better. Part of Liam wanted, almost desperately, to join them in the kitchen to make cookies or play in the park or whatever it was that they did all day. He wanted to win Grace over. He wanted to know more about Amelia and see if he could make her blush again, like she had when he’d put an arm around her during the photoshoot.

  Yet more strongly than any of that, Liam knew he needed to keep his distance. He wasn’t a family man. The photography session had proven that yet again, when he hadn’t known what to do with his daughter or what to talk to Amelia about. He hardly ever had conversations that weren’t about business.

  Liam also knew he couldn’t get too attached to either Grace or Amelia, because they would eventually both be gone. Grace would grow up and go to boarding school. Amelia would end their fake marriage after a year, as they’d set out in their contract. Growing closer to either of them would only set him — and them — up for heartbreak. It was easier to avoid Amelia and the beautiful home she was creating out of his barren apartment.

  Take this morning, for instance. Liam had woken up to the sound of laughter and bouncy children’s music coming from the kitchen. Amelia and Grace had been up early. When he’d passed by, Grace had been carefully slicing a banana with a plastic children’s knife while Amelia made pancakes. They’d been wearing matching checkered aprons. Both had been singing along, Amelia in her sweet singing voice and Grace in a happy child’s mumble.

  “Come join us!” Amelia had called. But Liam had declined.

  “I have work to do.”

  After the warmth and brightness and pure happiness in his kitchen, the office felt… bland. Almost clinical. It was very strange.

  Today’s work was even more important than most days’, though, and Liam knew he needed to be here. Just this morning, he had announced to his team that he had a family, explaining that, as a private man, he’d chosen not to mix his personal and work lives. In the announcement, which he’d done during an all-hands meeting, he’d added that they might have seen his daughter, Grace, or his wife, Amelia around the office — and that they might see more of both in the future. Liam had followed this up with the honest promise that he would continue to keep his focus on his work, with a strong separation between his personal and professional lives.

  The announcement had come just in time, because in about five minutes, Liam was meeting Stanley.

  Liam was nervous for the meeting in a way that was very out of character for him. He was rarely nervous about anything business-related. Yet today, he kept straightening the pictures of his “family” on his desk and couldn’t concentrate on his work.

  Liam had chosen two pictures to keep on his desk. The first had been taken after he’d left the session. It was an image of Amelia lifting Grace into the air. The sun caught in Grace’s fair hair, giving her a sort of halo. Amelia’s face radiated peace and happiness, an expression Liam couldn’t look away from. They looked like they belonged together, like Amelia was really Grace’s parent instead of Liam.

  There was just something about Amelia. Liam couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but whenever he was around her, he felt drawn to her. It was an attraction unlike anything he had felt before, and he knew that the only thing keeping it at bay was the distance he maintained from her.

  The other picture, though, showed Liam’s one moment of weakness. During the photography session, one of the first shots the photographer had taken showed Amelia holding Grace, and Liam holding them both. Initially, he’d maintained his distance as best he could, but after a moment, he’d leaned into Amelia, looked down into her clear brown eyes, and allowed himself to inhale her feminine smell. This picture showed that exact moment, when Liam’s guard had been down. Liam had chosen it as a reminder — a reminder of the importance of keeping a distance from this woman.

  “Liam?” Ryan appeared at the doorway. He looked refreshed and positive, which Liam found slightly annoying given his own personal struggles. “Stanley is here.”

  “Right.” Liam got to his feet. “Send him in.”

  A moment later, Stanley appeared. Though he was only in his forties, Stanley had the salt-and-pepper hair and smile lines of an older man — which he’d explained was due to too much stress in his twenties. As usual, he was dressed professionally, but slightly more casually than Liam, in a pair of slacks and a pressed button-down.

  “Stanley.” Liam circled the desk and held his hand out. “It’s nice to see you again.”

  “You too.” Stanley took his hand for a firm shake, then smiled. “You look well.”

  “Thank you. As do you. Please, have a seat. Can I offer you anything to drink?”

  “I’d love some black tea, if you have it,” Stanley suggested. Liam nodded to Ryan, who disappeared to prepare the tea.

  “Of course. My assistant will bring it in just a moment.”

  They took their seats, Liam in his desk chair and Stanley in the seat across from him. There was a momentary pause as they smiled politely at each other.

  “Nice weather we’ve been having,” Liam said, rather blandly. He always struggled to talk to Stanley. With his other investors, he had at least a few shared interests, whether that was the position of the stock market, exercise habits, politics, or simply getting the most out of their money. Stanley, however, seemed to come from a different, more old-school world, and Liam always found himself fumbling for small-talk topics.

  “Yes, very lovely.” Stanley smiled politely. “Listen, Liam, while I’m here to talk to you about renewing my investment, there is another topic we should discuss. I’ve heard a few rumors of a rather confusing nature. Naturally, I try to put things aside, but you see…”

  “I think I know what you’re talking about. Perhaps you’ve heard about my daughter?” It was the first time Liam had said the words “my daughter,” and they sounded strange on his lips. My daughter. Grace. Liam took the photograph of the three of them together and handed it to Stanley, who took it with interest. “Here she is, along with my wife.”

  “Liam,” he said, his voice full of surprise. “You’re married? And you have a child?”

  “I do. The little one is my daughter, Grace. She’s two and a half. And the woman is my wife, Amelia.”

  “I’ll admit,” Stanley began, shaking his head slowly, “one of my contacts mentioned seeing you with a little girl, and I may have assumed the worst. I had no idea you were a family man. Why hasn’t this come up?”

  “To be honest, the world of business is a lot for anyone — especially a child. I’ve made a concerted effort to keep Grace out of any kind of spotlight — and Amelia as well. As you may have noticed, I’m a rather private man, and I didn’t want to share them.”

  Stanley was nodding again. “Good man. I tried hard to keep my kids separate from the world of business when they were young, too. But they sure do grow fast — as I’m sure you know, too.” He winked, and Liam almost fell out of his chair. Had Stanley Jefferson, a man known for his high standards and decorum, really just winked at him?

  “I sure do.” Liam chuckled. “It feels like only yesterday I was meeting my girls for the first time.” That was because it practically had been yesterday, but Liam didn’t add that.

  “I feel the same way. My Laurie and I have been married almost twenty years now, but I still remember the first time I saw her like it was yesterday. Believe it or not, she was my flight attendant on my first ever first-class flight.”

  Liam chuckled appreciatively. “I bet you made a good impression.”

  “Hardly. I was so thrilled to finally be in first class that I must have asked a dozen questions. But Laurie was so sweet and funny, and by the time we landed, I had her number. How about your wife? Amelia, you said? How did you meet?”

  For a terrifying moment, Liam blanked. He really should have prepared for this moment, but he hadn’t expected Stanley to be quite this interested — he wasn’t a particularly talkative man. After a moment’s hesitation, Liam decided to stick with the truth.

  “Actually, her nephew accidentally smeared ice cream on one of my suits while Amelia was babysitting him. She apologized and gave me her number so I could send her the dry-cleaning bill. I obviously didn’t do that. I did use that number to ask her out to lunch, though.” The words felt true, and Liam felt almost as though he’d slipped into an alternate dimension in which that really was what had happened. What if he’d asked Amelia on a date, instead of offering her a job? What if— Liam cut off the train of thought. There was no use wondering what could have been.

  Stanley chuckled. “I can’t imagine that. To be honest, Liam, I never got the feeling you liked kids all that much, even though you run such a successful edtech firm.”