Loving Liam (Cloverleaf #1)

by Gloria Herrmann

  Michael turned to face him. “Wait, a new girl moved to town?”

  “Don’t sound all excited like Mom,” Liam warned playfully.

  “Hey, I’m serious. That’s awesome. You just said there are no girls here. Well, hell, Liam, now one has moved to Birch Valley. She cute?” Michael pestered.

  “I don’t know. I didn’t really get a good look at her,” Liam said as he thought about the blonde with the pixie cut and upturned nose. “If anyone actually saw her, it was Daniel and Patrick. They were in the diner at the time. But anyway, I’m not even sure it’s the woman that moved here.” Still, Liam had a difficult time convincing himself of that.

  “Did Daniel say if she was cute?”

  Liam sighed as he rubbed his jaw, feeling the stubble that had grown there after his shave this morning. “Yeah, he thought she was good-looking, but that’s kind of beside the point. I wasn’t really looking to see if she was hot or not. She had just pissed me off.”

  “Oh, give me a break, of course you checked her out. I don’t care how pissed off you were, you can’t tell me you didn’t notice how she looked.”

  Liam breathed a sigh of relief as they began making their way downhill and he saw the lights of Birch Valley.

  “We’re almost home. I can’t wait to see my girls,” Michael said as a happy grin crossed his lips.

  ***

  Liam turned off his truck after parking on the street in front of his parents’ home. He could only imagine the flurry of activity going on inside. A whirlwind of orders coming from his mother welcomed them as he and Michael crossed the threshold. Maggie was carrying a large tray toward the basement when she saw Michael, and she raced over to give him a quick kiss.

  After greeting her son with a peck on the cheek, Mary handed him a large serving bowl to take to the party area, and Liam followed his sister to the basement. When he entered, he was blinded by glitter and sparkles from every direction. Tables had been set up around the room, each covered with party hats and silver and gold confetti. The streamers hanging from the ceiling and the silver and gold garlands framing the windows made the room look even more festive. Meanwhile, twinkling white lights were wrapped around several pillars and draped loosely along the table that held the large punch bowl and a neat line of several trays and dishes. His mother and sister had outdone themselves this year with the decorating, so he could only imagine how great the food would be.

  Several hours later, as guests began to arrive, Liam sat at a table with his brothers and Michael, working on his third glass of whiskey. Filling themselves with scrumptious appetizers and drinks, the men sat around laughing and telling stories as the time edged closer to midnight. Music played in the background, as laughter and happy chatter filled the basement, echoing loudly off the concrete walls. The children, meanwhile, ran past, filled with happy energy, Melanie in a puffy blue dress with matching ribbons in her hair, and the twins in matching little suits complete with a clip-on tie they kept losing. Soon, couples took to the small dance floor in one corner of the basement, and Liam watched as his father twirled his mother to the oldies music while they gazed at each other with love in their eyes. Michael then took Maggie to the dance floor, and they held each other close as they swayed to a slow song. Whatever had been bothering his sister over Christmas seemed to have fixed itself, because Maggie had looked content all evening, and she and Michael seemed to be in constant contact, looping their arms around each other’s waists or giving each other a peck on the cheek or lips.

  “So, Liam, anymore run-ins with the cute little Californian?” Daniel asked, interrupting Liam’s thoughts.

  “Yeah, thanks again, guys, for telling Mom,” Liam said as he shot both of his brothers a small glare. “She’s been pestering me about this girl ever since. She even had her friend Janice over there tell me her opinion about this woman.” Liam motioned in the direction of Mary and Janice, who were helping themselves to some punch.

  “Don’t let it get to you. You know how Mom is,” Daniel said lightly before finishing the last of his beverage.

  “Yeah, I wouldn’t make too big of deal about it. Mom just likes to meddle,” Patrick added as he swirled the contents in his glass.

  Liam took a full sip of the warm liquid, which burned his throat slightly. “I know. She means well, but it would be nice to not have her ask me about this woman every time we talk.”

  “I wish I would have a run-in with her,” Daniel said with a wide smile as he got up to refill his drink.

  “I bet you do,” Patrick and Liam responded in unison.

  Daniel excused himself and offered to grab another drink for his brothers before he wandered to the buffet table. Liam leaned back in his chair, stretching his long legs out.

  Patrick yawned and looked at his watch. “Not too much longer,” he said as he rubbed his face.

  “It’s been a fun night. Mom and Maggie sure did a nice job,” Liam said, watching his grandfather taking Mary out to the dance floor. “Looks like Grandpa Paddy is getting down.”

  Liam and Patrick both laughed as they watched the elderly man bend and shake to the beat of the song.

  ***

  Rachel

  Rachel curled up on her couch, buried under a soft, wheat-colored throw. A half-empty bottle of champagne sat next to her while she flipped the pages of the romance novel she had been reading most of the evening. She took off her reading glasses and rubbed her eyes as she grabbed her cell phone from the end table to check the time. It wasn’t quite midnight yet. She planned on calling Chelsea when the New Year officially hit.

  Rachel was glad the holidays were basically over. She was looking forward to starting her new position on Monday. She still had no idea what the school even looked like and planned on driving by it tomorrow, as well as doing a little exploring around town if the weather permitted. With her home nearly unpacked and set up, she felt as though she was ready for her new routine to begin.

  Taking a swig from the bottle, Rachel returned to her novel. Soon, her eyes felt heavy and started to close.

  A loud ring woke her with a jolt, and in a slight state of confusion she searched for her phone. It had slipped between the couch cushions, and Rachel fished it out to see Chelsea’s number on the screen.

  “Happy New Year,” Chelsea shouted as soon as Rachel hit the Talk button.

  “Hey, Chelsea, Happy New Year,” Rachel said, her throat scratchy and dry from her nap.

  “Did I wake you up?” Chelsea asked loudly. Music was blaring in the background, and Rachel assumed her friend was at a party.

  “I must have dozed off. Where are you?”

  “I went to a New Year’s Eve bash I got invited to. I just wanted to wish my bestie a happy New Year and good luck on Monday.” Chelsea’s words were slurred from obviously having a little too much to drink, and Rachel strained to hear them through the noise in the background.

  “Thanks, you too. Hope you’re having a good time. Be careful out there.”

  “I’m having a blast! Wish you were here. Well, I gotta go. Love ya, Rachel.” Chelsea hung up before she could answer.

  Rachel was a little bummed that she wasn’t out dancing, laughing, and enjoying the light buzz from champagne alongside her friends. No point in throwing herself a pity party, she decided. After all, she was the one who’d chosen to relocate. Maybe next year she would be visiting Chelsea for New Year’s and they could go out and celebrate.

  Rachel closed her book, got up from the couch, and took the bottle into the kitchen, where she poured the remainder of the champagne down the sink. What a way to start the New Year, she thought as she watched the foaming liquid pool down the drain. She then went to her bedroom and crawled beneath the covers. The room was slightly chilly, so she burrowed farther into her comforter and drifted off to sleep.

  ***

  Liam

  When the clock struck midnight, everyone shouted and cheered as they entered the New Year. Toasting glasses clinked as couples kissed each other,
and Liam and Daniel received their fair share of smooches from Mary’s friends.

  The O’Briens and their guests continued to celebrate for a couple more hours. Once the last of their friends had said their good-byes, Liam made his way into the living room and settled on the couch. With his head heavy from the night of drinking, he closed his eyes and passed out.

  When he woke several hours later, Liam babied a mild hangover and ventured home after assisting with some cleanup from the previous night’s festivities. Back at his cabin, he crawled into his own bed and slept until midafternoon. That evening, feeling fully recovered and renewed with a bowl of chili in his stomach, he prepared for class the next day and set his alarm for five in the morning.

  No more sleeping in, he thought. Back to the grind.

  ***

  Rachel

  Rachel spent most of the day trying to decide which outfit to wear for the first day of her new job. She had narrowed her choices down to two suits, one pants and the other a skirt ensemble. She wanted to make a good first impression while indicating that she meant business and wanted to be taken seriously. Only in her early thirties, she was fairly young to be a principal.

  A little later in the day, Rachel decided to take a drive to get acquainted with the neighborhood and locate the school. When she arrived there in only minutes, she was surprised at how close it was to her new home. As soon as the weather was warmer, she planned on walking to work sometimes, something she’d never had the opportunity to do back home. Her condo was fifteen miles away from the last school she’d worked at, and she would spend nearly an hour each way on the congested freeway. Being stuck in traffic was a way of life for anyone who commuted in southern California.

  After readying herself for bed and setting her alarm, Rachel lay in the darkness. Fear of the unknown, interacting with people who didn’t know her, and just the newness of all the responsibility she was about to be handed kept her from falling asleep. She tossed and turned, eyeing the alarm clock, then her cell phone as she struggled desperately to sleep. Finally, her brain had mercy on her and allowed her to fall into a restless slumber.

  Chapter Seven

  Liam

  Liam grabbed his coffee and headed out the door. It was cold and the sky was still dark as he started his truck. He let it run awhile before making his five mile drive to work. As he drank his coffee and jammed out to a tune on the classic rock station, Liam was in a great mood, especially for a Monday. After pulling into the lot at the elementary school, he found his usual parking spot. Grabbing his backpack and coat, he then got out and headed to the large front doors of the school.

  As he walked into the mail room next to the teachers’ lounge, the school secretary Karen, a lovely older woman who had worked there since Liam had attended as a child, gave him a giant smile.

  “Good morning, Liam,” she said as she proceeded to place a memo in each of the teachers mailboxes.

  Curious, Liam grabbed the papers from his box. “Morning, Karen. How was your winter break?” he asked as he casually shuffled through the small pile, not really reading any of it.

  Karen stopped filing and turned toward him. “Pretty nice. All the grandkids came to visit us.”

  “Oh, that’s great. I bet you enjoyed seeing them. Maggie and Melanie spent the entire time at Mom’s.” Liam smiled but quickly scowled in confusion as he looked down at the paper on top of his stack. “Hey, Karen, what’s this about?” He held up the memo she had just put in each box.

  “Mr. Anderson says he wants to see everyone this morning during first recess.” Her face scrunched with annoyance as she added, “He didn’t tell me anything, which is a little odd.”

  “I guess we’ll all find out together.” Liam waved at a teacher who was headed in their direction. “Well, I’m headed to class,” he said as he exited the room.

  ***

  Rachel

  Rachel’s eyes shot open. Oh dear God! What time is it? Noticing her alarm clock blinking 12:00, she sprang out of bed and grabbed her cellphone to see what hour it really was. Oh no, it’s after seven. I’m late!

  She hopped into the shower, lathered her body, dried off, and dressed with a speed she didn’t know she possessed. She threw on her coat, grabbed her empty travel coffee mug and briefcase, and ran out the door. She prayed they had good coffee at the school because she was going to need it.

  Rachel was thankful for how close the school was to her new home as she pulled into a spot next to the front doors. Here we go, she thought as the first bell of the day rang. She scurried through the enormous glass doors and made her way to a counter that was across from the entryway. Children of various sizes were hurrying to class, and their loud chatter bounced off the walls. Rachel smiled as a little girl waved and said good morning.

  As she walked up to the counter, she noticed an older woman in the room beyond was filing paper into various mailboxes. “Good morning, I’m Rachel Montgomery. Mr. Anderson is expecting me,” she announced politely.

  The woman turned her attention to Rachel and gave her a warm smile. “Hello. Sorry, didn’t hear you with all the kiddos coming in.”

  “Oh that’s no problem.” Rachel nervously clutched her briefcase as she rocked slightly on her chunky heels. She was glad she’d opted for the pants suit when a cold draft swept against her legs as the last stragglers hurried through the door.

  “Let me go get Mr. Anderson for you. Rachel, was it?” the secretary asked sweetly as she scooted past the counter and down a hallway.

  “Yes, Rachel Montgomery. Thank you again.” Rachel scanned the interior of the school. It was an older brick building, and a large mural of Lewis and Clark’s expedition was painted on the wall beside the entrance. Wide, exposed wooden beams held up the ceiling, the floor was polished concrete, and tall windows allowed plenty of sunlight to seep through.

  Moments later, a tall man with a full head of white hair came toward her.

  “Good morning, Rachel. Such a pleasure to meet you in person. Welcome to Birch Valley Elementary.” His voice was deep and thunderous, and his presence demanded attention. Even though he was well into his seventies, he was intimidating. Her palms started to sweat as she gripped her briefcase tighter.

  Rachel recalled her interview with this man. He’d seemed smaller when she’d spoke with him over their webcams. In person, he stood almost a foot taller than Rachel, even with her two-inch heels. He wore a light blue dress shirt and a tie that had a brilliant pattern of colors. His gray slacks were a shade lighter than her own dress pants.

  “This is Karen Miller, our wonderful school secretary. There are not enough kind words for me to say about her. We have worked together for so many years, and she has been running the show that whole time.” He laughed, patting Karen’s shoulder warmly. “Karen, as you already know, this is Rachel Montgomery. Why don’t we go to my office and I can start going over everything with you.” He turned on his heel and led Rachel down the same hallway he had emerged from. “Karen, please join us.”

  Looking confused, Karen glanced curiously at Rachel, who managed a tight-lipped smile.

  Once they were inside the principal’s office, he sat behind a wide mahogany desk and clasped his large hands together. “Well, I’m so thrilled you finally made it up here.”

  Rachel had sat down in one of the two leather chairs in front of the desk, and Karen sat down slowly next to her.

  “Yes, I had a great time coming up. Birch Valley is incredibly beautiful, though the snow was a little unexpected.” Rachel swallowed the nervous lump in her throat, and her stomach twisted into queasy knots as she tried to calm her nerves.

  Karen remained stiff, quiet, and observant, the exact opposite of how she’d behaved when Rachel first met her.

  Mr. Anderson leaned forward. “Well, spring will be here before you know it. Now, on to business. Karen, I’ve hired Rachel to replace me as principal.” His tone was even and firm.

  Karen’s face twisted in confusion and shock. “I’m sorr
y, I wasn’t aware you were leaving the school, sir.”

  “Well, I went to the district right after Thanksgiving. I’ve been considering retirement for a long while, actually.”

  “Wow, I’m surprised. This is the first I’ve heard of it.” Karen’s tone was sharp, almost defensive.

  Mr. Anderson sighed, as if he’d known she would react this way. “We’ve worked together for a long time, Karen, and I knew you wouldn’t be thrilled about someone replacing me.” He nodded toward Rachel, who felt even more uncomfortable as she watched tears fill Karen’s eyes.

  “No, I completely understand. I’m just a little taken aback that you didn’t tell me, or anyone else here.” Karen wiped a tear from her cheek.

  “Now, now.” He extended his reach across the desk and enveloped Karen’s hand in his own.

  “Perhaps I should give you two a moment,” Rachel suggested.

  Karen shook her head. “That won’t be necessary, dear. I’m just a sentimental old lady.”

  “Now, Rachel has gone through the interview process with the district, and we felt she would be a great match for our school,” Mr. Anderson continued. “She is from a charter school in California, where she was the vice principal, correct?” he asked, turning to her.

  Rachel cleared her tight throat. “Yes, that’s correct. I’m very excited about this opportunity and feel I can bring a lot to the staff and students here.”

  “Well, we’re delighted to have you, Rachel. I hope you will forgive my little emotional outburst a moment ago.” Karen’s tone had softened as she squeezed Rachel’s arm.