***
Amber
Amber leaned against her car, Patrick’s mouth on hers again. He towered over her, making her feel tiny and small and ultra feminine. The way his hands held her at her hips eliminated any space between them. She needed to come up for air. Her lips almost felt bruised from kissing him so much. They had spent a couple more hours in the meadow, talking, laughing, and kissing—lots of kissing. It had been over two years since she’d kissed someone, probably longer. But God, it felt good. She felt more alive now than she had in a long time. The only problem was that this was moving fast, like warp-speed fast, and that worried her quite a bit.
“I’d better go,” Amber reluctantly said. She looked up at his handsome face, caught in the evening sunset. How was it possible for him to be more gorgeous now than he was just moments ago?
“Can I see you again?” His voice was seductive, but there was an underlying shyness.
“Yes, I’d like that a lot.” Amber meant it too. Her brain starting to act silly, conjuring up notions about them together. She had enjoyed his company, she admired his passions, his love for his sons, and felt that there was far more chemistry than either of them knew what to do with.
He leaned in again. Amber placed her hand flat against his chest; she could feel the strength under his shirt, and her mind went to a dangerous place. “I need to go. Otherwise I fear we won’t stop.”
He raised his eyebrows and said, “Would that be such a bad thing?”
She could tell he was teasing, or at least she hoped so. “Patrick, behave. Maybe we can get together again this week?” she asked hopefully.
Patrick bent lower, and his mouth hovered just above hers, “Are you sure you want me to behave?”
Amber playfully slapped at him and weaseled her way out from under him. “Thanks for a really nice evening.”
“I had a good time too.” Patrick moved out of the way of her driver’s side door, and he wore a smile on his face as he waved goodbye.
Amber got in and started her car and slowly backed out of his driveway. Replaying the events of the date, she was a little mortified at her behavior, but she was nearly thirty-five. She also knew that life was fleeting and sometimes things, or people, got snatched away. Oh, who was she kidding? Amber knew she was in way over her head with Patrick O’Brien.
***
Patrick
Patrick let himself inside his home, and as soon as he closed the front door, he fell back on it. His brain was rehashing the details of their entire date. He hadn’t expected it to go the way it had, a part of him was ashamed at how out of control he had allowed himself to act, but Amber brought out a side of him that he had lost touch with for a very long time. Patrick almost felt like he was young again, out there in that meadow. He couldn’t explain their chemistry, but it was wild and intense. Wicked thoughts slipped into the workings of his mind, and though he couldn’t stop them from entering, a piece of him welcomed his new feelings.
He grabbed his car keys and headed out the door again, this time to retrieve his sons before it got too late. The drive over to his parents’ house felt quicker than usual, probably because his mind was overloaded as it tried to process everything.
“Daddy,” Connor squealed to Patrick the moment he entered the living room, where his sons were down on the ground playing with Daniel.
“Hey, buddy.” Patrick scooped him up and headed to where Finn was. His son was busy trying to pin Daniel, and he barely looked up at Patrick. Daniel seized this brief lapse in concentration and playfully grabbed Finn, tickling him and causing him to laugh hysterically.
Once released from Daniel’s grip, he charged. “No fair, Uncle Daniel,” Finn cried as he used every ounce of his small body to tackle Daniel, who easily became pinned.
Patrick didn’t hear his mother enter but felt her wrap her arm around his waist. “Hello, son. I wasn’t sure when you’d be by for the boys, so I gave them a bath.” Her eyes were full of questions as she met his eyes with hers.
“Thanks, Mom.” Patrick sat Connor down, who immediately took advantage of Daniel being pinned.
“So what were you doing? You were gone a bit longer than I thought,” Mary questioned. Here it was; he knew he wouldn’t get away so easily. Not if Mary O’Brien had anything to do with it.
“I just had a ton of errands to run, I went grocery shopping, cleaned the house…” Patrick tried to create a fictional list of tasks. “I appreciate you watching them and giving them a bath. I’d better get them home.”
“Okay, dear.” Mary gave her son a final hug and then wandered away toward the kitchen.
“Come on, boys, we need to head home.” Patrick helped peel Finn off Daniel.
Daniel slowly got up off the floor with a slightly pained expression. “Thanks, man, they are getting a lot stronger.”
“Either that, or you’re getting older,” Patrick teased. “I’ll see you at work tomorrow.”
Daniel smiled and nodded.
Patrick couldn’t help but feel relieved once he was back in his car and headed home. He felt a tad guilty lying to his mother, but he’d much rather avoid the family from knowing anything about him seeing Amber. He didn’t want to deal with the pressure of having to answer questions from everyone, not just his mother. It was best if he kept Amber a secret, at least for now.
Chapter Nine
Rachel
“Aww, I have missed you so much.” Chelsea squeezed Rachel hard. They stood outside the baggage claim at the airport in Spokane.
“I missed you too,” Rachel said. She tried grabbing Chelsea’s suitcase.
“Uh, no you don’t.” Chelsea snatched it back. “You’re preggers, remember?”
Rachel rolled her eyes toward the baby blue, cloudless sky. “Yeah, but I’m not disabled.”
“Whatever.” Chelsea got into the passenger side of Rachel’s silver BMW. The paint glittered in the bright sunlight.
Rachel slipped into the leather seat of the driver’s side. “Are you hungry?”
“Um, sure, I could eat. Anything good around here?”
Rachel looked at her side mirror and carefully pulled out of the spot she was parked in, though the airport was not terribly crowded. Nothing like LAX or any of the other southern California airports she used.
“Well, it’s up to you. Spokane has pretty much everything,” Rachel explained.
Chelsea’s blonde hair was pulled into a loose knot on top of her head, and it bounced when she spoke. “I don’t know, you are the pregnant lady. Shouldn’t we go somewhere with pickles and ice cream or something?”
Rachel laughed as she merged easily onto the freeway. “So far the only thing I crave is sleep. I get so tired.” She felt herself fighting a yawn.
“Rachel, you have two people living inside of you right now.” Chelsea scrunched up her face. She’d had the hardest time accepting Rachel leaving Newport Beach and moving up to Birch Valley, but she had an even more difficult time accepting that Rachel was pregnant.
The BMW zipped along the non-congested freeway, and she got off on the Division Street exit. They were sure to find something suitable to eat before they made the over sixty-mile drive to Birch Valley.
“See anything you want?” Rachel asked when they were stopped at a red light.
“Ooh, what about that Thai place over there?” Chelsea pointed excitedly.
“Perfect.” Rachel looked over her shoulder, got into the right lane, and then turned into the parking lot. It was fairly packed with cars, but she located a spot right near the front entrance of the large building.
Once inside, they were greeted with enticing aromas and a beautiful atmosphere. They were led to a booth near a window and were offered some tea.
“This place is sort of fabulous,” Chelsea commented as she perused the menu.
Rachel scanned the room. It was decorated in remarkable fixtures that caught her eye, and there was lots and lots of gold everywhere. “Yes, it is. I bet the food is amazing.”
The waitress came back with their tea and took their order, leaving them alone again.
“So, how are you feeling?” Chelsea asked as she nervously fiddled with her silverware. Rachel picked up on her friend’s discomfort. It would have been different had Chelsea been the one that was pregnant. She was competitive and didn’t like to be showed up.
“Not bad, I mean the morning sickness is gone, thank goodness. So, I do feel human. Well, kind of.”
“How are things going with Liam? I mean, you guys have a big day coming up pretty darn soon.”
The whole reason why Chelsea was visiting was so that she could help Rachel with all the last minute details of their small wedding. It was still unsure if Rachel’s parents were going to be attending, and her brother, Ethan, was scheduled to fly in a couple days before the event.
Rachel blew on her tea in hopes of cooling it down. “We are super excited and doing really great. I love him so much, Chelsea.”
Chelsea gave her a weak smile. “I wish I had someone so awesome like him.” Her eyes twinkled. “How’s Patrick?”
Ah, there it was. When Chelsea had visited earlier in the spring, she got to meet the O’Brien family and instantly fell hard for Patrick. Who could blame her? The man was gorgeous and something of a mystery. Unfortunately for Chelsea, Patrick didn’t seem quite interested, but Rachel hoped that maybe they could all go to dinner together and see if there could be sparks.
“Hey, I was thinking, it would be so fun to go out.”
Chelsea’s head perked up at the suggestion. “Go out, like, double date or girl’s night?”
“Double date,” Rachel answered quickly. They both saw their food arriving, and Rachel’s stomach made an audible gurgle. “I guess I’m hungrier than I thought.”
Chelsea delicately picked at her plate. “So, like with Patrick or that other brother, what was his name again?”
“Daniel. But yes, I’m thinking Patrick for sure. I know you thought he was hot.”
“Um, yeah, because he is. I know you are all gaga for Liam, but come on, the man is fine.” Chelsea slipped a piece of the spicy food into her mouth.
“Well, yeah, but that’s besides the point. This way, maybe if you meet someone, like say Patrick, then you would consider moving up,” Rachel said shyly.
“I don’t know, Rachel. I mean, yes, to the whole Patrick thing. But I’m not so sure I’d want to live in Birch Valley.”
“I know, that’s why it’s just a thought.”
“Well, if I hit it off with Mr. Tall, Dark, And Terribly Sexy, we can talk. Until then, it’s a no for me moving here. I love you and all, but I can’t do tiny, small towns.”
“Like you said, let’s just wait and see.”
***
Rachel’s car pulled into the long gravel driveway that led to the cabin.
“So you moved out of that cute little house?” Chelsea asked.
“Well, I mean it made sense for us to move in together. Besides, it’s beautiful here, and it is the venue for our wedding,” Rachel added happily.
“Wait, what?” Chelsea’s tone didn’t match the cheerful pitch it had been just moments ago.
“Yeah, why not? He proposed right there on that lake.” Rachel pointed out her window at the shimmering water in the distance.
“You can’t be serious, Rachel. I mean, who gets married outside, like next to a swamp?” Chelsea huffed as the car came to a stop. Rachel sat and considered what Chelsea was saying. She didn’t think of it as some hideous place; she loved it. It was quiet and serene, Liam was there, and it was now home. She had been adding her own personality to the cabin and felt comfortable being there. She had worried she would feel like an intruder, but it was the exact opposite. Liam had begged for her to move in; he claimed that having her there made his place feel complete.
“Well, this is where it’s taking place. Trust me, when you see the plan of attack I have for it, you will totally get it then,” Rachel tried to reassure Chelsea.
“Hey, it’s your wedding.” Chelsea got out of the car as Liam emerged from the house. Rachel’s eyes instantly connected with his. He jogged over to the BMW.
“Chelsea,” Liam said. He hugged her tightly and then moved over to Rachel, planting a kiss on her cheek and pulling her to his side.
Rachel looked up at him. The evening sun was setting behind the neighboring hills and small mountains that surrounded the cabin. The tall pines cast quiet shadows on the ground around them, their rich scent filling the air. Rachel inhaled deeply, appreciating the moment. She felt her heart fill with even more love for Liam as she saw how kind he acted toward her best friend.
“Chelsea, how was your flight?” Liam asked as he moved to the rear of Rachel’s car. He unlatched the trunk and grabbed Chelsea’s suitcase.
Rachel watched Chelsea. Her friend was examining Liam with her eyes, possibly even undressing him. She wouldn’t put it past her friend.
“It was good. Thanks for asking,” Chelsea answered as she toyed with her long, blonde hair, which had found its way out of its knot. “Liam, I can get my bag.”
“Oh, it’s no trouble.” Liam started for the front door, and Rachel and Chelsea followed.
Chelsea was quiet once inside the cabin, a first for her. Rachel suddenly felt nervous, waiting for her friend to give her opinion on the house.
“It’s cute in here, really cozy and woodsy. That fireplace is to die for,” Chelsea said as she went toward it, touching the large river rocks that lined the wall and went straight toward the ceiling. “This is beautiful.”
It was the centerpiece of the cabin. Rachel recalled the first time she had seen it. Granted, she was terribly upset with Liam at the time and didn’t get to take the time to appreciate it until much later on.
“Hey, babe, did you want me to put this in our room?” Liam asked as he lifted the suitcase up.
“Sure, thanks.” Rachel and Liam had decided since they only had a little over a week until they were to be married, that Chelsea was going to stay with Rachel in their bedroom, and Liam was going to go stay at Patrick’s house. It was Liam’s suggestion. He wanted Rachel to catch up with her friend; he understood how close the two were and he wanted her to enjoy this visit.
“Wait, why am I going in there?” Chelsea spun around and asked. “Don’t you guys have a guest room?”
“Well, we did.” Rachel rubbed her stomach. It was starting to bulge out more. Her days of having a flat stomach were numbered.
“So, where’s Liam going to stay?”
“With his brother. Liam thought it would be nice for me and you to spend some time together.”
Chelsea looked at Liam and smiled. “You are so thoughtful.” She turned back to Rachel. “He’s a keeper.”
Rachel laughed and nodded. “I think so.”
Liam rolled his eyes and went off to drop off the suitcase, mumbling something as he walked away.
“You want anything to drink? We can sit outside on the deck, if you want?” Rachel asked.
Chelsea followed Rachel as she moved to the kitchen. “Wow, this is a really nice kitchen, I’m surprised.”
“Why?” Rachel asked, grabbing three glasses from the hickory cabinets and setting them on the granite counter.
“Well, you know, because he’s a guy, and usually they have no clue how to make it fabulous. This is pretty fabulous.” Chelsea ran her hand along the smooth surface of the counter. “He actually has really good taste.”
“Thanks,” Liam said as he entered. He stood quite taller than both Chelsea and Rachel. He went over to Rachel and gave her another kiss.
“We thought maybe we could go outside and visit. Sound good?”
Liam nodded. “Sure. You need me to carry anything out?”
“No, Chelsea and I have it. Thanks, babe.” Rachel reached up on the tips of her toes and kissed Liam on the cheek.
He left the kitchen. Chelsea peeked around the corner to make sure he was out of earshot.
“
Wow, so aren’t you little Miss Domesticated?” Chelsea laughed.
Rachel had fallen into the comfortable role of being the future Mrs. O’Brien. It was a huge change to how she used to be. She had actually been learning how to cook, thanks to the real Mrs. O’Brien. It felt so much bigger and more real than just playing house with a boyfriend. This man was going to be her husband, the father of her children.
“Someday, you too will be like this, and you will love every minute of it.” Rachel smiled and grabbed a tray to carry the tall glasses of lemonade.
Chelsea rolled her eyes and giggled.
***
Liam
Liam was sitting in Patrick’s living room, Finn and Connor both snuggling on either side of him.
“Crazy to think you’re going to have twins too, huh?” Patrick commented. He was stretched out on the opposite couch. He snacked on some popcorn, his eyes on the screen in front of them.
They had been watching a movie with the boys, per their Friday night ritual. Liam had been staying with them for a couple days. Rachel and Chelsea were back at his place; he’d wanted to give Rachel some much-needed time with her friend, but God, he missed her. Waking up alone in a strange bed the first morning had been rough.
“Yeah, but this is pretty cool.” Liam’s arms covered each boy. The warmth of having them next to him made him eager to hold his own children. He had been terrified once Rachel announced she was pregnant, but then when they learned they were having twins, he couldn’t fully wrap his head around it. He knew he wanted to be a father someday, but he didn’t expect things to move so fast, and the thought of two babies scared the hell out of him. Luckily, he had seen Patrick survive, and his circumstances were far worse. It made him respect his brother that much more.
Patrick's Promise (Cloverleaf #3) Page 9