Laura held Liam’s gaze for several seconds.

The wineglass slipped from her fingers first.

Then the bottle.

The sound of shattering glass echoed through the garden.

Her legs gave out.

Laura dropped to her knees, and the sobs came all at once—loud, broken, completely uncontrolled.

It was the kind of crying that didn’t ask for silence.

It asked for help.

Liam didn’t think.

He crouched in front of her and pulled her into a firm, protective embrace, just as he had when she was a teenager and the wor