by K. C. Crowne
“So?” I asked.
“So what?” Clark asked, staring at me blankly.
“Did she give you her number yet?”
Clark scoffed and ran a hand over his beard. “Man, what is up with you today? You’re really pushing me to ask her out. I’d almost think you were scared you’re gonna lose.”
“Not scared at all. I’ve never been so confident of anything,” I lied.
“Uh huh. Sure,” Clark said. He reached for the check, but I grabbed it before he could get his hands on it.
“I got this,” I said, thinking I had another chance to hook these two up. As I walked to the front, I grabbed the pen on the counter and jotted down Clark’s phone number. As Tasha walked over to take payment, I handed it to her.
“My friend is a bit shy, but he’s really into you - maybe give him a call sometime?” I said, passing the check to her.
Tasha’s eyes fell to the check, and her smile wavered. She didn’t say anything, and instead checked me out. Her gaze fell on Clark, who was headed for the door.
“Hold on!” she called out, rushing toward Clark.
I couldn’t contain the smile on my face. Success. Matchmaking was easier than it looked. Either that or I was just a natural. I patted myself on the back as I watched from the other side of the restaurant, wishing I could hear what they were saying.
Clark glanced at me, and I pretended to take a call, turning around as I said, “Hey, sorry, I’m out with a friend right now. Mind if I call you back?”
I glanced back at the sound of the door opening, and I found Tasha helping a nearby table. Clark was gone. He’d driven, so I hurried out the door after him. He was leaning against his truck a grin.
“What was that about?” he asked.
“What do you mean?”
“You slipped my phone number to her,” he said, shaking his head.
“Yeah, because it’s clear you two have the hots for each other. I was just trying to help a guy out.”
“Sure, man. Whatever you say,” he cackled.
“So did it work?”
“No, because she’s engaged. She said she found me attractive and thought the flirting was harmless since I never asked for her number or anything before, but now she realizes she crossed a line and feels like shit. So good job, Liam.”
I frowned, feeling bad. “Shit. I’m sorry.”
“You should probably tell Tasha that,” Clark said. “Come on, admit it, something has you nervous about this bet.”
“I don’t get nervous,” I said with false bravado.
Clark studied me for a long time before shaking his head “I don’t believe it. There’s someone out there that’s got you all jumpy, and I’m gonna find out who.”
He hopped into the driver’s side, still laughing to himself.
Shit. Well that didn’t go as planned. This might be harder than I thought.
Then it hit me - why did I start with the hardest one to take down? Surely, I would get better at this in time. Why not start with the easiest, the one everyone counted on failing first.
Declan, the hopeless romantic who tried to keep that part of him a secret.
I remembered a girl he never got over, a high school sweetheart. She moved away after graduating, but Declan took forever to get over her.
With the internet and Facebook, surely I could track her down and see about setting up a reunion. Not only would it help me get closer to the car, but it could also lead to my friend and a girl he loved reuniting. A total win-win.
What could possibly go wrong?
Chapter 12
Alex
“How did the meeting go?” Rachel asked as soon as I walked into the house.
I sighed and sat down on the floor next to Jacob, who was stacking blocks with his brother. I ran a hand over his head, stroking the baby-fine tufts of white-blonde hair down. It had been a few days since Charlie had called with his request, and my lawyer had gotten me in as soon as she could.
My head was throbbing from the stress. I needed a massage and a glass of wine, but the boys would be up for a little bit longer.
“Well, she thinks I should work with Charlie, at least for now. One visit, then we can see how it goes. If he wants any sort of custody, it would go through the courts and he would have to pay child support, of course.”
“Which, let’s face it, he isn’t going to wanna pay,” Rachel added.
“Yeah, I don’t see how. His job is good enough, sure, but to live in downtown Chicago while Tessa isn’t working or helping? I can’t imagine there’s a lot of disposable income.”
“And Charlie was never good with finances.”
Which was why the house was completely mine. I’d paid for it myself from the inheritance from my parents and my own earnings. Charlie had never saved a dime in his life, spending his paychecks as soon as they came in every week, leaving me to foot the bill for everything else. And while I loved my job, I wasn’t rolling in the dough. Had I not had my inheritance to buy my home outright, I would have been up a creek without Charlie’s help.
But I was doing okay now. Not rich, and I probably would never be well-off, but I was fine with that. My boys had a nice home, and we never went without.
“Yeah, so, my lawyer agrees it’s probably Tessa who wants to see the boys, but as soon as Charlie gets wind of child support, he’ll back out. But she says it’s best to try and be amicable for now, until we can get to court and hopefully convince Charlie to relinquish his parental rights.”
“I think you’ll find out that once Tessa and Charlie spend time with the boys, they’ll change their mind. They’re both too selfish to be parents.”
“I sure hope so, Rach,” I said, rubbing my temples.
Rachel scooted closer, picking up Lucas and sitting him in her lap as she moved. Having her and both boys near me helped a lot. Lucas stared up at me with sweet, blue eyes, and my heart felt like it might explode from love.
“I don’t just worry about me, you know. I worry about them. Charlie and Tessa are selfish and flaky. The boys don’t remember Charlie, you know,” I murmured. “They were too young when he left, but what if they got attached to him now? And then tomorrow, he just decided to walk away again?”
Tears welled up in my eyes. The last thing I wanted for my boys was for them to feel abandoned by their father. Having no dad would be better than having someone who only came into your life when it was convenient.
Rachel took my hand in hers and squeezed. “I know, but I’m sure just one visit will change their mind.”
“It has to,” I stated. “I can’t let anyone hurt my sweet boys.”
My phone buzzed, and I was hesitant to check it. What if it was Charlie? I wasn’t in the mood to talk to him right now. I wiped my eyes and checked because I had to be a big girl. I picked up the phone and saw the message was from Liam. I gasped and covered my mouth in surprise.
“What?” Rachel asked.
“It’s—” How could I explain it to her? I hadn’t mentioned the other night when I slept with him. She was my best friend, and typically, I told her everything, but I hadn’t. I didn’t want her getting her hopes up. “It’s the guy I’ve been helping in the group.”
I read the message quickly.
Hey Alex. I was wondering if we could talk? In person, if possible.
I looked at Rachel, my mouth slightly open.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, he just wants to talk,” I told her.
“About what?” She shot me a cheeky, knowing grin.
“I don’t really know, to be honest.”
Rachel checked her phone. “Oh crap, I’ve got to get ready for class.”
Well, there goes meeting Liam anywhere, I thought to myself. I felt slightly relieved, but also a bit sad that I wouldn’t be able to see him.
Rachel placed Jacob on my lap before standing and asked, “Anything else you need before I head out?’
“No, thank you. I think we’re all good here,
” I said. “Have fun at class.”
I quickly typed a response to Liam.
Sorry, I can’t. I have the boys to myself this evening.
I didn’t hit send. I stared at the response for a long time, wondering what Liam wanted to talk about. I scolded myself for my curiosity and deleted my message.
Would you be able to come here? I have the boys to myself this evening and don’t want to drag them out so close to bedtime.
Dammit, Alex. You shouldn’t be inviting him over to your place.
Sure, as long as I can bring the girls?
That was good. Four kids in one house left little, if any, time for a potential kiss or anything else. It also meant that whatever he wanted to talk about likely had nothing to do with the night we hooked up.
Sounds good, I responded, and sent him my address.
My heart was still racing, and I found myself regretting my choice as I waited for him. Rachel left and I didn’t say a word to her about Liam coming over. I just waved at her.
I glanced down at my work attire - a knee-length grey skirt with a pink sweater. Geez, could I look more like a librarian? My hair was pulled back into a bun, so I pulled out the bobby pins and tucked them away in my purse, which I made sure to put high enough that the boys couldn’t reach. My hair fell over my shoulders in messy waves thanks to the bun. Why was I trying to impress him anyway? I still ran a hand through the waves, hoping to settle them down a bit.
Just be yourself, Alex. You’re friends, nothing more. It doesn’t matter if your hair is a mess or you’re dressed for work.
I kept telling myself that until there was a knock at the door. I let out a yelp, then covered my mouth with my hands in embarrassment.
I picked myself up off the floor where I’d been sitting with the boys and walked over to the door, making sure to straighten my skirt as I did so. I glanced in the mirror and tidied my hair one more time before opening the door.
And as soon as I did, I knew I had made a huge mistake by inviting Liam over.
I stared into his deep blue eyes and my heart stopped.
I remembered the way he looked at me, the way his body felt hovered above mine. How he felt inside me…and just like that, I wished I had changed before Rachel left. I forgot everything about just being friends. But the kids were there, so I would have to be on my best behavior.
“Hey,” I said, my cheeks reddening. I turned my attention to Abigail, who was standing by his side, the little mouse I’d given her held tightly in her hands. I might have trouble talking to Liam, but I knew how to talk to kids. I got down to her level and smiled. “And hey there, Abigail.”
“Hello,” she said shyly, her eyes as blue as her uncle’s. It really was hard to tell that the girls didn’t belong to Liam. They looked just like him.
“Would you like to meet my sons? They are close to your age.”
She nodded her head and stepped away from Liam. I took her hand and motioned for Liam to follow me as I waved at sweet little Emma in his arms.
“Abigail, this is Lucas,” I said, introducing her to my sons. “And this is Jacob.”
My sons were a little younger than Abigail, but the two boys looked at her with wide eyes. She smiled and sat down between them, picking up some of the blocks they were playing with.
“Well, looks like they’re friends already,” Liam said from beside me.
“Yeah, my boys love being around other children,” I said with a smile.
Abigail didn’t seem to mind the age difference at all, and she was helping Lucas stack the blocks when he struggled. They were giggling and it was honestly the sweetest sound. I’d always hoped to maybe have a girl one day too, a sister for my boys. But it wasn’t likely to happen. So, I cherished the moment for what it was, and it made my heart happy.
“My boys are really good with younger ones too. It comes from lots of time spent with kids at the library,” I told him, reaching for Emma. I placed her on the floor, sitting nearby just in case. I patted the floor next to me for Liam to join me.
He sat down and didn’t say anything for a few moments. Like me, he seemed to enjoy watching the kids play. But of course, four kids meant that sooner or later, something would go wrong. Lucas reached over and grabbed one of Emma’s blocks and Emma started crying, trying to take it back.
“Hey Lucas,” I said, prying the block from his grabby little hand. “This is Emma’s block. She was playing with it.”
“Mine!” Lucas said, tears streaming down his cheeks as he screamed even louder. “Mine! Mine!”
I quickly picked up another block and handed it to Lucas, but he threw it in frustration, coming within an inch of Abigail’s head.
“Hey!” she said, frowning as it landed on her foot. Abigail picked it up and threw it right back at him, thankfully missing.
Liam stepped in then too, “Abby, don’t throw things.”
“He frew it,” she said, pouting. She crossed her arms in front of her chest.
“Yeah, but just because he did it first doesn’t mean it’s nice,” Liam said, his voice calm and steady. I had to admit, after seeing Charlie’s style of parenting, which often meant a voice raised in frustration, I was impressed.
Abigail stood up and ran away from the group, which prompted Jacob to stand as well and run after her, his little legs shorter than hers so he couldn’t keep up. I rushed to my feet just as Liam did too.
“I’ll get them, you keep an eye on these two.”
Before I could make it into the hallway they’d disappeared into, I heard Abigail screaming. I turned the corner to find Jacob next to her, a handful of her hair in his hands.
“Jacob!” I cried out.
In the other room, Emma started screaming, followed by Lucas. What was going on in there? The situation was deteriorating quickly.
I removed Jacob’s hands from Abigail’s hair just as the girl attempted to smack Jacob. I grabbed her hand just in time. “No hitting. No pulling hair either, Jacob. That’s not very nice of either of you.”
I took their hands and walked them back to the living room. Abigail acted like her knees gave out, making it impossible to walk with her. She dropped like dead weight to the ground.
“No!” she screamed.
Lucas was shouting. “Mine!” again from the other room.
Jesus, who knew four kids under the age of three in one house would be this crazy? My sons rarely ever fought, and this behavior was new for them.
I picked up Abigail, who went limp in my arms and fussed, trying to free herself. Just as Jacob decided he was also not going to walk anymore. He sat down in the middle of the floor and picked at something he found in the rug - it looked like crumbs. He was bringing his hand up to his mouth.
“No, Jacob,” I said. “Give me that.”
I wiped the crumbs or dust or whatever from his hand as Abigail fought against my grasp, her whining growing louder. The screaming from the other room grew louder too.
“Need some help in there?” Liam asked me from the other room.
“No, but it sounds like you might,” I replied.
“They’re just mad. I had to separate them,” he said with a chuckle.
I carried Abigail into the living room, setting her down by her uncle before rushing back into the hallway for Jacob. Just as I picked up Jacob, I heard Liam call out. “Hey, get back here!”
“It’s like herding cats, isn’t it?” I called to him.
“I think cats would be easier.”
I chuckled as I picked up Jacob and found Lucas at my feet too. He was rubbing his eyes and whining. Ahh, yes, they were sleepy. This was a bit much before bedtime for my guys. They got a little crabby before they fell asleep. The other room was surprisingly growing quieter.
I managed to wrangle Lucas and Jacob into the living room just as Liam was rocking a sleepy Emma. Abigail was on the couch lying down as well, which explained the quiet.
“Well, I guess coming over before bedtime was a bad idea,” Liam said softl
y. “I forget how early kids get sleepy. I’m still learning these things.”
“It’s okay,” I said, unable to keep myself from smiling at the sight of this big, burly man with a baby in his arms, holding her close to his chest. My heart thundered in my ribcage. Everything I had always wanted in a man right there. Someone big and strong, able to care for his family, but also able to hold a sleepy baby and treat her with gentleness.
I shook myself out of my thoughts. I couldn’t think like that. I knew so little about this man, and to assume he was perfect because he was good with kids was jumping the gun a bit.
“I think I’m going to put my youngsters to bed. Then we can finally talk,” I said.
“Of course,” Liam said, looking at Abigail and frowning slightly. “Do what you need to do.”
Both boys went down easily, as it was now past their normal bedtime. Jacob fell asleep almost instantly, while Lucas stayed awake long enough for me to read a few pages from his favorite book. I smiled at my boys before quietly leaving their room and heading back into the living room where Liam was waiting.
Emma was passed out in his lap while he sat on the floor. Abigail was snoozing on the couch. I leaned close to Liam and whispered, “I have a pack and play you could lay her down in, and if you’d like, there’s a spare bed in the office for Abby.”
He nodded, and I went to set up the pack and play in the office before coming back out and helping him carry Emma into the other room. He laid her down gently, careful not to wake her. We quietly walked out of the room and he carried Abigail into the office, tucking her into the bed and watching them both for a few minutes. I stayed in the doorway, smiling to myself at the way he checked on them, as if making sure they were safe. He cared so much for those girls, it was clear to me.
After a few minutes, he walked out of the room. We left the door open a crack just in case Abigail woke up and came searching for us.
“You have a nice house,” Liam said as we walked back into the living room.
“Thank you. I bought it with the inheritance left by my parents.” I took a seat on the couch, and Liam sat down next to me, far enough away so we weren’t touching.