Chapter 4 #2
“No, honey. You need someone who makes you the centre of their world. A man who protects your heart, makes you smile, and holds you when you’re sad.”
“Isn’t that what we all want?”
“You need someone who understands your heart, Liam. You take on too much, and you’re always there for other people. Your perfect man will ease those burdens for you.”
“I’m not looking to be a kept man.”
“You could never be that. Even when you’re a dad, and you will be one day, you’ll always need something which is just yours. Any man who’s worthy of your heart will understand that and encourage you.”
“Sounds too good to be true.”
“You’ll find him when the time is right, or maybe he’ll find you, just when you need him the most.”
A knock on the door yanked him out of his memory. Liam looked up and saw it was Austin looking through the glass window with a concerned look on his face. He was wearing a woolly hat with a bobble on it, which should not look that good on a man of his age.
Liam pulled himself up off the floor, not remembering having sat there. He walked towards the door, unlocked it, and opened it. Before he could say anything, Austin pushed inside. Not aggressively, but he seemed to be in a hurry.
“Are you okay, Liam?” he asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine. You look cold.”
“It’s Baltic out there.”
That explained the rush to get inside.
“Do you want a drink to warm you up?”
“Are you having one?”
He nodded. “Come into the kitchen. The machine is clean, so we’ll have to be old-fashioned and use a kettle.”
“Whatever’s easiest for you.” He smiled.
Liam felt his legs shake. This guy couldn’t be real. Well, of course he was real, but he was off-limits, which might be a good thing. If he met the Mr Perfect his mum had suggested right now, he was too much of a hot mess to be an attractive prospect.
“What are you doing out this late?” asked Liam. “Where’s your daughter?”
“A neighbour’s watching her. I left something at the pub and walked back. Why were you in here on your own, sitting on the floor?”
“Just . . . I was just . . . just thinking, I guess.”
“About your mum?”
“Yeah. I just feel closest to her here.”
“I can understand that. If I think of your mum, I imagine her here.”
“I keep forgetting you knew her. Is it rude that I don’t remember you?”
“Of course not. You’re what, twenty-eight?”
Liam nodded as he turned the kettle on and grabbed some mugs. He’d make tea. It was the solver of all life’s problems, and instant coffee was something he’d never been able to understand.
“So, you would have been six when I left home. I didn’t visit a lot in my twenties, and then when we had Maisie and visited my parents more, you’d left home by then as well.”
“Did you think you’d end up moving back here?”
“No. I mean, this is the right place for Maisie and me, but it wasn’t part of the plan.”
Liam nodded and got the tea bags out, then poured the boiling water over them before heading to the fridge for milk.
“What about you, Liam? Did you plan to move back here someday?”
“Yeah . . . I just didn’t think it would be so soon.”
His voice cracked, and before he knew what was happening, he was being pulled into a hug by Austin.
It was both comforting and confusing. Did straight guys hug strange men?
Especially ones who were crying, as that’s what was happening right now.
As soon as Austin had put his arms around him, the dam broke and he couldn’t stop the tears falling.
Austin was rubbing his back and just holding him.
It was nice, and Liam couldn’t stop himself from hugging the man tighter.
There was nothing sexual in it at all, even if he could smell Austin’s earthy aftershave.
It was just everything he needed right now.
After what felt like eons, he pulled away and dried his eyes.
He felt a bit embarrassed, so went back to making tea, which would be very strong now, given how long the bag had been stewing.
Austin took two sugars in his tea, which made Liam like him even more.
The guy might have been wearing a thick coat, and he could feel there was solid muscle underneath his layers, but at least he still had a sweet tooth.
That would be a deal-breaker for Liam. Not that Austin was an option for him.
“Let’s grab a seat,” said Austin, taking his mug from Liam.
Liam nodded and followed him, not looking at the solid thighs Austin’s jeans were hugging.
Jesus. What was wrong with him? The guy was providing comfort, and here was Liam, ogling him.
They sat in a booth, Austin sitting opposite him.
Their knees brushed together as they took their seats, and Austin removed his jacket, revealing another plaid shirt that stretched across his broad chest.
“How are you feeling?” asked Austin, his voice soft, the concern clear.
“Sorry for crying on you,” he mumbled, looking at his tea.
“Liam, look at me.”
He looked up. Those eyes were going to be the death of him.
They were so warm, and full of . . . Liam wasn’t sure what the word even was.
It was like . . . compassion, understanding, and heart all in one.
He was going to make some woman very lucky one day.
Liam didn’t see Austin as the sort of guy who would stay a widower for long.
“With everything you’ve been through, and what today was, you have every right to cry. Never be embarrassed about showing your emotions.”
“Yeah, but you don’t really know me . . . and I don’t even . . .”
“Don’t what?”
“No. It’s nothing.”
“Go on. Tell me.”
“I’ve heard all about Maisie, but I don’t even know what she looks like.”
“Oh,” he said, before pulling his phone out of his pocket, scrolling, and then sliding it across to Liam.
He looked at the picture of the beautiful girl. She had a big smile on her face and was holding up a stuffed unicorn. She was in her Heartwood Primary uniform, so it had to be recent.
“How old is she?”
“Eight.”
“She’s beautiful.”
“I know.”
Liam chuckled.
“She got her looks from her mother.”
“She has your eyes, though,” said Liam without thinking.
Before he could say anything to apologise for being inappropriate, Austin smiled at him and took the phone back.
“You should bring her in so I can meet her.”
“I didn’t think you worked in here anymore,” said Austin with a frown.
“I’m here until eight in the morning, and then I do the weekends.”
“When do you rest, Liam?”
“The evenings.”
“What time do you finish your other job? What is it you do?”
“I’m an investment manager for a private equity firm, and I’m usually done by seven o’clock. We have offices on the west coast, so I need to be around for calls in the evening. If we have Singapore, I do those from here, once I’ve got everything in the oven.”
“What time do you start here?” asked Austin with a frown.
“I get here at four o’clock.”
Austin went to say something and then stopped.
“I know I’m overdoing it. You don’t need to get all big brother on me.”
Austin wrinkled his nose, as if he didn’t like Liam referring to him in that way.
“I finish up my corporate job at the end of March, and then I can just focus on the bakery. Once Dad’s ready to come back, he can deal with all the business stuff, and I can focus on baking.”
“So, you’re dealing with all the operations and the baking, and what I’m guessing is a very demanding day job?”
“Yeah, but it’s not for long, and I like to keep busy. Gives me less time to think.”
Austin went to speak again, then stopped. “Will you be here on Saturday?”
Liam noted the subject change, but went with it. He didn’t need a lecture on how much he was overdoing it. Giselle and Henrietta had given him enough earache about it.
“Yes, I’m here all day.”
“Great. I’ll bring Maisie in to meet you on Saturday, then.”