“So did we.” Adam chuckled. “It was a vacation from our parents.”
Liam’s laughter subsided as he gazed down at Harrison. “You both must promise me that you’ll bring all my great-grandchildren here after I’m gone.”
“Gramps,” Adam growled. “Don’t talk like th—”
“Of course we will,” Grayson interrupted, watching his son wriggle in Liam’s arms. “Harry already loves it here.”
Josie’s eyes glistened. “We’ll come back every season. The gardens are too beautiful to miss.”
Liam smiled adoringly at his granddaughter-in-law. “Betty would love that. Make sure you take lots of photos. You can never have enough photos.”
“Of course.”
While they continued to reminisce about their childhood at Harlow Manor, I discreetly peeked over at Adam while he spoke. His energy completely changed when he was with his grandfather. His shoulders eased, his jaw slackened, and his easy laughter was a shocking delight to my ears. I liked this Adam.
Unfortunately, the Adam I got last weekend was a complete mess. Incredibly well put together on the outside, but on the inside, a complete clusterfuck. I tried not to read his energy, but there was something about him that kept seeping through, like he had a secret gateway into my soul, and I had no means of protecting myself. It was disconcerting.
Not wanting to overstay my welcome while the family was there, I placed the funeral documents into a folder and slipped them into Liam’s bedside drawer.
Liam peered up from his great-grandson. “Thank you, Cassidy. I’ll take a look at those later.”
“There’s no rush.” I smiled down at the sweet baby. “Enjoy your family time.”
“And enjoy your weekend off,” he added with a wink.
“Oh, it’s going to be epic.”
“If you don’t have any plans, you should have dinner with us tonight,” Josie said, sensing I indeed had none.
I panned my gaze over their faces, taking in their warm smiles until I struck Adam. His expression was unreadable. “Thank you, but you should spend time as a family.”
“Don’t be silly. We’d love for you to join us.”
I bit my lower lip, unsure of my next move.
“I think she prefers the company of books,” Adam uttered, barely looking my way.
Annoyance overrode my embarrassment. “Says the man who practically lives in his office.”
“She’s got you there, brother.”
I turned back to Josie. “I’d love to join you,” I said, wanting to prove I wasn’t the boring bookworm he was insinuating. “I just have to make a call first.”
“Great! Meet us back here in an hour. We’ll order some pizza.”
With a nod, I threw Adam a discreet scowl before marching out of the room. How dare he make assumptions about my life.—even if they were true.
After my phone call to Finn went unanswered, I spent the next sixty minutes pacing my bedroom. What was I doing accepting a dinner invitation from Liam’s family? And with Adam there? I had to tell them no. But once I marched back into the room and spied the pizza boxes sprawled over the coffee table, my stomach insisted I stay.
Liam was fast asleep, but he loved having his family close regardless of his consciousness. He’d arranged for an extra bassinet for his room so Harrison had a place to sleep while Josie and Grayson visited, and that was where their baby was now.
While both young and old slept peacefully, Josie and Grayson occupied one couch, while Adam sprawled out over the other.
“Just in time.” Josie handed me a plate as I approached. “We didn’t know what you liked, so we ordered a few for you to choose from.”
Adam shifted his legs off the couch, but I diverted to the single chair beside him. He snickered softly as I sat, while Josie opened all the boxes to reveal an array of cheesy goodness.
“So, we’ve got pepperoni, cheese, sausage, and…”—she grimaced— “The Adam special.” Josie pretended to gag as Adam’s smile grew.