Chapter Twenty-Eight
Liam’s To-Do List
Buy Kat a new to-do list
Buy Kat some ADHD-friendly snacks
Plan a date with Kat
Convince Kat to stay
Get a life
The makers market was hosted every last Saturday of the month. Everly Heath High Street was cordoned off and pedestrianised for the privilege, and I could see why.
It was rammed.
I had no idea this many people lived here.
The whole street was a sea of bodies shuffling through slowly, pushing through lines of people queuing for coffee and pastries.
A huge brass band was performing at the front of the social club, their gold instruments shining in the spring sun.
Children were running and playing with their friends, flitting between the legs of passersby.
Thirty stalls sold everything from homemade sausage rolls to handmade children’s clothes.
And despite how busy it was, everyone was so…
cheery. Chatty. There were no impatient huffs as people pushed through.
No one was trying to speed walk through the crowds on their phone.
People said ‘sorry’ and ‘excuse me’ politely as they moved through the crowds languidly.
It was jarring.
Why wasn’t this stressful?
I glanced at Liam. He seemed relaxed, his frown lines gone as he rubbed his thumb across my forefinger, leading me through the market.
As soon as we arrived, Abigail ran off to see her friends, and Liam slipped his hand into mine, his eyes asking if it was okay.
I squeezed back. It should have felt weird.
I didn’t hold hands with anyone. I’d never got close enough to a relationship to let handholding happen.
But I didn’t feel that usual suffocating panic.
It felt normal, natural to feel Liam’s hand in mine.
I stopped to admire a jewellery stand, my hands drifting to a necklace featuring a dainty gold bee on a thin chain. I thought it might be a nice memento to take with me once the house was done. Did I want a necklace to remember this time? I wasn’t sure if I’d look back with fondness or grief.
I imagined I would reflect on my time with Liam as a lovely, distant memory, and the thought made me feel sick.
‘That’s pretty,’ Liam said, and I glanced up at him.
‘It is,’ I admitted. I looked at the price. It was almost two hundred pounds. I put the necklace down.
‘Come on, let’s go.’
I pulled Liam’s hand, dragging him into the crowds, away from my morose thoughts. I wanted to stay in the moment and enjoy myself.
Liam squeezed my hand. ‘I’ve got something I want to show you.’
‘Okay.’
We made our way through the crowds. Liam pulled me down a side alley off the main high street. It was quiet.
‘This is it. This is where you’re going to kill me.’
He laughed. ‘You think I would have waited until now?’
He led us to the door of what looked like an abandoned cafe. Liam rooted around in his pockets, producing a key, and opened it.
‘Why do I feel like we’re breaking the law?’ I whispered.
‘It’s fine. I know the owner.’
‘Of course you do. Everyone knows everyone here.’
Liam flipped the lights on. There were abandoned tables and chairs. The lights were flickering slightly. We could still hear children and the band playing.
‘Where are we?’ I frowned. Liam was walking around slowly, like a bomb could detonate at any point.
This place was important. His shoulders were tense, his brow slightly furrowed.
‘Oh.’ The penny dropped. ‘Was this the place? The restaurant? The one you were supposed to open with Ren.’
Liam nodded quietly.
‘Well, it needs some work,’ I joked, ‘but I’m sure you would have made it amazing. It’s got great bones.’
‘What would you do?’
‘Oh –’ I hesitated. ‘I’ve never thought about restaurant design before.’ A lie. I totally had. In fact, when he mentioned it at Heath Antiques, I’d already started planning it in my head.
Liam made a ‘go on’ gesture with his hand.
‘Well, some fitted booth seating would work along this wall. Making best use of the space.’ I glanced at Liam; he was nodding.
‘And also increase covers. I would add some light wood tables and chairs, nothing too heavy because it’s on the darker side in here.
’ I walked towards the beautiful bay windows.
‘And definitely get some of those cute half curtains.’ I smiled, excited about the prospect of a new project, even if it wasn’t mine.
‘And I bet you could get some eclectic art prints on the walls, something from a local artist. Maybe someone here at the market, actually. I think I remember walking past an artist with some interesting pieces. We should go –’
Liam was quiet. I’d been planning out a dream that he had forfeited.
I slapped my forehead. ‘I’m sorry. I’m getting carried away.’
I walked up to Liam, giving in to the urge to touch him. I touched his hand, and his eyes glanced down at our hands clasped together. But when I glanced up, I didn’t see Liam’s face full of regret.
He was smiling – a small smile.
‘I signed the contract today. It’s mine.’
‘Are you fucking kidding me?’ I squealed, jumping up and down, trying to make Liam join me, but he laughed and pulled me close. His chest rumbled with laughter, contained, muffled by his T-shirt.
‘When? How? Your dad –’
‘I finally grew some balls and told him. I didn’t ask. I told him. I suggested Jack should take over.’
I pulled back, my eyes wide. ‘Jack? But you’re so hard on Jack.’
Liam frowned. ‘I’m not hard on him.’
I cocked an eyebrow. ‘You are.’
Liam exhaled. ‘Maybe I have been in the last couple of weeks. But that’s because I’ve only started thinking of him as my successor.’
I whistled. ‘This ain’t succession, babe.’
Liam looked at me sardonically. ‘Don’t “babe” me. And you know what I mean. Once I started thinking of him taking over, I needed to push him more. I didn’t mean it to come off harsh.’
I hummed, unsure.
‘I’ll apologise to him.’
‘You should.’
‘I’ve been in a bad mood the last few weeks.’
I huffed. ‘Understatement.’
‘It might have something to do with a certain redhead creating chaos in my life.’
I gasped. ‘I didn’t create any chaos, thank you.’
‘Chaos. Good chaos.’ He pulled me closer. ‘I don’t think I would have done this had you not turned up, full of all of your ideas. You inspired me. If you could come here and –’
‘Move up to a random northern town, leaving my job and friends, digging up all of my daddy issues, all to renovate some house?’
Liam made a strangled noise like he wasn’t sure what to say. ‘Yeah, all of that. If you could do all of that, I could do this. I could open Lily’s.’
‘Lily’s,’ I mused. ‘I like it. Short, snappy.’
‘It’s my mum’s name,’ Liam explained, his voice growing hoarse.
‘That is lovely, Liam,’ I said. ‘Really lovely.’
‘Ren and I said it would be named after her – the menu is going to be inspired by some of her favourite dishes, after all.’
I nodded. ‘And your brother –’
‘He won’t answer my phone calls right now.’ Liam sighed. ‘I don’t know if it’s because he’s up a mountain, drinking his way through a city, or just ignoring me.’
‘But when he does answer –’
‘I’m going to ask him to come back. If he wants to. Come back and help me open this place.’
It was incredible to see the difference in Liam. His voice was clearer, his eyes shone, and he stood taller. Like the restaurant had boosted his confidence. Like he had a renewed sense of who he was.
‘And your dad took it well?’
Liam nodded. ‘He did. He knew about the plan originally anyway.’
I gasped. ‘What?’
‘Ren told him everything before he left. He tried to get Dad to push me out of my comfort zone. He wanted Dad to let me go. But Dad said he wanted me to come to it myself. He said I’d never been any good when pushed.’
I nodded. ‘Stubborn.’
‘Do you want a contest, sweetheart?’ He ran his hands up my arms. ‘Because I can remind you about a certain incident with a tent and some heavy rain.’
I rolled my eyes. ‘And you’ll never let me forget it.’ I kissed his cheek, a ceasefire. ‘So your dad didn’t freak out?’
‘No.’ Liam smiled lightly. ‘He’d been preparing for months at home. He knew it was coming. He’s already sorted out the next two years of jobs and is getting ready to promote Jack. Plus, he’s got some old geezers up for helping out, too.’
‘So what you’re saying is, you’re expendable,’ I said, deadpan.
‘Cheeky.’ He pinched my bum. ‘But yes, apparently I am.’
‘How liberating.’
‘Liberating. Terrifying.’ He shrugged and looked around at the abandoned cafe. ‘And now I have this.’
‘It is so exciting, Liam.’
I pulled away, moving around the room, imagining the restaurant clearly in my head, like I was walking through it.
‘I can put together a design plan. I can see it now. Something modern and minimalist, but not boring.’ I frown. ‘I think we could feature a lot of colour. Reds, greens. The odd blue.’ I nodded, biting my lip. ‘I need to get home and write these ideas down so I don’t forget them.’
‘Steady on,’ Liam smiled. ‘I would love for you to design the concept. There is no one else I would ask but you.’ He pulled me closer, his hand on the nape of my neck. ‘But we’re in no rush.’
I opened my mouth to disagree, but nothing came out. Usually, I would have three different drafts in my head right now. But the lazy, satisfied smile on Liam’s face made me want to slow down. I could come up with a design tomorrow.
‘Come on, let’s go celebrate.’ I grinned, pulling him towards the door. ‘I can’t buy you a drink, but I can buy you some cake or something –’
‘Well, speaking of celebrating,’ Liam said knowingly.
‘What?’ I turned around, unease in my stomach.
‘A little birdie mentioned someone’s birthday tomorrow,’ Liam said, a song in his voice.
I slapped my forehead, crumpling. ‘Fucking Sandra!’
‘It wasn’t Sandra.’
My eyes narrowed. ‘Lydia.’
Liam’s eyes twinkled. ‘Bingo.’
‘Traitor. She knows I hate birthdays.’
Liam pulled me towards him hard. My hands landed on his chest.
He smirked down at me. ‘Oh, come on. I can think of very creative ways we can celebrate your birthday.’
My eyes widened, dirty thoughts flickering through my head like a horny flipbook.
‘Well, this is cosy.’ A familiar, sarcastic, feminine voice pierced through the room.
I turned. Willa was standing at the door with her designer duffel bag and her sunglasses pushed through her blonde hair.
My mouth fell open.
‘What –’ My gaze moved between Liam and Willa at speed.
Liam squeezed my hand. ‘Happy Birthday, Red.’