Liam (Hawthorne Brothers Romance)

by M. L. Young

  Luckily an older woman, maybe eighty or so, was already in the window seat when we walked up, a smile on her face when we sat down next to her. “Lovely to meet you,” she said, extending her hand and smiling.

  “The pleasure is definitely ours,” Jessica said, shaking her hand.

  “If you need anything, you just let me know and I’ll make sure you get it,” I said, shaking her hand as well.

  “Oh, you’re such a lovely young man. Thank you so much, dear,” she said, obviously happy and taken aback.

  “You’re so sweet,” Jessica whispered into my ear before wrapping her arm around mine.

  “So are you two headed back home to Iowa? Visiting New York on a trip?” she asked.

  “She’s actually coming back with me to meet my parents and family. We both live here in New York now,” I said.

  “Oh, how wonderful! Have you been dating long?” she asked.

  “About four months now,” Jessica said, smiling.

  “Not super long, but it’s been a great four months,” I said.

  “Oh, that’s plenty long to take that next step. I dated my late husband for two months before he proposed, but of course those were simpler times,” she said.

  “I’m sorry for your loss,” Jessica said.

  “He’s in a better place now. He was in a lot of pain, and now he’s free. Besides, now I don’t have to hear him snoring anymore. You wouldn’t believe how much more wonderfully I sleep now!” she said, laughing.

  I could hear the people behind us giggle a little as I couldn’t help but bust out a big smile and shake my head. I liked that even during a hard time of losing her life partner, she could still find happiness and joke about it. Sometimes you need laughter and humor to get through hard times.

  The flight attendants came through and made sure we were all buckled in before giving the safety demonstration. “You okay?” I asked Jess as her grip tightened on me.

  “Yeah, I will be,” she said, breathing slowly.

  I rubbed her arm, kissing her forehead before she put it against my shoulder and acted like we were taking off into space or something. I didn’t tease her, though, and just stayed supportive and loving. She’d do the same for me.

  While the flight hit some turbulence that jolted Jess a little, we made it to Des Moines with no problems and I swore Jess was going to kiss the ground once she got off the plane. “Humans were meant to stay on the ground,” she said, laughing a little, before we got our luggage and went to the rental car counter.

  My hometown was about thirty or forty minutes away. We didn’t want to rely on my parents for driving us everywhere, especially with their work schedules, and we were only going to be here a few days, so I knew the price wouldn’t be too bad.

  We got our car, a small red compact, and tossed in the luggage before getting in and buckling up. “Are you ready?” I asked, and she nodded.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Jessica

  As Liam and I pulled onto his street and into his parents’ driveway, I felt the nerves finally hit in full force. This was a big moment not only for me, but for our relationship, and it would dictate our future. What if they didn’t like me or had some kind of problem with me? What if his mother thought I wasn’t good enough for him? I knew I might be overreacting a little, but they were genuine fears that all people have before meeting parents. After all, if they don’t like you, the relationship is pretty much dead in the water. It’s hard to have a future with somebody whose family you can never be around.

  “We’re here,” he said as we parked in the driveway. “You’re ready?”

  “About as ready as I could ever be,” I said, the butterflies in my stomach flying low and tight.

  We got out of the car and gathered our things before walking up. The front door opened before we could ring the bell. “Liam!” his mother said, running out and hugging him.

  “Hi, Mom, how are you?” he asked before she kissed his cheek.

  “Oh, I’m just wonderful. This must be Jessica,” she said, turning her attention to me.

  “Hi Mrs. Hawthorne, I’m Jessica,” I said, with a cheerful and happy demeanor.

  “I’m a hugger,” she said, giving me a hug that was tight and warm. “And call me Carol. Mrs. Hawthorne is my husband’s mother.”

  “That my boy?” his father asked, walking outside.

  “Hi, Dad,” Liam said, giving him a hug.

  “Ed, this is Jessica, Liam’s girlfriend,” Carol said with a smile.

  “Well, how are you? We’re so glad you came out and are willing to put up with us for a few days,” he said, laughing and giving me a hug.

  “Are Cash and Bentley here?” Liam asked.

  “No, Bentley is with Anna for the night and Cash won’t be in until a little later tonight,” Carol said.

  “Well, what’s Bentley doing that’s so important?” Liam asked.

  “Not a single clue. He’s too secretive to let his mother know,” Carol said as her eyebrows rose.

  “He’s always been like that, hasn’t he?” Liam asked.

  “Of course he has, he gets it from your father. Now let’s stop yapping outside and get you all settled in,” she said, since we’d stood outside the entire time.

  Ed helped me with my bag, rolling it inside for me, before we walked down to where we’d be staying in Liam’s old room. It was lined with wrestling trophies and medals, with dark navy blue sheets on a full-sized bed. His room was nice and tidy, probably not what it used to look like when he lived in it, but it was definitely a teenage boy’s room.

  “Now, we don’t have a problem with you two sharing this bed, but no funny business will go on under my roof, you hear? No sex, no touching one another, and nothing else of that sort,” Carol said sternly.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Liam said.

  “I wouldn’t even think of it,” I said.

  “I know you’re a good girl, but this boy ain’t right in the head sometimes,” she said, smiling and looking at Liam.

  “Please stop,” Liam said, his cheeks turning red with embarrassment.

  “Why don’t you two unpack and get settled in while I make you some lunch. I’m sure you two are starved,” Carol said, and she and Ed left the room.

  “So?” Liam asked.

  “So what?” I asked.

  “Are they okay?” he asked, looking a bit scared for the answer.

  “They’re wonderful,” I said, laughing a little. “Why are you so nervous?”

  “I just want this to work. I don’t feel like I can afford losing you,” he said.

  “What do you mean afford losing me?” I asked.

  “It’s just that, I don’t know, I love you, a lot, and I don’t know what I’d do without you. Hell, I don’t know what I did before I met you. You’re just so special to me and I want us to continue to be a thing,” he said.

  “I have no intentions of changing anything between us, unless it’s for the better. Now let’s just hope that my family likes you,” I said, teasing him a little.

  I saw him gulp, a blank look on his face, before he went back to unpacking. “I’m just teasing you, of course they’ll like you,” I said, laughing.

  “Very funny,” he said.

  •••

  Living in a college town, like Carol and Ed did, had its perks. The town was fairly empty during the summer, there were larger, open fields and yards where they lived right outside of town, and there was a general atmosphere like back home where everybody knew one another and the fields were your backyard. That meant that things like bonfires weren’t only doable, but very common.

  Ed lit a bonfire with Liam’s help and we all sat out, waiting for the others to arrive, before starting to cook. There were few things more satisfying in life than a Midwestern-style cookout during the summer, and I knew I’d taste home while I was here.

  Not too long after, Bentley and his wife, Anna, showed up and walked around back. “Hey, man,” Liam said, standing up and smiling.
/>
  They hugged, hard, and horsed around with one another a little bit before I was introduced. “I’ve heard so much about you,” Bentley said, giving me a hug.

  “Same here. This guy talks about his brothers a lot. I like it,” I said.

  “I’m just happy he has a sweet girl to take care of him and keep him out of trouble in that big city. This is my wife, Anna,” Bentley said.

  “Hi,” we both said at the same time before hugging.

  I could tell she was close to my age, and super cute. I knew Liam said that Bentley was a few years older than her, and likely me, and he definitely had that cool-guy aura when he walked up. I knew I heard a loud car or motorcycle outside, which I was guessing was his. He was definitely the mechanic that Liam talked about.

  “When’s Cashy getting here?” Bentley asked as he sat down.

  “His plane should be landing now, so maybe twenty minutes?” Carol said.

  “We should play a prank on him,” Bentley said, looking at Liam.

  “Be nice to your brother,” Carol said.

  “Oh, we’re not going to hurt him. Besides, I think we’d be sued if we did,” Bentley said, laughing.

  “That pretty mug is insured, it’d be no problem,” Liam said.

  “I think we should hide and when he comes around the corner we should scare him and grab him before picking him up and running with him over here. He’s such a scaredy cat when it comes to that stuff,” Bentley said.

  “Cash was always easy to scare when we were kids. He can’t handle stuff like that,” Liam told me.

  “They tormented him because of that,” Carol said.

  “Oh, like he’s an angel,” Liam said.

  “They’re right about that one. That boy was just as sneaky, and Liam wasn’t exactly faithful,” Ed said.

  “What?” I asked, laughing.

  “Liam here would go with either of us, essentially going with the older brother who wouldn’t give him a noogie or wrestle him and beat him up,” Bentley said.

  “Until I started wrestling and then things changed,” Liam said.

  “Yeah, a little, but you know I could still kick your butt. I know what those guys in that octagon don’t,” Bentley said.

  “What?” Liam asked.

  “Your weak spots,” Bentley said, putting him in a light headlock and tickling his armpit.

  Liam laughed, snorting a little, before using his training to get out and going back to his seat. “I’ll get you later,” he said with a smile.

  There was something so genuine and fun about this family that I didn’t want to end. Liam was a different man around Bentley, and likely Cash as well, and I could tell he was so happy being here and spending time with them. He wasn’t different in a bad way, not at all, and I almost wished that we lived closer so that he could see them more often and get this kind of interaction regularly. I thought he was a little bummed living so far away in New York. It bummed me out a little as well.

  A short amount of time passed before Carol got a phone call from Cash and he said he was a few minutes away. “Be nice to him,” she yelled as Liam and Bentley ran off to hide and scare him.

  “They’re just being boys,” Ed said with a smile, sipping his beer.

  “While they’re being stupid, how about you tell us about yourself, Jessica. Liam said you go to NYU, right? That’s a very good school,” Carol said, sounding impressed.

  “I do! I’m going to be entering my senior year this coming year, but I’ll be going off for law school once I’m done with this,” I said.

  “A lawyer? What a great, powerful position that you can really do a lot of good with. Do you know what field you want to do?” Carol asked.

  “I’m looking at real estate or corporate law. I definitely don’t want to do criminal or civil, either as a prosecutor or a defender. I think that’s too risky,” I said.

  “I definitely agree. I saw a special last week about a prosecutor who had a hit put against her. It can be a very vicious world out there, especially in New York,” she said.

  “Well, I’m not necessarily going to practice there. I’m definitely open to moving somewhere after graduation. I’m still not fully used to the New York way of life. I’m grateful to be there, and I like the new experience, but I’m not sure I could deal with it in the long-term,” I said.

  “I’m the exact same way. It’s a great place for school and maybe to start a career, but not to raise a family or anything like that. Besides, it’s too expensive,” Carol said.

  “Exactly. I just want more out of life than a tiny apartment and high crime rate,” I said.

  “Oh, here he comes,” Ed said, looking at the passage beside the house.

  I watched as Cash and a woman walked around the corner and into view. Liam and Bentley jumped out at him, making him hop a little, before they grabbed him, picked him up, and ran over with him. “I hate you both so much,” he said in a half-serious, half-joking tone.

  “Did you see the look on his face?” Liam asked, laughing.

  Bentley started to do an impression, acting scared, before Cash punched his arm and told him to shut up. They all laughed about it, and I couldn’t help but giggle a little as they did so.

  “You have some introducing to do, Liam,” Carol said, pointing her eyes towards me.

  “Oh, right. Cash, Jenna, this is my girlfriend, Jessica,” Liam said, and I stood up and shook their hands.

  “Liam has told me a ton about you. He told me how much he likes kissing you and he secretly wears your lipstick while you’re not around,” Cash said, and Liam got up and started wrestling him.

  I laughed, we all did, as Cash was obviously getting back at Liam for scaring him a moment ago. They quit after a minute, and Jenna pulled a chair up next to me while Cash sat next to her.

  Ed and Bentley went to start the grill as the sun was fully set, before Carol asked Cash and Liam with some help inside, leaving me alone with the girls. They seemed like nice girls, around my age, and maybe they’d have more insight into the family even though they all seemed wonderful and loving.

  “So, how are things going with Liam?” Anna asked, pulling her chair over towards Jenna and me.

  “They’re going great. I honestly couldn’t ask for anything more,” I said.

  “That’s so good. He’s such a great guy, and since he was the last to find somebody, I started feeling sad for him until he met you. I know Bentley said he was lonely in New York before you two started seeing one another. He said that changed after your first date,” Anna said.

  “He talked about you a lot when he was out visiting Cash in Los Angeles for his fight,” Jenna said.

  “He did?” I asked, perking up. The fight was a couple months ago, and to think that he was that into me back then really just affirmed my belief in him and our relationship.

  “Oh yeah, he did. It was cute, though, how open he was and just how much in love he already seemed to be. It looks like you two are pretty good together. Definitely a cute couple,” Jenna said.

  “How has the family been to you guys so far?” I asked.

  “Great, I couldn’t ask for better. There are even more of them, their cousins, though I know they don’t see them a ton. I met them at their cousin’s wedding last year,” Anna said.

  “I’ve seen pictures, but I’ve never had the chance to meet them. They have a bunch of cousins and aunts and uncles, so there’s a big Hawthorne family that we’ve never even met. But Carol and Ed have been amazing,” Jenna said.

  “They seem so great and nice. I was so scared they wouldn’t like me or that they’d be mean or something. You just never know when you’re going to meet parents for the first time,” I said.

  “I don’t blame you. I met them pretty early on, and I was a bit scared they would hate me or tell Cash to stop seeing me,” Jenna said.

  “Same here. They can be a little in your face sometimes, more so with Carol, but she isn’t malicious about it. I think she just has a strong idea about her
family and how things should go and she wants to see them go in that direction. I know she desperately wants grandkids,” Anna said.

  “Oh, yeah, I’m not ready for that quite yet,” I said, laughing.

  “None of us are just yet, but it’s in the cards for Bentley and me within the next two years, I’d say. What do you do right now, if you don’t mind me asking?” Anna asked.

  “I’m in school about to finish up undergrad, and then going to law school,” I said.

  “I wish I had the patience to do something like that. I think Liam needs a powerful woman like you in his life. I think winning his fights will make him a little too elated and excitable, especially once he starts picking up more steam and popularity. He needs somebody like you to bring him back to Earth,” Anna said.

  “Do you see marriage material with him?” Jenna asked.

  “I do. I have no idea when that would be, I’d like to be done with my undergrad at least before getting engaged, but I very much want a husband and kids and the house and everything,” I said.

  Talking to these girls felt so natural, like everything else related to Liam and his family. I almost felt like they were my family, or like they were old friends I was meeting up with and picking up right where we left off. They didn’t judge, they weren’t sassy, and they were just like the friends I’d sit around with and talk to. It made this meeting so much easier.

  “I know the time will come before you know it. Liam has always wanted a family and a wife. Hopefully things work out and it’s with you,” Anna said with a smile.

  We played a few games of cornhole after dinner in their backyard as the bonfire started to lose its blaze and the once raging flames turned into mere embers. Fireflies were buzzing, crickets could be heard along the fence line, and good company was mixed with beer and good times. I couldn’t have asked for a better first night with his family.