Chapter 19 Root System
root system
Lorien
He turns into a driveway and puts the SUV in park.
What? That wasn’t supposed to happen. I was trying to make him uncomfortable and give myself the upper hand. And now, I not only have a grinning Liam, but no time to prepare. “Well, you could’ve told me they didn’t live far away.”
He chuckles, turns off the car, and is at my door before I can recover.
His brother waves from the open front door. A small brown dog sits between his legs bouncing on its butt, tail swishing excitedly.
“Okay,” Cian says in a commanding voice, and the dog makes a beeline for us, skirting past Liam to circle me and wiggle. The tail goes wild and, to my surprise, it sits directly in front of me, chin up, waiting for a greeting.
“Well, hello there. I’m Lorien. You sure are a gorgeous dog. What’s your name?”
“That’s Eleanor,” Liam responds and pierces the air with a whistle that’s shrill and powerful. “Let’s go.”
Eleanor scampers to and through the front door as I lean into the SUV to grab the Sand Tarts from the center console.
“That whistle best not have been directed at me,” I mutter under my breath.
“It wasn’t,” a low voice grumbles too close to my ear. “But if the shoe fits…” His big strides eat up the distance between me and the house and he’s already at the front door, holding it open for me when I see Cian and a gorgeous brunette standing just inside the entryway arm-in-arm.
The blond eldest of the Murphy clan leans down and gives me a quick peck on the cheek. “Lorien, this is my wife, Sariah.” He steps aside. “Angel, this is Lorien.”
“I’m so glad to meet you. You’re going to have to give me all the details on this whole crazy situation once you’re comfortable divulging them.
These two”—she pulls back and gestures to Liam and Cian—“and their schemes. The trouble is,” she drops her voice to a whisper.
“They’ve saved me more than I care to admit, more times than they should’ve had to, so I’m stuck going along with the crazy since it works. ”
“From what I understand, it was Ayla’s idea,” I reply, liking her instantly.
“That explains things. Though I’m surprised at her. She’s fiercely independent and would hate to have someone suggest that for her. Hmmm. We can use this to our advantage.” Sariah ushers me to the huge island that dominates the blonde-wood kitchen and offers me a chair.
I set the plate of cookies in the center and look around the space. It looks like something out of architectural digest, if that’s a real thing. Beautiful, polished, bright and airy, with tons of windows overlooking a brick patio.
“What would you like to drink?” Sariah asks.
Before I can answer, a baby cries. Looking over my head, she nods to who I’m assuming is her husband. “Can you get Lorien something to drink while I check on Wills?”
She effectively tags him in as she taps the counter in front of me. “Be right back.”
“What are you drinking?” Cian asks.
“What are my options?”
“Beer, wine, liquor, fizzy water, juice, soft drinks of all flavors, and White Claw.”
“Don’t say White Claw. Don’t say White Claw,” Liam chants from behind me.
“White Claw sounds delicious,” I offer sweetly. “Any flavor.”
There’s a growl behind me that’s cut off with a choking cough.
“Are you okay?” Cian asks, humor in his voice.
Liam thumps his chest. “Something in my throat. Sorry.”
“What are you having?” The blond continues.
“Beer. IPA if you’ve got it.”
“That I do.” He sets the bottle on the island and slides it toward my left hand.
The palm of a tatted hand reaches out to grab it, and the crack of air escaping comes just before the clink of a bottle cap hitting the island. Cian pops the top on my drink and hands it over.
“We’re having tacos. I hope that’s okay. Liam didn’t mention any allergies. Should he have?”
I shake my head. “Sulfa drugs and poison ivy. The rest is all good.”
“Happy to say, neither of those are on the menu tonight.”
My stomach rumbles and I hold it as if that will muffle the sound that’s all too loud in the huge space.
I fight the heat that wants to warm my face.
I forgot to eat. I didn’t even have one of the cookies.
I was so annoyed with the texts and embarrassed about the towel incident, as I’m now referring to it, that I plumb forgot.
And now my belly is telling the world. “I’m so sorry.”
“What are you sorry about?” Sariah’s voice drifts closer from behind me.
I swivel in my seat to see Liam kiss the cheek of another infant. Boom go the ovaries. Twice in two days. This can’t be good for my hormones.
“How’s he doing?” he asks quietly, his gaze never leaving the baby.
“He’s great.” Her whole face lights up talking about him. “This is Wills.” She says to me, lifting her arms a fraction.
Wills. William. Liam. Dots are connecting. I tilt my head. “Family name?”
Cian’s gentle voice is strong behind me. “His name is in honor of my brother.”
There’s so much to unpack. There’s a story there. More than one if Sariah’s early comment about the two of them saving her is anything to go on. I file that away for later.
“Renée is out with friends. She’ll be back soon. She’s our oldest,” Cian relays.
Liam had already given me the basics, so I knew her name.
“That works actually, since I’m hoping we can discuss some things without her.”
“What things?” Sariah asks.
His answer, though, is for me. “Were you serious about the marriage thing?” His eyes burn into mine, searing straight to my soul.
My only response is a nod.
“No, Lorien. I want the words. This is too serious to just go along with. I need to know that you’re in this, until we both decide the arrangement no longer suits us.”
I want to say, Wow. That’s every girl’s dream proposal. Instead, I offer, “I know the stakes and I agree.” Next time, though… Next time I get to do it for love. For hearts and flowers. And do it for life.
He smacks a paper down on the island near my right hand. It’s a certificate of marriage with a date in mid-May.
“Cian? Sariah? Will you stand as our witnesses?”
The reality of my life is right there in black and white. William Jonathon Murphy, along with his address, social security number, and parents’ names sit near his marital status—single, never married—and his birthday. He’s seven years older than me. I pegged that correctly.
Below that is my full name, address prior to my current one, my social security number, birthdate, and my parents’ names.
My voice shakes a bit and my first real doubt creeps like smoke in the corners of my mind. “How— How did you know all this about me?” My question is barely audible.
He drops his to a much quieter boom. “Told you. I looked into you.”
“My social, though?” How? And what the hell am I getting into? All of a sudden this feels planned, constraining, eerie. “Excuse me.”
I bolt out the back door, needing fresh air and a little more space. The thoughts swirling are vise-like.
He knew. He chose. He planned.
It’s a scheme. It was all a ploy.
And I’m a victim of some elaborate plot.
This feels less and less like a choice and more and more like I’m prey in the sights of a predator.
I don’t even notice the tears until the wind catches them to cool as they cascade down my cheeks.
I was prepared to make the hard choice, to do the right thing, to help him… at a cost to my heart, and to my time and energy. But why? And how do I get out of it now?
The snick of a door latch doesn’t prepare me for what’s coming. And that’s because I truly expect to be bulldozed by the man himself—the lion… or the snake.
“Hey,” the soft feminine voice says. “May I sit with you?”
I nod, knowing I can’t be rude to Sariah. She’s been nothing but kind and welcoming. She didn’t come up with this scheme. She sits, not close but not far away, allowing me my space as I stare off into the tall trees in her backyard as they dance in the soft breeze.
“This situation is… Well, I’ll say it. It’s fucked.”
I whip my head toward her. That’s not at all what I expected her to say.
“Ci filled me in yesterday. He and I spent the better part of the evening trying to figure out an alternate solution. It seems quite a reach, you know?”
I nod again, not trusting my voice not to crack under the weight of my emotions.
“I’m guessing you don’t know my story, and this isn’t the time.
But I will say this, if it were anyone but Liam, I’d tell you to run for the hills.
Hell, I’d drive you there myself.” She folds her knees up to her chest before wincing and readjusting.
“No, I wouldn’t tell you to run. There’d be no need to.
All that to say that I trust that man with my life, with my children’s lives.
I named my son after him.” She pauses to let those words sink in.
“I can, without hesitation, say he’s the best man I know after the love of my life, so you’ll be safe with him.
” She takes a deep breath and taps my knee.
“So, weirdly, I’m going to ask if he’s safe with you. ”
I tilt my head to look at her, but before I can answer, she continues, “I would go to the ends of the earth for that man. I only want the best for him. If you’re not it, I’ll understand.
We all will. We’ll find another way for him.
No, we’ll make another way for him. He’s the roots, you see.
In our family tree, we’re the branches or the leaves reaching for the sun.
Some of us are fruit, like my Wills. But that man in there is the root system.
He holds steady in every storm, unwavering, finding a way for all of us to live and grow and explore, knowing he will keep us grounded and safe.
So, I have to know, can we trust you to take care of him while this is all going down? ”
I stare at her, noticing the gold peeking through the iris of one of her eyes and the beauty mark high on her cheekbone on the outside corner. Thick chocolate brown hair and the warmth of a woman who knows what it means to be on the inside after being on the outside for too long.
“How do I know your words aren’t part of his plan?”
“In this case, you can’t. There’s nothing foolproof, and it really sucks.
But if you stick around, I’ll tell you my story.
And you’ll know why, no matter how much I’d like to be your friend, you’ll understand why I’ll have Liam Murphy’s back until the day they put me in my grave.
And why, if you have his when I can’t, I’ll always be Team Lorien.
We Murphys are a pack. If you’re one of us, you have us all.
Think about it.” She stands and walks inside, leaving me spinning over her words.
We’ll make another way for him.
I named my son after him.
He’s the best man I know.
He holds steady in every storm.
I’ll have Liam Murphy’s back until the day they put me in my grave.
Who is this man that inspires such loyalty?
I spend another few minutes outside. Glancing through the windows into the living room doesn’t help. The man in question has his namesake on his chest. His face is peaceful. He’s the root system.
His face lights up when a young girl enters. He stands and she bear hugs him. He kisses the top of her head and she beams.
I wonder if Liam Murphy knows the devotion he inspires. His siblings create fantastic plans to save him. His sister-in-law is more worried that I’ll hurt him than if I’ll be hurt by him. And his nieces and nephew demonstrate how safe they feel in his presence and in his arms.
All the while he looks at me like he wants to eat me for dessert or pokes me to get a rise out of me.
I can’t reconcile the many facets of Liam Murphy.