Once Upon a Friendship

Gabrielle had been going to phone Gwen Menard that morning on her break. To fill her in on what they’d found over the weekend. To hear if there was anything more to report on the investigation against his father.

Liam would rather she use her break time for the more important work. As long as they were out of jail before bedtime, he was fine.

“These investigations take months,” he said aloud, mostly to drown out Tanner’s breathing down his neck.

“We are not going to be here for months.”

“I was talking about my father. Years, even.”

Would Gabi continue to represent him all that time? Would he be able to keep his growing passion for her in check? Or would it fade, leaving them in peace?

And their little family happily together forever. The girls would marry good men. They’d have kids. And Liam would be their honorary uncle...

The thought of Gabi having another man’s children made him start to hyperventilate. So he thought about Marie’s kids.

And had no problem at all.

“You’re going to get pretty bored hanging around me for years,” he said to Elliott. He couldn’t think about Gabi, clearly. Not until this was all over and he was more himself.

Elbows on his knees, his head hanging, Tanner turned and looked at Liam. “If today’s anything to go by, I doubt it,” he said.

“So you plan to be around?” Liam asked, more to goad the guy. To get him to admit that Walter was behind his employment with Liam.

“No.”

It was all the man said. Clearly all he was going to say. So Liam asked, “What do you do when you aren’t watching me?”

“I watch other people.”

“Here in Denver?”

“Yep.”

“So if I look you up...” He’d have done so already, if not for the fact that Williams had sent him. And the police and Gabi had both checked on him, as well.

“You’ll find my LLC duly registered and my taxes paid.”

“You think we’ll make the evening news?”

They’d left the Connelly mansion as soon as Greta had verified that his father wasn’t home. And gone straight to the lion’s den. Connelly Investments.

At which point Walter, who’d expressly forbidden Liam access, had called the police.

The reporters outside Connelly Investments had been only too happy to snap flashes in their faces as they’d been escorted out of the building in handcuffs.

Another dry look from Tanner. “You can count on it.” The man was rubbing his hands together. As though he’d like to be grinding something between them.

“You got family?” Liam asked. Someone who’d be alarmed to see him on the evening news in handcuffs.

“An aunt and cousin out in California.”

“You see them much?”

“No.”

“Ever been married?” He figured Tanner for around his own age, thirty, thirty-one.

“No.”