Rachel had mapped out exactly where she was going to place some of her furniture. The home had two bedrooms, one bathroom, a living room, a fair-sized kitchen that contained a small dining area, and a small room that sheltered a washer and dryer. Rachel was particularly thrilled with this one because she’d had to use a shared laundry room at her condo in Newport. The appliances in the home weren’t top-of-the-line or the newest, but they all seemed to be in good working condition, and Rachel figured she could always see about updating them later.
The living room had a beautiful brick fireplace and was the largest space in the house. The home had electric heat too, which came as a relief to Rachel, because she had no idea how to get the fireplace started. She was already creating a list of things she had to learn and things she would probably need to buy in order to properly be able to live here. She entered the dining room and discovered a deck outside of it, which was part of a generous but manageably sized yard. Several large trees stood at the end of the yard, as did a singularly large pine in the front yard. A line of snow-covered shrubs ran outside the large front window in the living room. Rachel considered purchasing some flowers when winter was over to dress up the place and added that to the now-growing list on the counter.
Soon, Rachel heard a loud rumble and looked out the large bay window. To her delight, she saw the moving truck pulling into her driveway. She threw open the door in excitement and instantly was hit with the harshness of the cold temperature. Relief flooded through her, and she grinned from ear to ear as one of the drivers exited the truck with a clipboard.
The movers were very apologetic as they quickly filled up her small home with her boxes and heavy furniture, and one of them explained how the storm had made the pass impossible to drive across. As they brought the last items in, the skies started to turn into a swirl of dark gray and white, the sun disappeared, and the temperature dropped considerably.
Rachel locked the front door after waving goodbye to the men. Then with her hands on her hips, she looked at the task before her and felt a little overwhelmed. Her new home was now littered with boxes and furniture. She let out a deep breath and prepared to get settled in.
***
The next day, Rachel’s entire body was sore as she added freshly ground coffee beans to her coffeemaker. Yawning, she poured the water in and pressed the On button as she surveyed her handiwork from the late night she’d pulled. The living room was almost completed. She had set up her entertainment center and rearranged her couch and loveseat several times before finding their permanent placement. She’d emptied box after box, folded the empty containers, and stacked them in her spare bedroom. She had then set up her bedroom and snuggled in the fresh linens and a warm comforter before passing out sometime after one in the morning.
Today, she planned on putting all her kitchen items away and organizing the extra bedroom, which she hoped to turn into an office and guestroom of sorts. As cold light filtered into the chilly home, Rachel turned the heat up and pulled her thick sweater tighter around her frame. She wondered exactly how long winter lasted here and if it was always this frigid. She was already anxious for spring and missed the warm temperatures back home.
***
Liam
Liam turned over in his large bed and stretched and yawned as he pulled the heavy comforter over his head. Tomorrow was New Year’s Eve. He would only be privileged with a couple more wonderful days of sleeping in and lounging around before he was back to work on Monday. But Liam enjoyed his early mornings where he got to view Mother Nature as she woke up in all her splendid colors. He also relished the silence and his dose of caffeine before he entered a loud classroom filled with young faces and eager brains.
Liam’s phone rattled next to him as it emitted a loud, shrill ring.
“Hello?” he answered, sleep still coating his throat.
“Good morning, dear. I didn’t wake you, did I?”
“I was just getting up. How are you this morning, Mom?” he said as he sat up, his chest emerging from the warmth of his blanket.
“Doing quite well, thank you. I heard you had quite the run-in yesterday?” A hint of teasing laced her voice.
Nothing got past his mother. “Oh, did Daniel tell you?”
“Actually, Patrick mentioned it this morning when he was dropping the twins off to play with Melanie.”
“I’m surprised. I figured Daniel would’ve told you. He really got a kick out of seeing me a little ticked off.”
“Well, he failed to mention it, but I only saw him for a bit yesterday and this morning. Either way, I heard from my friend Janice—you know her; she works at the new real estate place Cheryl opened up—well, she told me a lady just moved up from California. She said Cheryl rented her Bob Flannery’s old home. You used to mow his lawn, remember? That cute little place across from the park.”
Mary sounded animated, and that worried Liam. “Yes, I remember that house. So someone new is in Birch Valley? Wonder why she moved here,” Liam said, hoping the rude woman who’d cut him off yesterday wasn’t the one who had just moved in, but he had a sneaking suspicion she was.
“Could the lady renting Bob Flannery’s place be the same one you had the run-in with? Janice said the woman was younger and very attractive. Was that the person you saw? I wonder if she’s single.”
“Mom, I have no idea. And honestly, it wasn’t that big of a deal. I hadn’t had anything to eat or my coffee yet, so I overreacted a bit, you know? I didn’t notice if she was good-looking or not,” Liam tried to convince himself as irritation gnawed at him.
“Well, maybe the poor dear was in a hurry,” his mother said sweetly. “Janice said her movers didn’t show up until quite late. So I’m sure she probably didn’t even see you, sweetie.”
“I had my signal on.” Liam was beginning to feel a tad defensive.
“I’m sure you did, dear. But never mind. Folks make mistakes, son, and one as minor as that is no reason for you to get all upset,” she scolded.
Liam mentally rolled his eyes. “That’s fine, Mom. She’s forgiven, all right? Might not even be the same woman I saw.”
“Well, Janice says she sent the poor dear over to Herrick’s for a bite while she got ahold of Cheryl. So I’m thinking she just might be.”
“Wow, Mom, she really gave you the play-by-play, huh?” Liam chuckled. Birch Valley didn’t need a neighborhood watch of any kind as long as his mother and her friends were around. News spread quicker than wildfire in a dry field here.
“Sweetheart, you seem a little testy this morning. I think you need to get up and get a little coffee and food into you. I’ll check back in with you a little later. Since tomorrow is New Year’s Eve, I was hoping you could be a dear and pick up Michael from the airport. I need Maggie’s help making all the snacks and decorating. We have a decent amount of people coming over for the party.”
“Not a problem, Mom.” Liam swung his nude legs to the side of the bed and slid his feet into his slippers. Cradling the phone in the crook of his neck, he wrapped himself in his robe.
“Remember, son, sometimes people have a bad day. I’m not excusing poor behavior, but sometimes we can be absentminded in our decisions, no matter how small they might be. Besides, it’s not like we get a lot of new residents here, especially young, single ones.” Her voice was smooth and loving as she continued, “I love you, son. Now go and get on with your day before it’s gone.”
“Love you too, Mom,” Liam said. He hung up and padded to his open kitchen with plans to start a large pot of coffee.
Good grief. Now his mother had it in her head that this Californian, who obviously couldn’t drive worth a damn, was single and cute. Granted, Liam had to admit she didn’t look half bad.
***
Rachel
Rachel sighed as she dropped the flattened cardboard box down onto the growing pile. She was making progress in getting everything in its place. Swatting away at her blonde bangs, she peeked out the curtain to see what the w
eather was doing.
She had planned on running to the grocery store later in the day to purchase some much-needed essentials. The list she had been compiling since yesterday was becoming quite long, but she was nervous about venturing out now that snow had covered the street and the icy flakes kept pouring from the sky. Rachel had seen neighbors shoveling their walkways and a large snow plow truck scrape the street in front of her home.
Tomorrow was New Year’s Eve, and a little pang of loneliness hit her as she realized she would be spending it alone. She added a bottle of champagne to her list as she thought more about her fond memories of sharing the holiday with Chelsea. Thinking of her best friend, Rachel wondered what she would make of all this snow and how Birch Valley looked. Chelsea would probably think Rachel had lost her mind moving somewhere so completely different. But even though Birch Valley was cold and unfamiliar, Rachel felt the newfound sense of freedom she’d hoped to find as she layered her clothing to go shopping
***
After Rachel had piled on as many sweaters as possible, frigid air blasted her in the face as she carefully walked to her car. The silver BMW was frosted with several inches of snow, and tiny icicles hung from the chrome grill. As Rachel used the arm of her coat to sweep off the snow, she felt someone watching her. She turned around slowly and saw one of her neighbors walking toward her. She was clad in a scarf and heavy winter coat.
“Howdy,” she said.
Rachel smiled nervously. “Hello.”
The older woman pulled away the thick wool scarf from her mouth. “I’m so sorry I haven’t stopped by to welcome you. I’m Sue-Ellen.” She extended a gloved hand.
Shaking it, Rachel replied, “Nice to meet you Sue-Ellen. I’m Rachel.”
“How are you liking this weather? Where did you move here from?” Sue-Ellen asked, her cheeks rosy from the icy-cold weather.
“This is my first time really being around snow,” Rachel said as she continued to attempt to sweep the snow off the hood of her car.
“Well, looks like you need a snow brush for your rig there. I’ll see if I have an extra one in my garage. Do you have a snow shovel yet? Not sure if Cheryl left one here for ya.”
“I was actually headed to the store now to get some supplies. I guess I wasn’t sure exactly what I would need when I came up. It was still in the eighties when I left California a couple of days ago.” Rachel laughed at the thought of how ridiculous she must look with the snow clinging to her coat.
“Wow, California? You sure are a long way from home, hun. What brought you up here?” Sue-Ellen asked as the snow started to fall a little faster.
“No kidding. It’s different here but quite lovely, even with the snow,” Rachel said. “I actually just got hired on as the principal for the elementary school here.”
“Well, that’s certainly a surprise. I had no idea Mr. Anderson was leaving. Granted, he’s been working there since my children attended classes there.” The woman shivered. “Well, before we both catch a cold, I will let you go. Wonderful meeting you. I’ll come by sometime so we can visit some more.”
Rachel started to feel the cold settling deeper into her core. “It was a pleasure, Sue-Ellen. I look forward to it.”
***
The car heater seemed to take forever to warm up enough to actually blow hot air. As Rachel drove down the quiet road, snow crunching under her tires, she admired the stillness. No one was outside, the trees were posed like frozen statues, and the only movement was plumes of wood smoke escaping from the chimneys of the small houses.
The wind chill was brutal as Rachel parked and scurried into the grocery store. Grabbing a shopping cart, she examined her list. Trying to find everything she needed without knowing the layout of the store was a bit of a challenge. She felt a pang of homesickness as she remembered her favorite grocery store back in Newport and the farmers markets she’d frequent with Chelsea on the weekends. As she cruised slowly down each aisle, taking stock of the inventory, Rachel was able to get most of the staples on her list.
When she was finished, she wheeled her cart up to a checkout counter that had only one other customer in front of her, who was chatting with the cashier as Rachel unloaded her items. When she finished, she waited patiently for the cashier to ring her up, but the woman was so engrossed in the conversation with the person in front of her, she didn’t seem to notice Rachel. When Rachel failed to make eye contact with the clerk, she began to get antsy. As a last resort to get the cashier’s attention, she coughed, and when both cashier and customer looked up at her in annoyance, she gave them a tight-lipped smile. The two then exchanged good-byes, and the cashier began to ring up her items.
“Hello, did you find everything okay?” she asked before calling for another clerk to help bag the groceries.
“I did, thank you,” Rachel said curtly, avoiding eye contact as she fished out her credit card.
An awkward silence fell until the cashier announced Rachel’s total. She then thanked Rachel for her business as Rachel pushed the cart out of the lane. Once outside, she had to really work to maneuver it through the thick layer of slush on the slippery asphalt. She reached her car, and a sense of relief washed over her after she loaded all the bags into her trunk. Rachel then looked at her watch and was surprised to see it was only midafternoon. The sky was already getting dark. Back at home, the sun would still be shining on the endless blue ocean.
Now all she had to do was make it home and unload these groceries without slipping on the ice, she thought as she climbed into the BMW and turned her wiper blades on to remove the snow that had already accumulated on her windshield.
Chapter Six
Liam
As more snow fell on the mountains that sheltered Birch Valley, the swollen skies opened up, releasing sleet and rain in messy sheets.
It was New Year’s Eve, a time to celebrate a year gone, the birth of new hope, and resolutions that would be broken within a couple months, if not weeks. Everyone was out and about, gearing up to ring in the New Year with family and friends.
The O’Brien women were busy with last-minute preparations for the evening ahead, and Liam was heading out to pick up Michael from the airport, which was over an hour away.
Liam pulled up to the busy terminal at Spokane International Airport just as Michael emerged from the large glass doors.
“Good to see you, Liam. I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to how cold it gets over here,” Michael said as he quickly hopped into Liam’s pickup and shoved his small suitcase by his feet.
“We’ve been having a bit of a cold snap lately. Glad you were able to make it out. We’re going to have an awesome time tonight.” Liam was in a fantastic mood. He planned on partying hard tonight because he only had one day to recover before going back to work on Monday.
After stopping at a fast food place, the two men got back on the road and made their way home to Birch Valley. The hour drive passed quickly because Liam enjoyed Michael’s company and they had a great deal in common. Michael enjoyed fishing and was an avid reader like Liam but never found the time to do either anymore. He was also a die-hard fan of the Seattle Mariners and Seattle Seahawks and felt the countless stings from all their losses keenly.
One difference that separated the two was Michael’s drive for success. Not that Liam didn’t want to be a great teacher; he strived to change the young lives in his classroom. But elementary schools didn’t have a corporate ladder to climb, and he was thankful for that. Michael’s work ethic was similarly strong, but he wanted the recognition and glory that went along with the hard work and dedication. Because Michael had grown up in Seattle, a busy, fast-paced life was all he knew until he met Maggie, who had dragged him out to Birch Valley to visit her family. Soon after, he’d fallen hopelessly in love with them, the town, and Maggie herself.
“So what’s the game plan at the house for tonight?” Michael asked as he shifted in his seat, trying to find a comfortable position. He was obviously used to driving a s
leek, luxury sedan.
“Mom and Maggie have been cooking all day, and they have Patrick and Daniel helping set up the basement for tonight,” Liam answered, scanning the road ahead for deer. As daylight faded, deer and elk often wandered into the middle of the highway. Liam had hit his fair share at this time of day, so he took extra precautions when traveling the dangerous highway.
“Did your mom invite a lot of people?” Michael questioned.
“Eh, the usual group of friends she has over. Her church friends and some of the ladies from her book club.”
“Patrick or Daniel seeing anyone yet? How about you? Getting tired of being single?” Michael asked playfully.
Liam tried to stifle a chuckle. “Daniel’s always looking. Patrick, well, you know, it’s still pretty hard for him. He’s getting better, I suppose, but he’s not quite sure he’s ready yet.”
“And you?” Michael prodded.
“You know, I haven’t really looked. There aren’t a whole lot of available women in Birch Valley. Besides, I kind of like just being able to do my own thing without having to answer to anyone.” Liam shrugged.
“Yeah, but there is something to be said for marriage, my friend. I love having Maggie and Melanie at home when I get back from work. I remember not wanting to settle down too, and then I met your sister, and that kind of just changed that,” Michael said with a faraway look on his face as he peered out the window.
“I’m not opposed to meeting someone, especially if I met the right girl,” Liam said. “It’s funny you should bring this up, man. I had this little run-in with this lady. Well, she stole my parking spot. And the next day, Mom calls me and tells me all about this new girl that moved here. She went on and on about the possibility of this woman being single.”
Loving Liam (Cloverleaf #1) Page 7