“Really? Is Marc going to run for senator, Mari?” Natalie asked in surprise.
Mari shook her head. “No…I don’t think so. The party interest came out of nowhere. It’s flattering, but he loves his job as a state prosecutor too much. Marc’s not going to be at all pleased when you tell him there was mention made of it in the newspaper, Liam. You should tell him about the story going public. He took Rylee into the Center. She was getting fussy in the heat and started squalling so loud she sent a whole flock of sparrows flying out of a tree in terror.”
Liam grinned. “That’s my girl.”
“Oh—hi, Eric! Look who’s here,” Mari greeted Eric Reyes brightly.
“Is Mom here, Mari?” Liam asked quietly while Natalie and Eric hugged and talked. “I need to have a word with her.”
“She’s inside with Marc and Rylee. I’m going to take Natalie to show her the fountain,” Mari added in a confidential undertone.
He gave her an amused look. “Don’t you be harassing Natalie. If you want to interrogate someone about us showing up here together, you can ask me.”
“You make it sound like there’s something significant to ask about in regard to you two,” Mari said.
“Maybe there is.”
Something indefinable flickered across Mari’s features. He recognized it as concern when she gave Natalie a furtive glance. She grabbed his arm and pulled him several feet away for privacy.
“I hadn’t expected this,” she said.
“Why?” Liam asked bluntly. He was getting sort of sick of people acting like the idea of Natalie and he together was so bizarre. He recalled his uncertainties on the night before he’d made love to Natalie for the first time, however, and he had to admit…maybe the people who cared for Natalie did have some reason for concern.
Mari bit her lower lip and spoke in a low voice. “You’ve never been much of a one-woman man, Liam. I’m not criticizing,” she said quickly when he opened his mouth to protest. “How you run your love life is your business. It’s just… Natalie is very vulnerable…”
“Do you think I don’t realize that? Don’t worry, Mari,” Liam said quietly. “Please.”
She studied his face with sharp eyes and smiled. “All right. I won’t, if you’re sure, and I can see that you are.” Turning, she walked back toward Natalie. “I want to show you the fountain,” Mari said, taking Natalie’s hand in a sisterly gesture. “You haven’t seen it yet.”
“Will you be okay with Mari for a few minutes while I go speak to my mom?” Liam asked Natalie, his voice low. Eric had turned to talk to Allison Trainer, the manager of the Family Center. Liam thought Natalie’s brother might be avoiding him, but he couldn’t fault Eric for wanting to maintain peace.
“Of course,” Natalie assured.
He had a moment’s trepidation at leaving her in a crowd. It was quashed when he saw how comfortable she seemed, chatting with Mari as they walked toward the promontory of the Silver Dune and the memorial fountain Marc had donated to the Family Center last year.
Liam headed toward the Center and his mother, the increasingly familiar combination of dread and determination rising in him.
Natalie left Eric and Mari at the silent auction and went in search of Liam. He’d seemed thoughtful…intense, ever since that phone call from his father’s old administrative assistant. When he’d said a while ago he was going to speak to his mother, she couldn’t help but feel some trepidation. She didn’t want to run into Brigit Kavanaugh necessarily, but she was concerned enough to go in search of him.
She ran into Marc Kavanaugh carrying his daughter at the entrance to the Family Center. Liam and his elder brother looked a lot alike, but she found Marc more intimidating for some reason.
He stared at her in surprise.
“Natalie? It’s so great to see you,” Marc said, leaning down to give her a kiss of greeting. Rylee must have thought she was undergoing a person-to-person transfer, because she put her chubby arms around Natalie’s neck, and the next thing she knew, the adorable little girl was in her arms.
“Whoops…sorry. I’m a little worried about her, she’s so shy,” Marc said amusedly as his daughter proceeded to stroke Natalie’s hair and stare at her with huge brown eyes framed by thick, dark lashes.
“Pitty,” Rylee said with sober earnestness.
“Thank you,” Natalie responded instantly before she grinned, utterly charmed. “Oh, she’s adorable.”
Rylee grabbed a fistful of the “pitty” hair and tugged. Marc was there to unclench the little fist immediately.
“I better take her back before you think she’s about as adorable as Attila the Hun.”
“I’m fine,” Natalie assured, laughing. But when Rylee went for another handful of hair, Marc swooped the little girl back into his arms.
“Are you looking for Liam?” Marc asked.