After the slideshow presentation and a show-and-tell of the various products, Liam thanked the inventor and offered the usual platitude. “It’s an interesting concept. We’ll be in touch.”

“We’ve got the guy with the instant sobriety pill next,” James said after he’d gone. “I’m looking forward to this one!”

Liam checked his phone while the next inventor set up at the front of the room. He could still smell Daisy’s perfume on his shirt, a soft, sensual floral scent that brought back memories of the evenings he’d spent with the Patels when things were too difficult at home. What were the chances of running into her again after all these years? Granted he had only been back in San Francisco a few weeks, but with almost eight million residents in the Bay Area, the chances of seeing her again had been slim.

And yet, fate had brought them together again. She was everything he remembered and much, much more, from the softly rounded curves to the beautiful oval face, and from her keen intelligence to her sharp wit. He’d spent years resisting the siren call of his best friend’s little sister, but now that he’d found her again . . .

Don’t go there. With a shake of his head, he pushed those thoughts away. His father had made sure Liam knew he wasn’t good enough for anything or anyone, much less a girl like Daisy. Even though he’d made something of his life, inside he was still his father’s son—unworthy and unwanted, a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. Daisy deserved so much more.

And then there was the fact that she hated him.

“He’s ready,” James murmured, pulling him out of his reverie.

“This pill is the miracle cure everyone has been looking for.” The inventor handed Liam a small plastic packet. “You drink all night, take one of these, and boom, fifteen minutes later you’re legal to drive.”

“This could be our unicorn,” James whispered as the inventor scribbled chemical formulas on the whiteboard at the front of the room.

Every junior associate wanted to find the elusive unicorn—the product or company that was an instant success. Even Liam, Evolution’s most successful senior associate of all time, had only ever found one.

“Possibly, but I recognize his name. He has a reputation in the industry for falsifying his results.” Not only that, the moment the inventor had opened his mouth, Liam’s instincts had screamed a warning. In the end, investment decisions came down to people, and no idea was worth the headache of trying to work with a difficult CEO. Ideas were easy. Running a business was hard, and running a business with a venture capital firm breathing down your neck took a strength and commitment not many people had.

James sighed. “I knew it was too good to be true.”

Even if his gut hadn’t told him something was off, Liam would have turned the inventor down. Big and broad, with a thick beard and thinning hair on top, the dude looked too much like his dad, right down to the vodka bottle on the table beside him.

Liam would never have considered moving back to San Francisco when his dad was alive. The city wasn’t big enough for both of them. The birth of his nephew, Jaxon, and his grandfather’s poor health had finally brought him back, but only for brief visits when he had business in the city. It was only last year, after his father had died in a drunk driving accident, that Liam had offered to move to San Francisco to set up a West Coast office that would give Evolution access to the Silicon Valley market. Six months later, the partnership had agreed, affording Liam the opportunity to reconnect with his family in a meaningful way.

“Thank you,” Liam said at the end of the pitch. “We’ll be in touch.”

The inventor’s face morphed from hopeful to furious in a heartbeat. “You’re passing up the greatest opportunity of your life,” he spat as he stormed out the door.

“I passed up the greatest opportunity of my life a long time ago.” Memories of Daisy’s prom night twisted his gut. “Which is how I can wish you the best of luck and feel no regret.”

James checked the schedule after the door swung closed. “We’re done for the day. Do you want to go for a drink? Maybe test out the product?”

Liam shook his head. “You can take it. Let me know how it works out. My family is getting together tonight for the reading of my grandfather’s will, and one last party before some of our overseas guests head back to Ireland. A traditional Irish sendoff involves copious amounts of booze. One pill won’t be enough.”

After parting ways with James, Liam wandered past the conference rooms checking the schedules posted on the doors until he found Organicare listed on a pitch session. Pushing the door open he slipped inside and leaned against the back wall. Daisy was seated at a table beside an older, slightly rumpled man who was passionately explaining the company’s products. He introduced Daisy as one of the company’s senior software engineers and she stood to give her demonstration, pouring blue liquid on the pads set out on the table in front of her. Not a task one usually gave a software engineer, but maybe her boss had her lined up for a project manager promotion.

With one hand in his pocket, toying with the penknife his grandfather had given him when he was a boy, he watched Daisy field questions about the company website and sourcing software without even a hint of the shyness or awkwardness she’d had as a girl. Calm, competent, and quietly confident, she was clearly the star of the show.

His phone vibrated in his hand and he glanced at the screen. Brendan was texting yet again to find out what time he would be at their grandfather’s house. His older brother just couldn’t help himself. Despite the fact that Liam had found success, Brendan still acted as if he expected Liam to let him down.

He texted Brendan to let him know he was on his way. With one last, lingering look at the only woman he had ever wanted, he slipped out the door and walked away.

• 4 •

“UNCLE Liam!” Jaxon raced down the hallway of Liam’s grandfather’s house, his small voice barely audible above the cacophony of sound coming from the living room. No matter what the occasion, when his Irish relatives got together, there was always music, laughter, whiskey, and usually a fight.