Chapter Twenty-Two
Evie
Hayden was fast asleep on the couch, nestled into the corner with a blanket tucked under his chin. Liam had cued up one of those animated movies kids loved, but Hayden hadn’t made it more than halfway through before drifting off.
I leaned against the kitchen counter, swirling the last sip of coffee in my mug as Liam rinsed the dishes at the sink.
“Are you sure you won’t let me help?”
He shook his head and smiled, glancing over his shoulder. “Absolutely not.”
The kitchen was warm and inviting, the soft glow of the overhead lights reflecting off the polished wood cabinets. The faint scent of the pine logs burning in the fireplace mixed with the aroma of garlic and herbs from dinner made the space feel impossibly cozy.
“You’ve been quiet since dinner,” he said, tilting his head slightly. “And I don’t think it’s just because Hayden crashed. Did you want to talk about it?”
I hesitated, my fingers tightening around my mug. “It’s nothing. Really.”
Liam raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. “Evie, come on. If this was too much for you and Hayden, just say the word. I promise I won’t take it personally. But if it’s something else…something you could just use another ear on, I’m here for that, too.”
“It’s not that,” I said quickly, shaking my head. “I love being here. You’ve made us feel so welcome. It’s exactly what I needed.”
His expression softened at my words, but the concern didn’t leave his eyes.
“Then what’s up? You look like you just got handed a barn full of mucking duty.”
I laughed softly at that, even though my chest felt tight.
“It’s... complicated.”
“Complicated how?” he pressed, his voice gentle but persistent.
I sighed, setting my mug down on the counter.
“Something changed. Something big. And I might need some time to figure it out
He continued watching me.
“I meant what I said earlier. It’s not you, Liam. You’ve been... amazing. Better than I ever could’ve imagined. It’s just me. My life. And everything that comes with it. What popped up in my life was an obvious reminder of why it’s not fair to drag you into my world.”
He dried off his hands and leaned against the counter beside me, his voice quiet but firm.
“Evie, I don’t mind the baggage. I’m sure I have some of my own.In case it’s not painfully obvious, I’m all in here. With you. With Hayden.”
His words sent a pang through my chest, and I felt the tears sting my eyes before I could stop them.
“Liam...”
“Talk to me,” he said softly. “What happened?”
I hesitated, but the weight of the secret was too much to carry alone.
“I got a letter,” I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper.
He straightened slightly, his eyes narrowing in concern.
“What kind of letter?”
“A legal one,” I said, the words feeling heavy in my mouth. “From Hayden’s dad. He’s filed for custody.”
The silence that followed was deafening.
Liam stared at me. The easy warmth in his expression was replaced by something sharper, more protective.
“I thought he wasn’t in the picture,” he said carefully.
“He wasn’t. He isn’t,” I said quickly. “He made it clear when I was pregnant that he didn’t want anything to do with Hayden. And now, out of nowhere, this.”
Liam let out a slow breath and shook his head.
His jaw tightened. “And he thinks he can just show up and take Hayden?”
“I don’t know what he thinks,” I admitted, my voice cracking. “But I can’t let it happen. Hayden is my whole world, Liam. I’ve fought so hard to give him a good life, a stable life. I can’t lose that.”
“You won’t,” he said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Not on my watch.”
“It’s not your fight, Liam. I appreciate what you’re saying, but this is something I have to handle.”
“Evie...” He paused, clearly trying to choose his words thoughtfully. “I get that you feel like you have to handle it alone. But you don’t. I’m here. Whatever you need, whenever you need it—I’m here.”
His sincerity took my breath away, and I couldn’t speak for a moment.
“Thank you,” I whispered finally, my voice thick with emotion.
He reached out and placed his hand over mine.
“You don’t have to thank me,” he said softly. “That’s what people do when they care about each other.”
The tears I’d been holding back threatened to spill, but I blinked them away, nodding.
“You’re too good, you know that?”
“Don’t let that get out. I’ve got a reputation to maintain.”
I laughed despite myself, the tension easing just a fraction. “And what reputation is that?”
“An ogre of sorts, drifting…a loner.” He winked at me, and I snickered, knowing no one thought that about Liam Harper.
He was always the guy who offered to lend a hand and flash a smile.
Liam’s hand lingered on mine, and he pulled me closer.
I tried to sort through the storm of emotions swirling in my chest. I blinked quickly, keeping the tears at bay.
I didn’t want to cry. Not here. Not now.
“You’re too good,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
He smiled at me, soft and genuine.
“So are you. Don’t forget that.”
I smiled and shook my head. “I mean it about you…”
“I try, but sometimes it’s not enough.” His tone was light, but the weight in his eyes betrayed the humor. “Are you ready to tell me a little about the guy?”
“Are you sure you want to go there?” My brows lifted in uncertainty.
His hands left mine, and he nodded.
“Absolutely.”
“Fine. I married Kyle in my early twenties. I thought he was my first love, but I know better now.”
Liam kept his gaze on mine but didn’t interrupt. He gave me the space I needed to tell what I could of my story.
He filled up my coffee mug, handed it to me, stood in front of me, and waited.
I let out a sigh and shook my head, unsure I wanted to unleash my past, but when his eyes stayed on mine, comfort coated me unlike anything before.
“After we got married, it didn’t take long before I spent many nights alone. He’d go out with the guys and not return until the next day. It didn’t take long to figure out that was his code for you know.”
“Evie, I’m so sorry,” he whispered, shaking his head.
“I wish that were where it ended, but that was only the beginning. It got to the point where I treasured those nights he was away. At first, the belittlement was whispered in passing. My cooking wasn’t to his liking, or the clothes were not folded right.” I shrugged. “All silly stuff, really.”
We stood inches apart as he studied me.
“As the months turned to years, it was yelling at me for not making his favorite food or letting him run out of toothpaste. I’d come home from work, hoping he’d have a boy’s night just so I didn’t have to deal with him.” I hugged myself as the nausea rolled in.
“I’m so sorry, Evie.”
I continued, shaking my head. “How sad is that? I was hoping my husband was out philandering, so I didn’t have to get yelled at.” A shiver ran through me. “I wanted to leave, but I didn’t have enough money, so I saved every penny I could scrape up. He enjoyed controlling me and making me feel bad for wrongs that didn’t exist. I remember being in a grocery store, and he just snapped. Picking up items in the cart and hollering about the brands I bought, and I just took it…as the shoppers stared or flashed sympathetic grins…I just took it.”
“You deserve so much better.” He shook his head. “That was verbal abuse, Evie.”
“I never knowingly would have brought a child into that kind of home, but…it happened.” A chill skated over me. “But I never once regretted my pregnancy because what it gave me was the strength I needed to leave that situation, whether I could afford to or not. I didn’t come up with any more excuses; I just knew I had to leave when he was born.”
“I had no idea,” Liam’s voice was low and torn.
“Few do…” I sighed. “The sad thing is that I grew up with something a little similar with my dad. Nothing to the same degree, but I recognized the patterns when I got older.” I licked my lips and let out a deep breath. “My dad passed away the month before Hayden was born. He thought I should stick it out with Kyle for Hayden’s sake.”
“Is that when things clicked?” he asked. “You recognized the cycle?”
I nodded. “It’s just…when I say I don’t want to bring you into my mess, I mean my mess. You have such an amazing family and a bright future in front of you. I don’t want to be a part of bringing you down.”
Liam gasped and shook his head. “Evie, stop it. You’ve lifted me up in ways I never knew possible. Being with you and Hayden is a gift. You are a gift. I doubt I would have even pulled the trigger on the Red Barn Cider property if it weren’t for you.” A little smirk surfaced. “I think I want to impress you.”
His words pulled at every cell in my body.
“I started to imagine a future with you, Liam.” I sighed. “And then I got that letter, and it felt like I was being snapped back to my reality.”
“Wrong.” His voice was tender. “This is your reality. Not the games your ex wants to play.”
A few seconds passed between us, and I swallowed down a lump in my throat.
“Thank you…For listening. For being, you.”
“I’m honored that you confided in me.” He walked over to the table and grabbed his glass of water.
The silence that followed wasn’t uncomfortable, but it was heavy.
Liam stood a few feet away, his hands resting on the back of one of the chairs, his gaze locked on me. I could tell he wanted to say more, to pry further into the mess I’d hinted at, but he didn’t. Instead, he offered me the kind of patience that felt rare and precious.
“You’ve had a long day,” he said after a moment, his voice quiet but firm. “Why don’t you sit for a bit? You don’t need to do anything else tonight.”
I shook my head, forcing a small smile. “You’ve already done so much. You made dinner, entertained Hayden, and...” I gestured vaguely, feeling a little ridiculous for being so overwhelmed by his kindness.
“And what?” he asked, leaning against the counter, his grin returning just slightly. “Knocked your socks off with my shrimp and linguine skills?”
I laughed softly, the sound surprising me. “Something like that.”
Liam tilted his head, studying me for a moment. “You know you can let me help, right? Whatever’s going on, you don’t have to do it alone.”
I swallowed hard, my heart squeezing at his sincerity.
“It’s not that simple, Liam. There’s a lot going on in my life right now, and... I just need some time to sort it all out.”
His expression didn’t falter, but I caught the flicker of disappointment in his eyes. He nodded slowly like he was piecing together a puzzle.
“I can wait.”
The simple statement hit me like a punch to the chest. I wasn’t used to this—someone willing to be patient, to let me come to them on my terms.
It was both comforting and terrifying.
“I appreciate that,” I said softly. “Really, I do.”
His eyes softened, and he reached out to brush a strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers warm against my skin. “You’re worth it, Evie.”
The weight of his words settled between us, and for a moment, I let myself believe them. But the fear crept in just as quickly, reminding me of all the reasons why this couldn’t work.
“I should probably get Hayden home,” I said, glancing toward the living room where my son was still sound asleep on the couch.
Liam nodded, straightening up. “Let me help you get him to the truck.”
“I can manage,” I said quickly, not wanting to impose further.
He smiled wryly. “Evie, you’re amazing, but you’re not superhuman. Let me help.”
I opened my mouth to protest but stopped myself.
Instead, I nodded and followed him into the living room.
Together, we carefully scooped Hayden up, his small body limp with sleep as Liam carried him effortlessly out to my truck. The truth was that I probably would have wound up waking Hayden while I adjusted him in my arms.
I opened the back passenger door of my truck, and Liam gently placed Hayden in his booster seat. I watched as he adjusted the blanket over my son, his movements careful and deliberate.
“He’s a great kid,” Liam said quietly, closing the door and turning to face me.
“He is. He’s my world.”
For a moment, we stood there in the glow of the porch light, the world around us silent except for the soft rustling of the trees. Liam stepped closer, his gaze locked on mine, and my breath caught.
“I meant what I said,” he murmured. “I’m here, Evie. For whatever you need.”
My heart twisted painfully as if it were tearing between the pull of his words and the weight of everything I was carrying.
“I know,” I whispered. “And I appreciate it.”
He reached out, his hand brushing against mine. “Drive safe, okay?”
I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat, and turned on the engine to get the heater going.
“Goodnight, Liam.”
“Goodnight, Evie.”
But instead of closing the door, he leaned in and softly brushed his lips against mine. Every cell in my body ignited with something I craved but was afraid to allow back into my life.
I rested my palm on his cheek as he kissed me again, and I kissed him back, feeling the warmth spread through me. His lips slowly parted from mine as he rested his forehead against mine.
“You deserve to be happy, Evie. To feel safe and without worry.” His voice lowered. “Let me in all the way.”
His words took me by surprise, but they wrapped around me with a feeling of protection I’d rarely felt in life.
I let out a slow sigh and smiled. “Liam, thank you.”
He shook his head. “You have nothing to thank me for.”
“No. I have everything to thank you for. You’re reminding me what a good man is.”
Heat swam through his eyes, but he just smiled and gave a quick nod before closing my door.
As I drove out of his driveway, I couldn’t help but glance back at him in the rearview mirror. He stood there, hands in his pockets, watching as I drove away in the dark.
The sight of him, standing in the glow of his porch light, was enough to make my chest ache. And as I turned onto the main road, I realized just how much I didn’t want to let him go.