Chapter Fourteen
Evie
I stood in front of my closet, staring at the rows of shirts and jeans like they might magically transform into something date-worthy if I waited long enough. Tonight wasn’t even technically a date. It was spaghetti at my house with Hayden and Liam.
Super casual, right?
And he was probably going to be here any second.
So why was I standing here, debating what to wear like some teenager getting ready for prom?
“Alright,” I muttered to myself. “Something nice but not too nice. Casual but not boring. Cute but not trying too hard.”
I tugged at the hem of my worn flannel shirt, wondering whether I should swap it for something more… polished. But polished wasn’t really my style. My wardrobe consisted mostly of flannels, jeans, and T-shirts—practical clothes for a life spent wrangling horses and chasing after a seven-year-old. None of it screamed look at me, I’m irresistible.
And why was I even worried about being irresistible? This wasn’t a date. It was just dinner. Spaghetti. With Liam.
Liam.
The thought of him sent a shiver down my spine. His smile, the way he looked at me, like I was someone special—it was dangerous. But also kind of thrilling.
I reached for a dark green sweater, pausing halfway.
Wait. Was a sweater dressy?
Too dressy? I swapped it for a cream-colored one. Too plain? Back to the flannel.
“What am I doing?” I groaned, dropping onto the edge of my bed and burying my face in my hands. “It’s dinner, not a red carpet.”
Hayden zoomed his cars around in his room with honks and yelps while I lost all sense of decision-making skills. At least one of us was having a normal evening.
I stood up, grabbing a pair of jeans that weren’t too worn at the knees and the cream sweater. It was soft and fitted enough to make me feel put-together without looking like I was trying too hard. Satisfied—for the moment—I threw it on and went to work on my hair.
My reflection in the mirror stared back at me, hair in its usual loose waves. I debated pinning my hair back, maybe doing something fancy. But then I remembered the last time I’d tried fancy, and it ended up nearly burning the house down when I forgot to unplug the curling iron.
Lip gloss or no lip gloss? Did Liam strike me as the kind of guy who noticed lip gloss? Probably not. But then again, it couldn’t hurt, right? I swiped a light pink coating over my lips, pressed them together, and examined the effect.
Good enough.
Satisfied with my outfit, I glanced at the clock. Liam would be here soon.
Another flutter of anticipation ran through me as I poked my head in to check on Hayden.
He was sitting cross-legged on the floor, a fleet of toy cars spread out before him.
Seeing him playing in his room made my heart tug a bit. I was so honored to be his mom.
“Hey,” I said, leaning against the doorframe. “How’s the race going?”
“Good,” he said, not looking up. “But I think Lance wants to play, too.”
Our rescue pup padded over as if on cue, his tail wagging as he nosed one of the cars across the floor.
I laughed. “Looks like he’s winning.”
Hayden giggled, then looked up at me.
“Are you going out to eat with Liam?”
“Remember? You wanted me to invite him over for your famous spaghetti?”
“Oh, yeah. Did you put enough basil in it?”
I chuckled and nodded. He always loved adding lots of spices.
A sly grin spread across his face. “You look nice.”
“Do I?” I asked, trying to sound casual. “Thanks, sweetie.”
“Are you going to wear those socks?”
I glanced down at my feet, then back at him. “What’s wrong with my socks?”
“Nothing,” he said with exaggerated innocence. “They’re just… green.”
“Well, I like them,” I said, ruffling his hair. “And they’re staying on.”
“Okay,” he said, turning back to his cars. “But Liam might think they’re funny.”
“Well, he better get used to me being funny, goofy, dorky…”
“Don’t forget silly.”
I laughed. “Yes. Silly, too.”
Back in the kitchen, I checked the table to ensure everything was ready. Plates, napkins, silverware—it was all there. The spaghetti sauce simmered on the stove, filling the air with its rich, tomatoey aroma. I glanced at the clock again, my nerves flaring up as the minutes ticked on.
Why was I so nervous?
This wasn’t a big deal.
Just dinner. Just Liam.
I paced the kitchen and pretended to tidy up, but mostly trying to distract myself. The truth was, I couldn’t stop thinking about him. About the way he’d shown up with groceries and soup when Hayden was sick. About how he didn’t just tolerate my chaotic life—he seemed to enjoy it. And about how, no matter how much I tried to keep my guard up, he was slipping into my heart.
I leaned against the counter, letting out a sigh. Maybe I was overthinking this. Maybe I just needed to let things happen and stop worrying about what could happen.
The sound of a truck pulling into the driveway snapped me out of my thoughts. My heart skipped a beat as I straightened up and checked my reflection in the microwave door.
It was as good as it was gonna get.
“Okay,” I muttered to myself. “Let’s do this.”
Hayden’s laughter echoed from his room as I headed for the front door, trying to ignore the butterflies in my stomach.
This wasn’t a date. It was just dinner. And yet, it felt like so much more.
I smoothed my sweater again for what felt like the hundredth time as my heart did its usual chaotic dance when I opened the door.
And there he was.
Liam Harper, standing on my porch, looking every bit as effortlessly handsome as I’d remembered.
His dark hair, peeking from under his navy knit cap, was slightly damp from the snow. His blue eyes were bright, and the lopsided grin on his face made my knees feel like jelly.
“Hey,” he said, holding up a pie box in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other. “I come bearing gifts.”
My brain stalled, short-circuiting at the sight of him.
All the witty remarks I’d prepared on the walk to the door evaporated.
“Uh… hi,” I managed to croak out.
I stepped back to let him in, but the words had barely left my mouth when my foot caught on the edge of the welcome mat.
My body pitched forward, and I stumbled straight toward him, flailing like some kind of overgrown baby giraffe.
“Whoa!” Liam’s arms shot out, one hand with the wine steadying me while the other kept the pie box aloft.
His reflexes were far better than mine, thank God.
I crashed into his chest, my hands pressing against him as I tried to regain my balance. His strong arm wrapped around my waist, balancing me as my cheek pressed into his sweater.
I looked up into his eyes.
My face was way too close to his face.
And for one horrifying second, I thought I’d accidentally kissed him.
Again.
Liam grinned, looking deep into my gaze.
“You know, Evie, if you wanted to kiss me, you could’ve just asked. No need to fake a near-death experience.” His grin widened. “Again.”
I felt my cheeks go up in flames.
“I—what? No! That wasn’t—” I stepped back quickly as he loosened his embrace. “I just… I tripped.”
“Uh-huh,” he said, clearly enjoying my flustered state. “Sure, you did.”
“I did. And you’re lucky I didn’t take your pie down with me.”
“Trust me,” he said, holding the box up like a trophy. “This pie is sacred. I would’ve gone down fighting for it.”
I chuckled and gestured for him to come inside, and he stepped past me, brushing off the cold as he did.
The warmth of the house wrapped around us, and I closed the door, taking a deep breath to compose myself.
“Thanks for bringing dessert. What kind is it?” I walked toward the kitchen, and he was behind me as I forced myself to gain composure. I wasn’t usually the clumsy type, but I became a hot mess around him.
“Apple crumble,” he said, setting the wine and box on the counter. “Thought it might pair nicely with spaghetti. Or, you know, be a consolation prize if I burn the noodles.”
“You’re not touching the noodles,” I said with mock seriousness. “I’ve got everything under control.”
He raised an eyebrow, his grin widening. “Is that so? Because you’re one trip away from disaster from where I'm standing.”
“I swear I’m not usually that inept.” I swatted at him with a dish towel.
“I know.” He nodded, still smiling. “My charming ways must just bring it out in you.”
If only he knew how true that was…
“You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?” My brows lifted.
“Not a chance,” he said, leaning casually against the counter. “But hey, it’s part of your charm.”
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t stop smiling.
I could never stay embarrassed with Liam long. He had this way of turning even the most mortifying moments into something funny and light.
“Alright, Mr. Perfect Reflexes. Since you’re so good at saving pies, how are you with pouring wine?”
“Consider it handled,” he said, reaching for the bottle. He opened it with practiced ease and poured each of us a glass, handing one to me with a slight bow.
“To not tripping over welcome mats,” he said, raising his glass.
“To saving sacred pies,” I countered, clinking my glass against his.
We both took a sip, the wine warming me in more ways than one.
As Liam sat at the table, I couldn’t help but take a moment to appreciate him. He looked so at ease in my home, like he belonged here. It was a thought that scared me as much as it thrilled me.
“Are you just going to stand there admiring me, or are we going to eat?” he teased, snapping me out of my thoughts.
“Keep dreaming. I was not.” I snickered.
I put a pot of water to boil and felt Liam’s gaze on me.
“So, what did you do today?” I asked, trying to shift things to safety so I didn’t keep staring at him and blowing my cover.
“Oh, the usual. Worked with the rescues, fixed some fencing, pretended I wasn’t fantasizing about you.”
“What a life,” I teased, not realizing he’d come up behind me.
When I spun around, he was so close. His eyes fastened on mine.
“But I couldn’t get you out of my head.” Liam’s voice was gruff and low, filled with something I hadn’t expected.
“Really?” My heart pounded in my chest. “That had to be annoying.”
His lips turned up at the corners. “Not in the slightest.”
I chuckled nervously, afraid that we’d kiss. That we wouldn’t kiss.
Hayden poked his head out of his room, drawn by the sound of our laughter.
“What’s so funny?” he asked, his eyes lighting up when he saw Liam.
Liam took a step back and grinned at my son.
The tension between us still sizzling through the air.
“Your mom almost wiped out trying to kiss me,” Liam said, earning a gasp and a mortified look from me.
“Liam!” I protested, but Hayden was already giggling.
“Mom, you’re so clumsy,” he said, shaking his head. “I believe it.”
“Thanks for the support, Bud,” I said dryly, though I couldn’t help but smile.
Hayden returned to the other room, and I pretended to give Liam a dirty look.
“Do you have something in your eye?” he teased.
“Very funny.”
“It’s true, though. Right?” he asked, taking a step closer.
“Is what true?”
“You wanted to kiss me.”
“Your lips are soft.” I turned back to the stove and dumped the pasta into the water. “But that doesn’t mean I’m trying to kiss them at every turn.”
Liam stood by the counter, watching me grab the pot of spaghetti with a smirk that made me raise an eyebrow.
“What?” I asked, stirring the pasta as a few minutes passed.
The room felt electrified, and I knew it had nothing to do with the spaghetti.
“Nothing,” he said, clearly lying, as he crossed his arms and leaned against the counter. “I’m just impressed. You really have this spaghetti thing down to an art.”
I snorted, draining the pasta.
“It’s boiling water and pasta. Not exactly a Michelin-star experience.” I stirred olive oil into the pasta.
“Oh, come on,” he said, stepping closer and pretending to inspect the noodles. “This is some top-tier work. The water-to-pasta ratio? Perfect. Not too al dente, not too mushy. You’ve got skills, Evie.”
“Flattery isn’t going to get you extra sauce,” I said, grinning as I reached for the ladle.
“Noted. I’ll save my charm for dessert negotiations.”
“Good plan. Speaking of charm, what’s the latest on Red Barn Cider?”
“We’re negotiating right now. My family probably thinks I’m nuts.”
“I don’t.” I put pasta on the plate and ladled sauce over the noodles. “I think it would be great for weddings too.”
“Weddings, huh?” His brows lifted, and my cheeks warmed for some odd reason.
It wasn’t like I said my wedding, but the way his eyes lingered on mine made every cell in my body ignite.
“Yup. It’s a perfect place to put gardens or anything else.”
“See? You get it. My sisters think I’m insane.”
“I mean, they might be right,” I teased.
Liam laughed as Hayden came into the kitchen.
“Perfect timing. Dinner is served.” I smiled at Hayden as he sat at his usual spot.
“Thanks, Mom.”
I plated our food and sat at the table, forcing myself not to play make-believe that something like this could happen.
“When do you think you’ll hear back about the deal?” I asked, genuinely curious.
“What deal? Hayden asked.
“Liam is hoping to open a little place that makes cider.”
“Oh, cool. You should have hayrides, too.”
Liam studied my son and nodded. “You know what? That’s a fabulous idea.”
Hayden grinned and slurped his pasta.
Liam took a bite of the pasta and groaned. “Amazing.”
Hayden turned to look at him. “It’s my recipe.”
“No way.”
“Yup. Isn’t it, Mom?
“Sure is.” I nodded, taking a sip of wine and wishing I hadn’t noticed how good Liam was with Hayden.