“To be honest,” Liam replied, “I didn’t. I believe in education and the importance of childhood, but I never got the draw of little ones until I had my own.”

  “That’s how it is for a lot of guys like us,” Stanley agreed. He leaned back in his chair. “Money, business, power — it can all go to your head and make the little things seem less important. Family is what keeps us grounded in what matters.”

  “I agree.” Liam smiled and cleared his throat. “My apologies for sidetracking the conversation. Now that I’ve given myself permission to talk about my family, it’s hard to talk about anything else. But you didn’t come here just to talk about kids.” It was time to move the conversation on to the important part — reviewing Stanley’s investment portfolio and renewing his commitment.

  “Nonsense.” Stanley waved him off. “Of course I’ll continue to invest with you, but we can discuss the details a little later on. In fact, why don’t you come out to my ranch? It’s about half an hour outside the city, but the views are incredible. Bring your wife and daughter. We can have a family barbecue and get down to brass tacks in a more personal location.”

  Liam concealed his surprise as best as he could. Although he frequently took his investors out to lunch or dinner, or even, on occasion, a trip out to wine country, Stanley had never been interested. And now he was inviting him to his own home?

  Maybe having a child would actually be a benefit to Liam’s career.

  “That would be wonderful.”

  “This weekend we’re out of town — it’s Laurie’s and my anniversary, and we’re taking the kids camping. It keeps us all closer to our roots. But how about the weekend after?”

  “I’ll check my agenda, but I don’t see why not.”

  “Perfect.” Stanley sat back with a pleased smile. “I’m looking forward to it. Should I be aware of any dietary requirements?”

  Liam remembered Amelia happily eating the chef’s special at the waterfront restaurant, so she would probably be all right with anything. Grace was another story.

  “Grace is a little picky.”

  “Aren’t they all at that age? Don’t worry. We’ll find something she wants to eat.”

  “My wife is better at getting her to eat than I am. Thank goodness for Amelia, or Grace would probably live on ice cream.”

  “We’ll make sure to have some ice cream on hand, just in case. When my Thomas was little, he went through a phase of eating only white foods. Can you believe that? White rice, white bread, vanilla ice cream, bananas… and for some reason, broccoli.”

  “Kids.” Liam shook his head. “Who knows what they’re thinking?”

  “Exactly. My Briana — she’s fourteen now — when she was younger, she was convinced that she needed a pet octopus…”

  Stanley and Liam chatted for another half an hour or so. Luckily, Stanley did most of the talking. He shared stories about his kids growing up and about his love for his wife. Most of the stories were funny, but a few were poignant enough to make Liam’s heart ache.

  “I’m sure you don’t need me telling you this,” Stanley said towards the end, “but it goes fast. One moment, your kids are small enough to ride on your shoulders — and the next, they’re going off to high school and starting to date. Work is important, but your family is much more valuable. Don’t miss this time with them.”

  His words made Liam uncomfortable. He’d spent the last week actively avoiding his family whenever possible. But Stanley didn’t know the whole story. Even though Grace was really Liam’s daughter, Amelia wasn’t really his wife, and both of them were better off without him around. Weren’t they?

  “Thank you.” Liam nodded. “It’s always good to get advice from others in the trenches.”

  “It sure is. Well, I’ll let you get back to it. You can let your board know that I’ll be reinvesting, but we’ll hammer out a specific number later on.”

  “Wonderful. That’s much appreciated.”

  The two men shook hands, then Liam escorted Stanley out to the elevator. They said their goodbyes before Liam returned to his office. He was energized after such a positive meeting with an investor who didn’t always seem enthusiastic to be working with him. He sank into his chair and tilted his head back, allowing himself a moment of satisfaction.

  It was short-lived, though. Liam had just signed Amelia up to pretend to be his wife in a much more public forum — and in front of one of his most important investors. Maintaining their ruse was more important now than ever. He was going to need to speak to her.

  Liam sighed. So much for staying away.

  CHAPTER 11

  AMELIA

  “Which did you like better — the park with the big red slide or the park with the swings?” Amelia asked. She and Grace were sitting at dinner after a long day of fun outside. Amelia wasn’t having dinner yet — it was only five and much too early for her — but she was sitting with Grace and eating a piece of toast to keep her company. Grace’s dinner was pasta with tomato sauce, which she was eating with a plastic toddler fork, as well as carrot sticks and half a banana.

  “Big slide,” Grace replied. She proceeded to tell a story that was half babble, half real words. Amelia understood most of what she was talking about — Grace loved that slide and had made a new friend — but she nodded along as though everything made total sense. Talking to Grace over dinner was a highlight of her day. The child was growing more and more verbal by the day, which was a pleasure to watch. Amelia’s heart went out to Grace’s mother, who wasn’t around to see this.

  “And how about—” Amelia was cut off by the sound of the elevator doors opening. She glanced at her watch, but it was just after five. What was Liam doing home?

  “Who der?” Grace asked.

  “I think it’s your daddy.” Sure enough, Liam appeared in the kitchen doorway a moment later, still dressed for the office. “You’re home early.”

  “I needed to talk to you.”

  “Oh.” Amelia’s blood ran cold. This sounded serious. Her mind ran through scenarios, including Liam saying that he had no need for a fake wife anymore. It would be heartbreaking to leave little Grace when they were just getting to know each other. “Okay. Would you like to join us for dinner?”

  Liam looked from the plate of red pasta to Grace’s sauce-smeared face, then shook his head.

  “No, thank you. Once Grace is sleeping, we’ll talk. I’ll be in my study.”

  With that, he disappeared. Amelia did her best to control her nerves. Maybe whatever he wanted to talk to her about was nothing special — but the fact he’d come home during daylight hours seemed to indicate something serious.

  “Bear book?” Grace asked. She seemed oblivious to anything strange with Liam, which was good.

  “Of course. We’ll read the bear book after your bath.”

  Grace kicked her legs against her high chair in delight. Her smile was red with sauce.

  “You really need that bath, huh?”

  “Yeah.” Grace grinned again, and Amelia’s heart melted. No matter what Liam wanted to speak to her about, she was going to enjoy the rest of her evening with Grace before the little girl went to sleep.

  Grace finished her dinner, then Amelia got her into the bath. She let her stay in the warm, bubble-bath-topped water longer than usual as they sang together and played with the flotilla of rubber duckies Amelia had purchased. Then Amelia washed Grace’s fine, downy hair and rinsed her clean. She wrapped the sweet-smelling child in a towel and carried her to bed, where they got her changed into her “jammies” and tucked into bed. Amelia read the bear book and three others, doing all the voices she could think of, until Grace’s eyes grew heavy. Then she stroked the child’s back until she fell asleep.

  The whole time, Amelia tried to soak it all in. If this was her last evening with Grace, if Liam was finished with their deal, she wanted good memories to look back on. As Grace dozed, though, Amelia realized that good memories weren’t enough. She was going to fight for Grace if she had to — the child had a right to a stable caregiver who cared about her and was always there. Liam should understand that.

  Once Grace was sleeping, she crept out of the room and walked down the hall to Liam’s office. Although she and Grace spent time all around the house, Amelia had never been in the study, not since the quick tour at the beginning of her stay. She knocked hesitantly.

  “Come in,” Liam called.

  Feeling a little like a child called into the principal’s office, Amelia opened the door and stepped inside. Liam was seated at his desk. His computer was open and he’d clearly been working. A cooling cup of tea beside his keyboard showed that he’d been focused.

  “Please, have a seat.” He gestured to the couch that sat along one wall. As Amelia made her way over, Liam got up from his chair and came to sit across from her in a large armchair. Amelia took the opportunity to sweep her eyes across him. He’d taken off his suit jacket and opened some of the buttons at the top of his shirt. His tie was hung over the back of his desk chair, and his hair was a little mussed. It gave him a look different from his usual put-together self. He seemed almost… vulnerable?

  “What did you want to talk to me about?” Amelia asked.

  “About our arrangement.” Liam leaned forward and knitted his hands together. “You see…”

  But Amelia did see. This was exactly what she’d worried about. “Liam, before you say anything — I know our arrangement is a bit strange, but I truly care about Grace. And she has bonded with me as well. It would be detrimental to her if I were to leave.”

  Liam raised one eyebrow. “Leave? Who said anything about leaving?”

  “Oh.” A blush spread across Amelia’s cheeks. “Sorry. When you came home early and said you needed to talk, I guess I assumed.”

  “Amelia, I know you and Grace have a special bond, and I wouldn’t ask you to leave unless that was something we both wanted. That’s not what I wanted to talk to you about.”

  “Sorry,” Amelia said again. “What did you want to discuss?”

  “It’s actually the opposite of what you think. I had a meeting with one of my key investors today, and he was enthusiastic about meeting my family. It looks like I’ll need to ask you to play the role of my wife in a slightly more public setting.”

  Amelia felt an immediate rush of nerves, but this was still better news than being asked to leave.

  “All right. What’s that going to look like?”

  “The investor, Stanley, invited us over for a barbecue with his family in about a week and a half. And he’s very interested in you and Grace. During a short conversation today, he asked a lot of questions that I struggled to answer — about you, how we met, that kind of thing. We’ll need to sit down and get our stories straight. I need your help, Amelia.”

  I need your help, Amelia. The words rang in her mind, making her heart flutter.

  “Of course I’ll help.” Amelia nodded. “It’s what we agreed on. Do you have time this evening?”

  “I do. Now that Grace is in bed, I thought we could order some takeout and get to know each other better. What do you say?”

  The idea of eating takeout and getting to know Liam felt intimate, like when they’d put their arms around each other during the photoshoot. Amelia worried that getting to know her employer and fake husband better would make things more difficult in the long run, but she wasn’t about to say so.

  “That sounds good to me. What kind of takeout?”

  “I know a great Thai place just down the street.”

  “Perfect.”

  Liam got out his phone to place the order and, as they perused the menu together, Amelia felt almost like a real married couple picking out dinner after their child had gone to sleep. But only a moment later, the illusion was shattered when Liam placed the order, put away his phone, and looked up at Amelia with those intense blue eyes.

  “So, tell me about yourself.”

  Despite herself, Amelia burst into laughter at that. Liam stared at her like she had grown a second head, and Amelia managed to pull herself together.

  “I’m sorry. It just sounds so formal, like yet another job interview. But I’m pretty sure I’ve already gotten this job.”

  Liam chuckled too. “You have. All right, let’s try to make it a bit more casual.”

  “Then let me ask the questions first.” Amelia felt a new boldness come over her. She knew almost nothing about Liam, so this might present a rare opportunity to get her questions answered at last. She needed to start carefully, though, with a softball of a question. “What are your hobbies?”

  Liam looked surprised. “Hobbies? I mean, I run and go to the gym. I work. Sometimes, as part of work, I go golfing or enjoy a nice dinner.”

  “I don’t think those are hobbies.” Amelia tilted her head at him. “I mean, what do you do for fun?”

  “Fun is overrated.” Liam sat back and crossed his arms. “I love my job, and I work hard. That’s enjoyable for me — and it’s much more productive than, I don’t know, knitting or stamp collecting.”

  “Knitting and stamp collecting?” Amelia giggled again. “Those wouldn’t be your hobbies anyway, I don’t think, since you aren’t an eighty-year-old grandmother.”

  Liam raised that eyebrow again. “Thank you for noticing. What do you do for fun, then, if you’re such an expert on it?”

  “Honestly, I used to be like you. I worked at a start-up and poured so much of my time and energy into my work that there wasn’t much left for anything else. After I left, I had more time, so I started spending time with my nieces and nephews, reading more, doing yoga… It’s been nice.”

  “What was your old job?” Liam asked. He sounded genuinely curious. “What did you do?”

  “I worked in HR at a start-up called Shondyn, which was focused on management consulting.”

  “And why did you leave?”

  Amelia sighed. “It wasn’t by choice. Shondyn was purchased by a larger company, and the new buyers laid off all the staff. It turned out that they were just buying us out to prevent competition. Our CEO knew that, but he sold anyway because it meant a lot of cash on the table for him. Even though it meant that we all lost our jobs.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Liam shook his head slowly. “I can’t believe any CEO would sacrifice his employees just for a quick payout. I would never do something like that.”

  “I believe you.” Amelia did believe him, although perhaps not for the reason he had in mind. She was sure that Liam would never sell Lilypad, but not just because it would hurt his employees. He was clearly way too dedicated to his job to ever let it go, even for a good deal.

  “Do you want to go back to HR later?” Liam asked.

  “I don’t know. Maybe?” Amelia shrugged. “I know I’ll eventually want to work again — this job doesn’t really count — but I dedicated so much of my life to Shondyn that my personal life suffered. I missed a lot of time with my nieces and nephews while they were growing up. I fell out of touch with a lot of my friends. I didn’t take care of myself the way I should have. I’ll work again, but I want to be very selective about the kind of job I take.”

  “Do you really feel that way?” Liam asked. “That work made you miss out on a lot?”

  “I do.”

  “I don’t.” Liam shifted in his chair. “Today my investor, Stanley, told me not to miss out on life because I was too busy working. And I do wish I could see Grace more, but I also know I’m not equipped to be a good parent to her. My work gives me so much purpose. Seeing what I’ve built, all the people Lilypad has helped… that feels meaningful to me.”

  “Don’t you—” Amelia cut herself off mid-sentence. She wanted to say, Don’t you think you’d be a good father to Grace if you’d bothered to meet her before? But it wouldn’t help anything. She wasn’t going to change Liam’s mind, and she wanted to stay here with Grace.

  “Don’t I what?” Liam asked.

  “No, nothing. Just, don’t you find some other areas of your life as meaningful as work?”

  Liam frowned slightly, perhaps in thought. Then he shook his head. “I think we’ve gotten a little off track. We’re supposed to be getting to know each other, not having some philosophical discussion about the meaning of life. Maybe we should switch gears.”

  It was a clear dismissal, and it stung a little, but Amelia nodded.

  “You’re right. So, you told me before that you don’t have any siblings. How about your parents? Are they around?”

  Just then, Liam’s phone buzzed. He answered and Amelia could tell from his side of the conversation that the food was here.

  “I can go pick it up,” she said, eager for a chance to step away and gather her thoughts.

  “If you’d like. The deliveryman will bring it up in the elevator.”

  Amelia got up and hurried out of the room. For a moment, it had felt like she and Liam had been having a real conversation, but, just like during the photography session, he’d cut it off before they could really get anywhere. It was strange.

  At the elevator, Amelia accepted the order, thanked the deliveryman, then walked slowly back to Liam’s office. He’d set up a small table for them, so Amelia put the paper delivery bag on the table and began unloading their food.

  “This smells amazing.”

  “It does.” Liam smiled. “This is one of my favorite restaurants. Perhaps I can say that’s my hobby — trying different restaurants.”

  Amelia recognized the olive branch and smiled. “That’s not a bad hobby. What else is good around here?”

  “There’s an Indian restaurant with amazing food near my office. I order lunch from there a lot. And another highlight is a classic diner I like to go to on the Bay. They have the most wonderful pancakes.”

  “Skillet and Mug?” Amelia asked. Liam nodded, and Amelia smiled. “Oh, my gosh. I love that place! I used to go there late at night when I was working long hours at my old job.”

  “Their chocolate-cherry pancakes are fantastic,” Liam continued. “I usually don’t go for such sweet food, but eating those pancakes makes me feel like a kid on Saturday morning.”