Since getting back home, nothing had gone smoothly. Not breathing, getting out of bed, or arguing with the insurance company. No longer being married to Baines and living in a world without him in it both sucked.

She’d been on the phone with more professionals—school counselors, lawyers, and people in Baines’s office—in the week since the funeral than she had during her entire divorce. She sat at her kitchen island now with the laptop in front of her, but not turned on yet, and that reporter’s card right there.

Curiosity gnawed at her until the card all but whistled for attention. He’d said something about unexplained deaths, and that’s how she viewed Baines’s death, and . . . yeah, she did not need one more problem.

“Are you asleep?”

She jumped at the sound of Liam’s voice. He always knocked before he came inside, so she assumed he had this time, too, and she’d missed it. “Just daydreaming.”

“I brought coffee.” Liam set down the travel cup and sat next to her. He glanced at the laptop, but mostly in the way anyone would and not in the being-overly-nosy way.

But none of that explained why he was here.

“It’s Tuesday,” she said, meaning he should be in the office.

“Wednesday, but you were close.” He smiled as he took a sip from his cup.

She refused to be derailed by his usual easy charm. “How bad is it?”

His eyes narrowed. “What?”

“The news you’re about to drop. You’re here, with your tie loosened and your hair kind of standing up on the side.”

His hand went to the wrong side of his head. “Is it?”

She fought the urge to smooth the stray strands down for him. “And you forgot a belt this morning.”

He glanced down. “Oh, shit.”

He was a business guy, born to juggling deadlines and handling messes. Life had thrown barrier after barrier in front of him, and he’d stayed calm. The only time she’d seen him break down was at his sister’s funeral. Even then, he’d cried silent tears, which were gone by the time the service ended.

His strength fueled her. She’d spent most of her life leaning on him. He was that guy. The dependable one. Handsome, protective, understanding. Having more money didn’t change who he was or how he saw the world. Except to make him more empathetic. In other words, the exact opposite of Baines.

She vowed not to be Liam’s responsibility now. Not when his employees and the business already sucked up so much of his time.

Not when they had such a confusing history.

She tried not to mother him, but . . . “Have you slept?”

“Did Baines leave any business documents here?” he asked at the same time.

“Wait . . .” She stopped in the middle of reaching for the coffee cup. “What?”