Page 12 of Love ’em or Liam

Once we get inside, it’s like I’m seeing the house for the first time. There’s nothing in here that reflects me, save the family pictures on the refrigerator. Brenda never failed to mention how cluttered they made the kitchen look, but I didn’t care.

I love all the pictures of my son growing up over the last seven years. And pictures of him with his dad. Some with me and Colt, too, back when things were better.

All of the furniture is high-end and frankly, not very comfortable. Liam sets down the crates and separates them, tossing the lids to one corner in the living room.

“Hey Songbird? You okay?”

“Yeah, sure.”

He walks to me and pulls me in for a hug. Those strong arms of his wrap around my body, pressing me tight to his. “It’s okay to be sad. This has been your home.”

I release a chuckle. “I’m not sad. Overwhelmed, maybe, not definitely not sad.” I look up into his face—that gorgeous face and those dark as night brown eyes, the one-day stubble that’s dark against his cheeks and chin. “I’m sorry you had to do this for us. I never want to be an inconvenience or a burden. But I need you to know how much I appreciate you sacrificing everything for me.”

He pulls back a little, his hands gripping my biceps. He searches my face, his features drawn tight in a frown.

“Let’s get one thing straight. I am not sacrificing anything. You and Keller becoming my family is a blessing. I promise you that.” He stares into my eyes for a while before he speaks again. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Anything,” I say.

“Why did you ask me? I’m assuming you know other men who would’ve jumped at the chance to be your husband. Men you’ve seen more than a handful of times over the last several years.”

“I asked you because I trust you. I felt pretty certain you'd say yes because you're that guy. The reliable, steadfast one.”

“I said yes because I've always wanted to be something you need.”

When he says things like that, it makes my heart flutter with hope. I know Liam would never willingly hurt me, but I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t afraid of that.

He kisses my forehead, then steps away from me. “Now then, I have the movers and moving truck scheduled for tomorrow.” He holds out a pad of brightly colored sticky notes. Stick one of these on any of the bigger pieces you want to bring with us.”

I stare down at the squares in my hand and then shake my head. I hold them back out to him.

“What’s the matter?” he asks.

“None of the things in this house are mine. Everything belongs to Brenda and Butch,” I say.

Liam’s frown deepens. “I don’t understand. You have no pieces of furniture that you picked out? Or any you want to keep?”

“Even if I wanted to keep anything, which I do not, Brenda would have a fit.”

“Why is it their stuff, though?”

“This marriage was very crowded. I don’t think I have time to explain it right now. There’s no doubt in my mind that they will have seen the car park in the driveway. Not to mention, they run the cameras at my doorbell and back door. So they’ll know I’m back. They won’t wait long to drive over here.”

He rubs at the back of his neck. “They have the app linked to your doorbell camera?”

I nod. “I know, it sounds crazy. In any case, the number of missed calls and texts I’ve received from them—and their lawyer—in the last two days lets me know that they’re watching. They knew I was gone. Didn’t know where, but knew I’d taken Keller and left town. They’re not pleased.”

“Well too fucking bad,” Liam says, his voice dark and ominous. “You don’t have to tell me everything now, but eventually I need to know.”

“Why? None of it matters anymore,” I say. “The attorney I spoke to made it clear that if I were married, they’d have no grounds for petitioning for full custody. No matter what they’ve been saying about me.”

“It matters to me. I want to know what your life has been like since I foolishly left you here.” He steps closer and lowers his voice. “I don’t like to speak ill of the dead, but if Colt were alive right now I’d wring his damn neck.”

I lean in and kiss his cheek. “I’ll tell you everything you want to know, just not now.”

“We’ve got a long drive from here back to Texas, so we’ll have plenty of time to talk. Now tell me what we can pack.”

“My clothes, I guess, though they’re not exactly my style.”