“I’ll hang it on your refrigerator for you,” she said helpfully, taking the picture from my hand and pinning it front and center on the fridge. “This way he can keep an eye on you.”
I resisted the urge to shudder.
Liam’s phone sounded, and he pulled it from his pocket. He looked at the screen, rolled his eyes, and set it down on the counter.
“Important?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Just that friend I mentioned, commenting on something of mine that was in a local paper. No big deal.”
“Scott?” Hazel demanded, and it was clear by her tone that whoever Scott was, he was persona non grata with the ten-and-unders.
“Hazel,” Liam sighed. “Is it too late for me to start achildren should be seen and not heardrule? Because I’m beginning to understand the appeal.”
“Way too late,” Hazel said matter-of-factly.
“Who’s Scott?”
“He’s Daddy’sfriend. They go out forcoffee.” She rolled her eyes. “HefixesDaddy’scollar. And gives himadvice.”
“Heisa friend,” Liam insisted, but he blushed hotly. “A nice guy.”
But Hazel’s tone indicated that wasn’t all he was, and I found myself clenching the spoon in my hand so hard my palm hurt.
Liam in, common sense out.As always.
I’d wondered why Liam had pickednowto finally, officially divorce me, and I guess I had my answer.
Liam had moved on. And to anice guy.
Pretty sure no one had ever accused me of being one of those.
It wasn’t a huge surprise that he’d moved on. The surprising thing was thatI cared. Apparently, I wasn’t as over it—overus—as I’d assured Liam I was. Maybe a banged-up heart was a lot like a bump on the head, and there was internal damage even if it looked like everything was fine.
So that night, after I’d cleaned up the kitchen, after Liam and I had said a stilted goodnight, after the pint-sized con artist had carried my cat off to “her room” for a “sleepover party,” and I was lying in my bed alone, I stared at the dresser across the room and felt the ring inside it pulsing like the telltale heart in that horror story we read in high school.
I thought about Liam’s eyes and Hazel’s smile.
I thought about how the world was a cold, cold place, and how I’d taught myself to be evencolder… except when Liam was around.
I thought about how I was Ebenezer Scrooge, the crankiest person in O’Leary, and how I’d been visited by a ghost from my past so I could change things for my future.
I cursed Parker’s interfering ass for making me evenconsidershit like this when I should have been sleeping soundly.
Then I threw off my covers and got out of bed.
Chapter Six
Liam
“Gideon hasa shower head that makes itrain,” Hazel had informed me before climbing into bed, still shower-damp and bright-eyed despite it beingwaypast her bedtime.
According to her, Gideon also had a nice voice. And the kindest smile. And the most amazing house. And the best catin the universe, Daddy.
I’d nodded and smiled and pretended to agree because apparently teaching your children to be gracious guests was good parenting or something, but personally, I was thinking she was wrong.
Gideon’s voice wasn’t nice, it was sexy as fuck.
And his smile was sexy as fuck.
