Sara Stone - Full Exposure

She opened her door as soon as he put the car in park.

“Georgia.” Liam hugged her tight. “Doesn’t he ever give you a day off?”

“Eric is just doing his part to keep me out of trouble,” she said, her voice light and teasing. “Are you checking up on me again?”

“Wish I was.” Liam released Georgia and looked at Eric. “I saw Caroline Smith last night.”

Eric gently lifted Nate out of his car seat. “The regional director for the Oregon Department of Forestry?”

Liam nodded. “She had some interesting things to say.”

Shit, Eric didn’t have room in his head for another crisis. Not right now. “Come inside. We’ll grab a beer, and you can tell me.”

“While you two gossip, I’ll be inside putting Nate to bed,” Georgia said, taking the sleeping three-year-old from him.

“I’ll let you in.” Eric headed for the house, unlocking the door and holding it for Georgia. Liam followed close behind.

After she disappeared up the stairs, Eric led his friend to the kitchen. “What did Caroline Smith say?”

“The DOF is starting an investigation into the White Rock fire,” Liam said.

Eric ran his hands through his hair. “Not good news, but that’s their job. I was expected to cover my share, maybe more, of the cost to put the fire out. It was my land and my operation.”

“I got the sense they’re digging for more,” Liam said. “The good news is Caroline likes you.”

“The feeling isn’t mutual.” He opened the fridge and pulled out two bottles.

“I was thinking maybe you could take her to dinner.” Liam accepted the beer, twisting off the cap with his hand. “A couple of nights with her wouldn’t kill you. Might soften her up.”

“You came over here to set Eric up on a date?” Georgia walked into the kitchen. She glanced at Eric. “Nate’s in bed and sound asleep.”

“Good,” Eric said to Georgia before turning back to her brother. “And no, I’m not taking Caroline Smith to dinner. We’ll handle this through proper channels on Monday morning. We filed the correct paperwork and observed the regulations. We have nothing to hide, and we’re willing to pay what we owe.”

“Handle what?” Georgia asked.

Eric gave her a quick rundown of Liam’s not-so-good news. Her eyes widened as she listened.

“First the fire and now this. Liam, we’re not going to let you visit if you keep showing up with these doom-and-gloom reports.”

“Hey, I’m just the messenger, passing on what I heard,” Liam said, raising his hands in protest. “And Caroline wasn’t the only person I ran into last night. Chad Summers was at the bar. He was drunk and we got into it a bit. Before he left, Chad said Katie’s been hanging around here.”

“Babysitting. Georgia needed a night off,” Eric said quickly. The last thing he needed was Liam wondering if Eric was fooling around with Katie. He wasn’t sure if that was better or worse than telling his friend he’d been with his sister.

Liam nodded, turning to Georgia. “So what did you do on your night out? Hot date?”

“Very,” Georgia said.

Eric choked on his beer, covering it with a cough. So much for a discreet babysitter. And if the Summers brothers were talking, others in town would soon be too. There was no such thing as a secret in a small town. They needed to tell Liam. Soon.

He glanced at Georgia, but she was too busy staring her brother down.

Liam frowned, his grip tightening on his beer. “Who is he?”

“I don’t kiss and tell,” Georgia said with a smile.

And great, she was enjoying this, pushing her brother’s buttons. But Eric could tell from Liam’s stern expression, he didn’t find her game funny.

“Look, Georgie.” Liam spoke softly, but there were undercurrents of steel in his tone as he used her childhood nickname. “Eric and I have been talking, and we don’t think you’re ready to date. I don’t want some jerk taking advantage of you.”

“You’ve been talking to Eric about my love life behind my back?” Eric heard the warning in her voice. She wasn’t finding this amusing. Not anymore. But Liam appeared oblivious.

“We’re worried about you. You’ve only been back a few months. You need time to adjust,” her brother said. “So who is he?”

Georgia cocked her head. “What will you do if I tell you?”

“Have a conversation with him,” Liam said flatly.

“With your fists?”

Liam’s jaw tightened as if he was grinding his teeth. “If necessary. Has he done something that would make me want to hit him?”

Yes, Eric thought, closing his eyes and picturing Georgia in his hot tub.

“No,” she said. “But if he does, I’ll handle it. I’m a big girl, Liam. No one is going to take advantage of me. I can take care of myself. And I’m more than capable of choosing whom to date, which I’m sure you’ll be glad to hear is a big fat no one right now.”

“But—”

“Ask Eric,” she added. “I was with him the night Katie stayed with Nate.”

Liam turned and Eric braced for a punch. Part of him would welcome it because shit, he wanted Georgia’s words, big fat no one, to be a lie. He wanted her to be his. And he wanted to do this right, come clean to his friend and make her a part of his life.

“We went four-wheeling,” Georgia continued. “I’ve been a little stir-crazy, and since you two don’t approve of me running off to do things on my own, I brought Eric along.”

Eric nodded. He hated lying to his friend, but he’d promised Georgia. And if he wanted her trust, he couldn’t break his word.

Liam came over, resting his hand on Eric’s shoulder. “Thanks for looking out for her.”

“Always,” Eric said, looking straight at Georgia, hoping she heard the truth in that one word. “Always.”

“And last night, he took me to the coast,” Georgia added.

Eric frowned at her. Liam wasn’t an idiot. If she kept pressing, he’d put the pieces of the puzzle together. And connecting the dots was no way for Liam to find out.

“But don’t worry, big brother,” she continued. “We stayed in and watched the new Ryan Gosling movie. Nothing too exciting.”

Liam snorted. “Man, I owe you one for that.”

Eric looked over at Georgia. She was still smiling, but it looked forced.

“I’m going to take a nap,” Georgia said. “I’ll leave you boys to your gossip.”

Eric watched her leave, knowing that was a lie. Georgia didn’t sleep much. Even when he worked late, she was up when he got home most nights. After Liam left, he should swing by her room and talk. Or maybe he should let her have some time and space to think things through. He should probably do that himself. Between Georgia, his mother, and now the DOF investigation, it was a wonder his head hadn’t exploded.

WHEN KATIE HAD invited her out for a new homecoming adventure, Georgia had jumped at the chance for a distraction from the constant stream of questions and doubts running through her mind about her time at Eric’s condo. Georgia had expected a trail ride or a hike. But no, her friend had driven her straight to Ariel’s Hair & Nail Salon.

“Waiting for nail polish to dry is not exactly my idea of a fun morning.” Georgia wiggled her freshly painted red toes. The color was bright and cheerful, but did little for her brooding mood.

“Sit back and relax,” Katie said. “Drink your lemon water. This is girl time. You need this. And now that we’re alone, I want all the details.”

After their pedicures, they’d moved to the salon’s back patio to sip the supposedly detoxifying water and wait for their nails to dry.

“I don’t kiss and tell,” Georgia said, hoping the line she’d used with her brother last night would work on Katie.

“Fair enough. But I have one question. If your brother knew, would he start throwing punches?”

“Yes.”

Katie let out a sigh, covering her heart with her hand.

“Oh please, this is not a fairy-tale romance,” Georgia said. “And I have a question for you. How did your brother find out you were watching Nate the other night?”

Katie’s eyes widened. “Not from me.”

“Chad told Liam that I’m seeing someone. And Liam confronted me last night. In front of Eric.”

Katie closed her eyes. “Oh no. I mentioned that I’d been playing trains with Nate to Lila. The receptionist at the office,” she said, referring to her family trucking company. “She has a two-year-old boy who is just starting to like trains. She must have said something. I’m sorry.”

“It’s OK,” Georgia said. “I told him Eric was helping me find an outlet for my adventurous spirit.”

Katie laughed. “There’s a degree of truth to that. Do you think Liam suspects something more?”

“Maybe.” Georgia stared at her red toes. “But it doesn’t matter. It’s over.”

“Because of Liam?” Katie picked up the pitcher of lemon water and refilled their glasses.

“Yes. But only a little.”

“You’re entitled to your private life,” Katie said, her voice strong and fierce. “You and Eric—that has nothing to do with Liam. Don’t let your brother stand in your way.”

“It’s complicated.” Her fear of opening up and letting someone in, leaning on them and trusting them, ran bone deep. She could see that now.

Katie reached over and took her hand. “Honey, you’ve loved Eric Moore since you were a teenager. This was never simple. But if neither one of you is willing to make the first move, to push this further, then you’re at a standstill. And I’m starting to think that would hurt you more than anything.”

Georgia nodded, the truth in her friend’s words sinking in. “He made the first move. He wanted to tell my brother. I’m the one holding back.”