thing. He shook his head. “You’ve been gone too long, cousin. You’ve forgotten how it works.”
Liam let his eyes rest on Breanna before meeting those of his cousin. “Trust me on this, Austin. I know how it works, but not everyone plays the same game. Breanna isn’t after my title, and neither of them would make this up. If they said they saw him, they saw him.”
Austin didn’t seem impressed by Liam’s explanation, and he shrugged slightly as if the argument wasn’t worth his efforts. Sadie was as steamed as an English teapot, and not willing to just let this go. She glanced quickly at Breanna, ready to fire at Austin with all guns blazing, until she saw Breanna shake her head slightly. Sadie clamped her teeth together so hard her jaw hurt. Restraining herself took so much of her focus that she missed the first few words of what Liam was saying to Breanna.
“ . . . okay here while I check on my father?”
“I’ll oversee the search,” Austin said as he turned and headed out of the room.
That’s it? Sadie thought. Austin could come in and say those kinds of things and both Breanna and Liam were okay with just letting it go? Sadie’s blood was still sizzling in her veins.
“We’re fine,” Breanna said in answer to Liam’s question. Sadie hadn’t dared answer, afraid she’d breathe fire if she opened her mouth. “We’ll wait here—is your phone on?”
Liam nodded, looking a bit sheepish, and then left the room, closing the double doors behind him.
As soon as they were alone, Sadie dropped her arms, balled her hands into fists and let fly the things she’d been holding back. “Of all the arrogant, patronizing, pigheaded, arrogant—”
“You said arrogant already,” Breanna cut in. She walked over to one of the padded chairs the staff had occupied a few minutes earlier and plopped down.
“I can’t believe he said that,” Sadie finished, though Breanna’s interruption had thrown her off her rant. Shouldn’t Breanna be offended by the insinuations Austin had made? “Am I the only one who thinks he’s out of line? No matter who he is or what he’s done to help the earl he has no right to say things like that.” She watched Breanna for a nod or some other gesture to indicate she agreed with her mother, but Breanna just looked thoughtful.
“Who has the energy to be offended?” Breanna said.
“I do!” Sadie responded automatically, rapping her knuckles on the large desk next to her.
Breanna let out a breath and met Sadie’s eyes. “The reason Liam said what he said—about my not wanting the title—is because last night I told him I don’t think we should see each other after we get back to the U.S. I didn’t want to tell you about it until we got home.” She crossed her arms over her chest as if trying to comfort herself, or shield herself from Sadie’s reaction.
“What?” Sadie was stunned. Both at Breanna ending the relationship as well as her keeping it a secret. Sadie hated being out of the loop in regard to . . . well, anything.
Sadie really liked Liam. He was the first serious boyfriend Breanna had ever had and, despite the strange circumstances of his life, Sadie felt they were a good match, which was the first step in overcoming any difficulty in a relationship—well, except maybe this one.
Breanna continued, “It’s been a difficult decision to make, Mom, but as much as I care about him, I know I can’t live this way. And pretending that maybe I can isn’t going to make it any better. It didn’t work for his parents and I’d rather learn from their mistakes than make the same ones.”
“And you told him this last night?” Sadie asked, imagining what it had been like for Liam to hear that. Poor Liam.
Breanna nodded. “It’s been hanging between us this whole trip—whether we were working toward marriage somewhere down the road or not,” she admitted. “And although we’ve both tried to ignore that it was the whole reason for this trip, he
Liam let his eyes rest on Breanna before meeting those of his cousin. “Trust me on this, Austin. I know how it works, but not everyone plays the same game. Breanna isn’t after my title, and neither of them would make this up. If they said they saw him, they saw him.”
Austin didn’t seem impressed by Liam’s explanation, and he shrugged slightly as if the argument wasn’t worth his efforts. Sadie was as steamed as an English teapot, and not willing to just let this go. She glanced quickly at Breanna, ready to fire at Austin with all guns blazing, until she saw Breanna shake her head slightly. Sadie clamped her teeth together so hard her jaw hurt. Restraining herself took so much of her focus that she missed the first few words of what Liam was saying to Breanna.
“ . . . okay here while I check on my father?”
“I’ll oversee the search,” Austin said as he turned and headed out of the room.
That’s it? Sadie thought. Austin could come in and say those kinds of things and both Breanna and Liam were okay with just letting it go? Sadie’s blood was still sizzling in her veins.
“We’re fine,” Breanna said in answer to Liam’s question. Sadie hadn’t dared answer, afraid she’d breathe fire if she opened her mouth. “We’ll wait here—is your phone on?”
Liam nodded, looking a bit sheepish, and then left the room, closing the double doors behind him.
As soon as they were alone, Sadie dropped her arms, balled her hands into fists and let fly the things she’d been holding back. “Of all the arrogant, patronizing, pigheaded, arrogant—”
“You said arrogant already,” Breanna cut in. She walked over to one of the padded chairs the staff had occupied a few minutes earlier and plopped down.
“I can’t believe he said that,” Sadie finished, though Breanna’s interruption had thrown her off her rant. Shouldn’t Breanna be offended by the insinuations Austin had made? “Am I the only one who thinks he’s out of line? No matter who he is or what he’s done to help the earl he has no right to say things like that.” She watched Breanna for a nod or some other gesture to indicate she agreed with her mother, but Breanna just looked thoughtful.
“Who has the energy to be offended?” Breanna said.
“I do!” Sadie responded automatically, rapping her knuckles on the large desk next to her.
Breanna let out a breath and met Sadie’s eyes. “The reason Liam said what he said—about my not wanting the title—is because last night I told him I don’t think we should see each other after we get back to the U.S. I didn’t want to tell you about it until we got home.” She crossed her arms over her chest as if trying to comfort herself, or shield herself from Sadie’s reaction.
“What?” Sadie was stunned. Both at Breanna ending the relationship as well as her keeping it a secret. Sadie hated being out of the loop in regard to . . . well, anything.
Sadie really liked Liam. He was the first serious boyfriend Breanna had ever had and, despite the strange circumstances of his life, Sadie felt they were a good match, which was the first step in overcoming any difficulty in a relationship—well, except maybe this one.
Breanna continued, “It’s been a difficult decision to make, Mom, but as much as I care about him, I know I can’t live this way. And pretending that maybe I can isn’t going to make it any better. It didn’t work for his parents and I’d rather learn from their mistakes than make the same ones.”
“And you told him this last night?” Sadie asked, imagining what it had been like for Liam to hear that. Poor Liam.
Breanna nodded. “It’s been hanging between us this whole trip—whether we were working toward marriage somewhere down the road or not,” she admitted. “And although we’ve both tried to ignore that it was the whole reason for this trip, he
Similar Books
