Liam (The Murphy Boys Series Book 4)

by Holly C. Webb

  Almost thirty minutes later, Liam appeared in the door of the waiting room where Landen had taken Lexi to wait for news about Sky.

  The moment Lexi looked up and saw Liam standing there, holding Sky’s collar, Lexi knew that she was gone.

  “No!” She said as once more she began to sob.

  “Dylan did everything he could,” Liam said, standing there, looking like he was completely broken too. His eyes glistened with tears before they finally spilled down his face “His hands… I’ve never seen someone’s hands move so fast. But she was just too hurt.”

  Lexi stood up and hurried to Liam, wrapping her arms around him.

  “This is all my fault,” Lexi whispered as she held on to Liam so tight. “I should have never left. It was a stupid thing to do. She… she died because of me.”

  “No,” Liam said, holding Lexi at arms-length. “Sky died protecting the person she loved. It was what she was trained for. And Lexi, she loved you so much.”

  “I loved her too,” Lexi nodded as her tears flowed freely down her face. She looked up into Liam’s eyes, giving him a sad smile. “I’m sorry for not telling you the truth sooner.”

  “I know about the baby,” Liam replied as he softly touched her face. “And I know about the crash. Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Because I couldn’t ask you to give up your dreams of a family,” Lexi sighed, wishing that everything could have been so different. “My life was in pieces; I couldn’t ruin your future too.”

  “But don’t you see?” Liam replied, giving her a warm smile. “You are my life. You were my dream. I don’t want that life with anyone else. But as long as I have you, my dreams have already come true.”

  He leaned down and softly kissed her on the lips.

  “From now on,” he continued, giving her a bright smile. “It’s you and me against the world. Deal?”

  “Deal,” she replied, smiling through her tears. Her eyes dropped to the wound on his arm. “We need to have someone check your arm.”

  “I’ll have Dylan check it over in a few minutes,” Liam assured her.

  “Can I see Sky?” She asked, her smile instantly fading.

  “Yes,” Liam nodded, giving her a look that almost broken her heart. He reached down and took hold of her hand. “Let’s go say goodbye together.”

  Liam led Lexi back to the trauma room where Dylan had been working on Sky.

  The moment Lexi saw her lifeless body lying on the table, she rushed to her side. Leaning down, she kissed her sweet face, heartbroken that she would never get to see her beautiful, brown eyes looking up at her again.

  “Thank you,” she whispered as she rested her forehead against the top of Sky’s head. “You really were the best dog in the world. I promise I will never forget you.”

  Lexi stood up, and closed her eyes, her heart full of grief for this wonderful, amazing dog that she knew for such a short time.

  She turned and buried her face in Liam’s chest.

  “I can’t believe this has happened,” she sobbed sadly. “Tell me that this is over now.”

  “It’s over Lexi,” Liam assured her before he softly kissed the top of her head. “It’s over.”

  Chapter 26

  It was two months since the day in Liam’s loft apartment, and today was the day that Lexi and Liam were moving into their new house.

  After what happened that day in the loft, Lexi told Liam she didn’t think she could ever go back there. She said that too much had happened there for her ever to feel like it was her home again, so Liam suggested they make a fresh start somewhere that belonged to them both.

  A week later, Liam took her to the house that he said he wanted to spend the rest of his life in, with her. It wasn’t too far from where Landen and Amelia lived, and Liam thought it was exactly what he and Lexi needed for a fresh start. Lexi fell in love with the house the moment she saw it, and Liam had never felt happier.

  It was good to see her smiling again. After everything they had been through, Liam just wanted to make Lexi happy.

  The one dark cloud that hung over them was how much they both missed Sky. Liam knew it was crazy that after such a short time they had her in their lives, she had become such a huge part. Liam knew if Sky hadn’t been in the apartment that day, there was no way he would have gotten to Lexi in time. He did not doubt that Sky saved her life.

  And now finally, after seven long weeks of waiting, they were moving out of Liam’s parent’s home, where they had stayed since the day of the wedding and moving into their first real home together.

  Just like he knew they would, Liam’s brothers all pitched in to help them with the move and soon they were finally bringing the last of the boxes into the house.

  “You better have beers in that fridge,” Callum called over his shoulder with a chuckle as he walked into the hallway of Liam’s house. “You owe us big time.”

  “Yes, Callum,” Liam laughed as he took the box from his brother to take it to the kitchen. “And Pizza.”

  “Sounds good!” Callum called over his shoulder as he turned and headed back out the door. Liam just smiled to himself as he headed towards the kitchen.

  The house was a two-story, red brick building, with five bedrooms and three bathrooms upstairs. Downstairs there was a large living room, and even larger kitchen, a dining room, a den for Liam, and another room for Lexi to use as an office, with a small storage room off it, perfect for Lexi to convert into a dark room for her photography.

  But what Liam loved was the huge garden that surrounded the house. There was a large patio, with a beautiful swimming pool, and of course, there was room on the side for a proper outdoor basketball hoop.

  The only thing missing was a couple of kids to make the whole thing perfect.

  “I thought the girls were going to be here,” Lexi said when she looked up and saw Liam walking into the kitchen carrying another box.

  “They will be here in a short while,” he replied, setting the box down on the counter. “They just had some errands to do first.”

  “Great,” Lexi said, giving Liam a bright smile. “Because I need to talk to them about the dresses for the wedding.”

  “I don’t know why we couldn’t have just run away to Vegas,” Liam laughed as he walked over to Lexi, giving her a big smile. “I mean, these Murphy weddings are always full of drama. I still say hopping a plane to Vegas, and getting married by the King, is still the safest way to go.”

  “Third time’s the charm,” Finn laughed as he joined them in the kitchen. “Though maybe this time, someone will run away with the groom. Give us all a more peaceful life.”

  “Charming,” Liam chuckled as he grabbed a handful of packing peanuts and threw them at Finn. “I love you too, Genius!”

  “Emmy called,” Finn said, giving Liam a knowing look. “She said that they would be here in a few minutes.”

  “That’s good,” Liam replied, giving Finn a big grin, unable to hide the excitement he was feeling inside. He had the most perfect surprise for Lexi, and it had been so hard for him to keep it to himself.

  Liam glanced over at Lexi, who was now looking through the boxes that were on the small breakfast table.

  As she pulled open one of the big ones, she suddenly stopped as the happy expression that was on her face moments before, disappeared.

  “Lex,” Liam called out, giving her a worried look. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah,” she replied without looking up. Instead, she reached into the box and pulled out one of Sky’s old toys. “It’s just… it’s a box of Sky’s stuff.”

  She looked up at Liam, as tears danced in her eyes. Liam quickly closed the distance between him and Lexi, then wrapped his arms around her, drawing her into his embrace.

  “I just miss her,” Lexi sighed, refusing to give in to her tears.

  “I know you do,” Liam replied, then kissed the top of her head. “But I don’t think she would want you to be sad forever.”

  “I know it’s stu
pid,” Lexi smiled through her tears. “We didn’t even have her that long, but she was just such a good girl.”

  “She was,” Liam agreed, hugging Lexi once more.

  “Is anyone home?” Emmy’s voice suddenly sounded from out in the hallway.

  “We’re in the kitchen,” Liam called out, suddenly feeling very nervous as he turned to Lexi. “Lexi, I know these last few weeks have been hard. I know there isn’t a day that passes that you don’t think about Sky.”

  Lexi looked up into Liam’s eyes, giving him a sad smile.

  “I know we didn’t have her long,” Liam continued. “And I know that she could never be replaced…”

  He released her from his embrace before he walked towards the doorway, where Emmy, Amelia, and Georgie had just appeared.

  Liam turned to Emmy, before he turned back to Lexi a few moments later, holding the most precious German Shepherd puppy.

  “OH MY, GOD!” Lexi exclaimed as her hands covered her mouth.

  “I know she isn’t Sky,” Liam said as he walked towards Lexi, holding the little ball of fur in his arms. “And I know she will never take her place in your heart, but I was thinking, maybe she could find her own place in there.”

  “She is beautiful,” Lexi cried, a mixture of sad and happy tears running down her face. She reached out, carefully taking the puppy from Liam’s arms.

  “Her name is Summer,” Liam continued. “And she is actually Sky’s little sister. I found out a couple of weeks ago that Sky’s mother was pregnant again, and I managed to talk her breeder into giving me one of the puppies,”

  “Hello, Summer,” Lexi said, this time making no effort to hold back her tears. “You are so beautiful.”

  Lexi was rewarded with a lick on the face from Summer.

  “Thank you so much,” she cried as she looked from Liam to the girls. “To all of you. I honestly don’t know what to say.”

  “Your smile says it all,” Liam replied as he leaned in and softly kissed Lexi on the lips.

  “Thank you,” she repeated again, before Summer licked her face once more.

  After spending the entire day unpacking, Liam and Lexi finally headed to bed a short while before midnight.

  “I can’t believe you girls managed to get this room almost sorted,” Liam said as he stepped out from the en-suite wearing just his boxer shorts. As he turned to the bed, he stopped in his tracks the moment he found Lexi sitting in the bed with Summer in her arms.

  “What may I ask, is she doing up there?” Liam asked, but he knew he was already fighting a losing battle.

  “Aww,” Lexi cried, giving him a knowing smile. “She was all lonesome down in her bed.”

  “Her bed is in the same room as us,” Liam said with a chuckle as he walked towards the bed and climbed onto the end of it. “I’m sure she will be just fine in her own bed.”

  “But she is so small,” Lexi sighed as she snuggled Summer closer to her. “Can’t she stay up here with us, just for tonight?”

  “You know you’re going to give her a bad habit,” Liam sighed as he crawled up the bed, lying down next to Lexi.

  “It’s just for tonight,” Lexi repeated, giving Liam a pleading look.

  “Fine!” Liam sighed, before he leaned in, kissing her softly on the lips before Summer licked his face too.

  Liam laughed as he rolled onto his back and switched off the lamp on the bedside table.

  “You know,” he said as they lay there in the darkness. “I think this house is going to be really good for us.”

  “I think so too,” Lexi replied as she rolled over onto her side, resting her head on Liam’s chest, as Summer snuggled between them.

  “It’s hard to believe that, in a little over a week,” Liam continued as he softly brushed her hair with the tips of his fingers. “I’m going to make you the newest Mrs. Murphy. I think I can’t believe I got you to say yes. How clever am I?”

  Lexi laughed out loud as she pushed up in the bed, looking down at Liam.

  “Or is it me who was the clever one that got you to agree to marry me?” She asked, wriggling her eyebrows.

  “Well, either way,” Liam smiled as he looked up into her eyes. “I know I never thought I could be this happy.”

  “Are you sure?” Lexi asked, giving him a worried look. “I know you had this dream…”

  “I do have this dream,” Liam said, stopping her mid-sentence. “My dream is to spend the rest of my life with the woman I love. And yes, I would someday love to be a father, and I believe that you would make an amazing mother. But where is it written in the rules that kids have to have our blood? There are other ways for us to have a family.”

  “You…you want to adopt?” Lexi asked, looking stunned by what Liam had said.

  “Maybe!” Liam replied, giving her an uncertain look. It was something he’d thought about a lot over the last couple of months, but if he was honest, he was always too afraid to bring it up with Lexi.

  He knew she still found it hard to talk about losing the baby, at times. Just like he knew she felt an unexplained sense of guilt about the fact they wouldn’t be able to have children the old fashioned way.

  He had talked to Georgie about maybe adopting because he felt, if anyone knew what it was like to love someone else’s child, it was her. She was such a good mother to Macy, and Macy adored Georgie too. She had thought it was a fantastic idea, and that any kid would be lucky to have Liam and Lexi in their lives.

  But every time he thought about bringing it up, he just couldn’t say it. He just didn’t want to hurt her again. But it had been something that he couldn’t seem to push from his mind, and he knew the right thing to do was just say it to Lexi, then take it from there.

  “I mean,” Liam said, suddenly feeling a lot more nervous than he imagined he would feel. “It’s something I’ve thought about, but it’s not necessarily something that we have to do, or even talk about right now. Not if you don’t want to.”

  Lexi lay her head back down on Liam’s chest for a moment, but she didn’t say a word.

  “Lex,” Liam said after a few uncomfortable minutes of silence. “If this isn’t something you want to do, then I’m okay with that. As long as I have you in my life, then there is nothing else in this world that I need.”

  Again she didn’t say a word.

  Now Liam was worried.

  He pushed up in bed, turning Lexi to look at him.

  “Talk to me,” he said, looking down into her eyes.

  “I love you more than anything in this world,” Lexi said, looking up into Liam’s eyes. Liam didn’t know why, but suddenly he felt very nervous. “I love you so much that my heart aches when you’re not around me. There is nothing I would like to do more than give you the child you want.”

  “But...” Liam said, sensing there was a but coming.

  “But,” she continued. “Are you sure you wouldn’t prefer to be with someone who can give you a child of your own …”

  “Lexi,” Liam said, smiling at her. “If we were to adopt a baby, it would be my own child. Doing what I do for a living, I see the best, and I see the worst of what humanity can do. One thing it taught me is that biology doesn’t make you a good parent. Loving them does; showing up for them does, being there for them every single day for the rest of their lives, that’s what makes a parent. And I think that we could be great parents. I really do.”

  Lexi stared at him for a moment, before finally a broad smile spread across her face.

  “You really want to do this?” She asked, giving him a questioning look.

  “Only if you do,” Liam replied with a smile.

  “Then yes,” Lexi grinned as happy tears danced in her eyes. “I would love to adopt a child with you. Hell, I would adopt a whole bunch as long as I’m doing it with you.”

  “Really?” Liam asked as the biggest smile filled his face.

  “Really,” Lexi confirmed.

  Liam leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. He didn’t know how
he got so lucky to have the girl of his dreams back in his life. But he knew from that moment on; he would do what it took to make her happy.

  His wild days were well and truly over, and he was never going to lose her again.

  The End