Chapter Eight
Operation Small Town, Day 15
I don’t venture into town for a few days after that.
It’s not often that I put myself in the position to feel embarrassed—I try very hard to keep myself poised at all times. Which is why I don’t drink much. Call me a control freak. And now I know that two (fine, several ) glasses of wine mixed with a hunky dose of Liam Miller definitely makes me feel out of control.
Hence why I’m avoiding him. Super mature, I know, but I don’t need the distraction.
I spend a few days holed up in the house, alternating between working at the dining room table, managing Anne’s panic about Ruby, and attending virtual meetings.
I’m having more fun than I expected putting this idea together for Ruby. With extra time on my hands away from the office, my creativity has been flowing, and sketching ideas for this book has given me a much-needed confidence boost. Being dyslexic has often made me self-conscious, especially in a career centered on reading and writing. Yet, just as I once used speech-to-text in school to craft stories that earned my teacher’s praise, I’ve been able to push my storytelling skills further on this project.
A dyslexic with a knack for writing , I remember a teacher saying once. I smile at the memory. Who would have thought?
In the city, I’m at the office until at least 7 pm every night, so by the time I get home and eat dinner, it’s all I can take to not fall asleep on the couch before I can make it to the bed. Here, I get to enjoy lounging. I’ve already made it through three of the small-town books Elle sent me. I’m officially a small-town aficionado.
Just finished Love It or Like It by Bailey Bishop and I have officially hit my small-town groove. Two weeks in mountain paradise and I have to admit I have love on the brain (and not just because it’s my job). Lately, I’ve been in a love/hate relationship with love. Anyone who has been on a dating app recently can probably relate. I love romance novels because I love the portrayal of love, but I’m having the hardest time believing in the real thing. Do you know a couple whose story could be the inspiration for a romance novel? Tell me about it in the comments!
Posts like this always get the most comments on my page. People tend to relate to my cynicism, even though they are romance readers like me. It can sometimes feel reassuring, but I also have a hard time believing that other people are really going through what I am going through.
This is how it happens for me: I start talking to a guy, usually on an app because no one meets in person anymore, and I get my hopes up. I start picturing how our romance novel-life would unfold. I’m convinced that most people do the same thing, even if they don’t work in romance. Given that my day job involves happily-ever-afters, it’s not such a stretch that I can’t help but picture my own.
Usually, my hopes are squashed by the guy not answering my messages, bailing on plans to meet up, or never texting again after we have. It’s demoralizing. I really try to give men the benefit of the doubt, but I don’t understand why they make it so hard. We’re all looking for the same thing, right? Someone to spend time with? Have fun, make a connection, and fill up some of that loneliness that we all feel? If that’s true, then why am I still stuck in this cycle? Have the books I adore set an unrealistic expectation for me?
I’m sitting on the deck one morning, editing, when my phone vibrates, the sound startling me. It’s so quiet here.
Elle: Help!
Lucy: Yes?
Elle: You know the scene in Friends , like waaaayy in the first season, when Monica dates that guy Allan that everyone loves?
Lucy: Of course.
Elle: You know how they say that the size of a man’s whozawhatsa is the same as the length from his pointer finger to his thumb?
Elle—the woman who edits erotica but also uses terms like whozawhatsa.
Lucy: I’m so excited to see where this is going.
Elle: Well, I have an author who wants to use that theory but I’m not sure if it’s true.
Lucy: Ask one of our male colleagues.
Lucy: Oh wait, we work in publishing. The only man there is the CEO.
Elle: Bitterness not helping, Lucy.
Lucy: Google it? I personally do not have any experience to prove that theory.
Elle: Damn.
I chuckle and put my phone down on the table beside me, turning as I hear a voice coming from the side of the yard.
“Mia, get back over here!”
I hold my hand over my eyes to shade the glare from the sun, just as a small child appears on the gravel path next to the deck. She can’t be more than four or five and has pin-straight blonde hair and a familiar face. It doesn’t take long for me to realize why her face is so familiar. I’ve seen those blue eyes before. I saw them in my dreams last night.
“Mia, you cannot run away from me like that!” Jill rounds the corner of the house, a large bag slung over her shoulder, sunglasses falling off her face, her hair blowing in her eyes from the breeze off the lake. The troublemaker in question, Mia, shows no remorse, and instead smiles when she sees me on the deck. I stand up and make my way to the railing, apprehensive about interrupting the scolding Mia is about to get.
“Mia, when we get out of the car, you must hold my hand. That is a street, there could have been cars!” Jill puts her face very close to the little girl’s, and the tension in her voice is palpable. I can tell this woman is having a day. And it’s only ten in the morning.
Jill turns in my direction, pushing her hair back off her face and fixing her sunglasses on her nose. “I am so sorry, Lucy,” she says, taking Mia’s hand.
“No worries! Everything okay?” I ask, feeling a little bad for Jill. She is visibly stressed.
“Yeah, just kids, you know?” I don’t, but I nod my head anyway. “This is Mia,” she adds, gesturing to the little girl currently attached to her hip.
“Very nice to meet you,” I say with a smile. “Are you guys doing something fun today?” I ask in my best talking-to-children voice.
“We’re going on the boat,” Mia replies, her voice high-pitched and squeaky. She sounds like Minnie Mouse.
“Wow, that’s fun,” I say.
“Hey, why don’t you join us, Lucy?” Jill asks, readjusting her bag on her shoulder.
“Oh no, I wouldn’t want to intrude.”
“Nonsense. You have any plans?”
“Well, I—” can’t think of anything quickly enough , I finish in my head.
“We’re just going out for a bit. It will be fun. Meet us across the street in a few minutes,” she instructs, dragging Mia away before I can reply.
Across the street. At her brother’s house. To go on her brother’s boat. The brother who saw me dancing around in my underwear the other night.
Great .
I consider calling after her and making up some excuse, but I decide it’ll be good for me to do something outside my comfort zone. And really, I’d be lying to myself if I didn’t want to see Liam again. Slippery slope, I know.
I throw a bathing suit on under my short set and walk over to Liam’s house about ten minutes later. When I knock on the front door, I’m immediately met with barking. Deep, loud barking that makes me jump a little bit. I hear a muffled version of Liam’s voice commanding the dog to sit and stay before he opens the door. When he sees me, his familiar skeptical scowl appears across his face.
“What did I tell you? She can’t help but accost the new people,” he says, referring to his sister.
“I heard that!” Jill calls from inside the house.
“Come on in,” Liam says, stepping aside. I step into the foyer, which doesn’t look all too different from the rental, apart for the staircase. Blue moseys over to me and puts his weight against my legs.
“Well, hello to you too,” I coo, scratching behind his ears. When Blue and I have finished our greeting, we follow Liam into the house.
To the left of the staircase is a dining room and to the right, a living room. From the front door, I can see all the way to the back of the house, which is lined with floor-to-ceiling windows. The décor is not all that different from his restaurant. It’s a farmhouse style with white shiplap walls and bright wood floors. I follow Liam into the kitchen, which is breathtaking. The counters are white marble and stretch around every wall of the room. There is a gigantic island in the middle of the room with a large farmhouse sink. All the finishes are copper which makes the kitchen look so upscale. Well, that and the industrial stove and custom wood vent hood.
“I feel like I’m on an episode of Fixer Upper ,” I mumble, taking in every inch of the space. Liam snorts.
“I’m sure that’s exactly what my sister was going for,” he says.
“She designed this for you?”
“I did,” Jill says confidently, rounding the corner from the kitchen to greet me.
“It’s stunning,” I say. Her smile brightens.
“Jill is a decorator,” Liam explains. Jill eyes him. “Sorry, interior designer or some shit,” Liam amends.
Jill rolls her eyes before turning and steering Robbie toward the bathroom. Liam shrugs. “Can I get you a drink, Lucy?” he asks.
“Sure. Water is fine.” He moves swiftly through the kitchen, grabbing me a glass. I take the moment to look around the rest of the living room. There is a large, plush sectional and a stone fireplace that touches to the ceiling. The chunky wood mantle is lined with picture frames of Liam and Jill, the twins, and two older people who faintly resemble all four of them. Their parents, I assume. I can’t help but notice how much Liam resembles his mother. I hear him humming as he strolls around the kitchen. I turn to meet him and take a moment to really study him. I’ve never noticed the freckle beneath his right eye, or the dimple that appears in his cheek when he lifts one side of his mouth up.
When I first saw Liam, I thought it was hilarious that there was actually a tall, blonde, handsome man living across the street from me, like there would be in an actual small-town romance book. But he’s so much more than a trope. I’m ashamed that I let myself prejudge him based on his looks.
“This is unbelievable!” Jill screeches as she comes out of the bathroom. Robbie has been changed into a rash guard and adorable swim trunks. I catch a glimpse of Mia on the couch, already dressed in a Paw Patrol bathing suit.
“What’s the matter?” Liam asks, handing me a glass of water. When our fingers touch there’s a short twinge of static electricity between us. Liam stares at our hands for a moment, before turning his attention back to his sister, shaking his head.
“That was work. I have to run over there,” she says, tapping away angrily on her phone.
Oh no .
Thank goodness I have the resolve not to say that out loud.
But seriously, no . No freaking way.
“I’m sorry, Liam, but can you watch the twins?” Jill asks, an air of disappointment in her voice. Part of me feels bad. Maybe she was looking forward to spending this time with her brother and kids. But then why did she drag me into it?
“Of course, Jill, but your job—”
“—seriously sucks, I know,” Jill finishes, rolling her eyes. “Lucy, I’m so sorry I have to run, but please stay.”
“Oh no, I couldn’t possibly—”
“You could,” Liam says, the deep tenor of his voice surprising.
Jill and I both stop to look at him. He shifts his gaze between us quickly and widens his eyes. “Stay, that is. You could stay and come out on the boat with us.”
His voice is choppy and awkward, but astute in his desire. My stomach does a bit of a flip-flop at the way Liam looks at me, and while his eyes are scorching me, my heart quickens at the realization that Liam wants me here. Wants to spend time with me.
Jill apologizes again and explains to the kids that she’ll be back in a few hours. Before we know it, she’s out the door and I somehow find myself in Liam’s kitchen, alone with him and two small children, wondering how I got here.
Man, this day took a turn.
“Are you Uncle Liam’s girlfriend?” Mia asks, leaning against my legs. She clearly has the same personal boundary issues that her brother does.
“Well, I’ve only known him for a few days, so, no ma’am,” I say, looking up at Liam.
“I have a boyfriend. His name is Kyle. We’re going to get married,” she explains, each of her words mumbled by the most adorable lisp.
“Congratulations. Don’t rush into anything, though.”
“He gives me his pudding every day at snack time. I have to marry him,” she says, matter-of-factly.
“I completely understand,” I say with a laugh. “Good for you. A girl with standards.”
I turn around to see Liam piling things on the counter while Robbie patters his bare feet around the kitchen island, very much getting in his uncle’s way. “What can I take?” I ask, trying to be useful instead of just watching these events unfold in front of me. I can already see this scene in the book. Maybe the hero will be an uncle, or a single dad. This would be a great moment for the reader to learn more about his backstory. Romance readers also love their heroes with kids, it’s catnip.
“Can you take the twins’ bag? Jill packs enough for them to stay a whole weekend, not a few hours,” Liam says, gesturing to the bag on the couch.
“Sounds like a classic mom move,” I joke, swinging the bag over my shoulder.
Liam quickly looks at his phone. “She just texted me to make sure I put sunscreen on them. I know the children need sunscreen, Jillian, I’ve been doing this for four years now,” Liam says, aggravated.
“You sound like you could be their father,” I say, and then cringe at myself. “That didn’t come out right.” Liam purses his lips and shakes his head.
“I’m getting used to that from you,” he says, rolling his eyes.
“Is their dad not in the picture?” I can’t help but ask. Liam makes sure the twins are on the deck before he answers.
“We haven’t seen him since the twins were born,” he says, emotionless, although I can sense the anger behind his eyes.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”
“It’s okay.” Liam closes the last coolers and takes them off the counter. I follow him to the backdoor as he continues. “Jill has had a rough go of it, so me and the town, we kind of take care of her,” he explains. I nod and Liam opens the sliding door to where the twins are waiting on the deck.
“Let’s do it, people!” he yells, raising the coolers in the air. He’s met with adorable screams. I laugh out loud at the cuteness in front of me.
Liam’s yard backs up to a canal, like mine, except there are no houses on the other side of the shore. He has a clear view of a wooded area and overgrown seagrass. The mountains in the distance make the view resemble a screensaver.
Liam and his infectious laughter follow me. When I turn around, the air catches in my throat.
Liam is not wearing a shirt.
Sound the freaking alarm. Liam. Is. Not. Wearing. A. Shirt.
He’s bent over, searching for something in a storage cabinet of the dock. On the side of his body closest to me, I see his obliques squeeze with every small movement. With every breath the large muscle that wraps around his back slides back and forth. When he turns closer to me, I have to swallow when I see his abs.
“What?” Liam asks, his brows furrowed in concern. I must have a shocked look on my face. My expressions are almost as incriminating as the words that sometimes blurt out of my mouth.
He stands upright and faces me. The sight of his defined pecs and flawless nipples nearly knocks me over. Wow, when did I become such a lightweight about hot guys? Pull it together, Lucy.
“The boat,” I say, trying to recover. “It’s really impressive.”
Liam shrugs. “Nah, it’s just a little speedboat. You’ll see some nice ones once we get out on the water,” he grins as he hands me a life jacket to put on Mia. I kneel down and slip Mia’s small arms through the holes, and she plays with my braid as I buckle her in. I can’t help but giggle in her presence.
“Let’s go!” Mia squeals as I finish with her life jacket. As I turn around, I notice that Liam put one on both Robbie and Blue. Blue’s jacket is camo and he looks at me like an embarrassed kid being tortured by his parent. The look in his eyes says, “ I am a cool dog. I have a reputation to maintain .” I snap a quick photo of him in his seat at the front of the boat. I don’t want to forget this moment. The hero in Ruby’s book is definitely going to have an adorable dog, no question.
“Can he not swim?” I ask Liam.
“Of course he can,” he scoffs, feigning insult. “But safety first.” I’m better able to focus when he talks now, because he’s replaced his previously bare torso with a long-sleeve shirt.
He takes my hand as I step onto the boat and sit in the seat next to him. The twins jump on the bench seats in the front of the boat. Mia plops herself right next to Blue and throws her arm around him. I like that kid.
Liam lets the boat idle as he leads us out of the canal. As we travel farther north (or south, or east, or west, it could really be any of the above), I notice that the houses on the shoreline become scarcer. Instead of docks and stairs leading up to cabins and multi-level homes, the houses become more spread apart before fading entirely. The number of boats in the water also decreases, and soon only a few anchored boats remain.
Liam’s blonde hair whips in the wind, and I take this moment to admire his profile as he stands and looks over the windscreen.
“Are we there yet?” Mia asks, her bare feet pitter-pattering on the carpet floor.
“You bet,” Liam says, shutting off the engine. “Who wants to go tubing?”
The twins shriek in unison.
“I think we have to let Lucy go first,” he says, flashing me a coy smile.
“I’m sorry, what?” I ask, surprised to hear my name.
“Yeah! Lucy, go! Go!” I’m met with squeals of joy as little hands shake my legs.
I glare at Liam.
“You don’t want to try it?” Liam asks.
“Oh, well, I don’t know,” I say hesitantly.
“Don’t tell me Miss Big-City Girl is scared of a little lake water?” Liam accuses, the teasing tone of his voice too cute to be annoying.
“I never said I was scared,” I quip.
“It’s okay if you are. I happen to know a four-year-old who could show you how it’s done.” Liam flashes Robbie a devilish grin.
“Hey, who you calling four , mister?” Robbie yells. “I am four-and-a-half and you know it!” He points a chubby little finger at Liam.
“I am so sorry. Please forgive me,” Liam responds in a serious tone, begging Robbie with his hands.
“Just this one time,” Robbie says, climbing up on the captain’s chair. “I forgive you,” he says, patting a hand on each of this uncle’s shoulders like he is knighting him.
“So, are you up for it?” Liam asks, turning his attention back to me.
“Well, if I want to save face in front of this harsh little rabble, then I guess so,” I say, standing up.
Liam hands me a life jacket, and I hesitate before undressing into just my bikini. I’m not uncomfortable in my body, but I’m also not all about flaunting it either. I let my shorts drop down to the ground and feel even more uncomfortable with kids watching. Liam averts his gaze, turning around to fiddle with something on the boat’s control panel. I opt to keep my tank top on, and quickly buckle the lifejacket Liam handed me.
“Where do you want me, Captain?” I ask, instantly regretting it.
Liam blinks and shakes his head like he cannot believe I just said that.
“There are so many answers to that question, it’s so hard to pick just one,” Liam says, a wicked grin splitting his face.
“Oh, come on,” I say dismissively, both to Liam and to the butterflies wreaking havoc in my belly. I turn on my heel and carefully make my way to the back of the boat. Liam follows behind me. He grabs the tube that is lassoed to the side of the boat and props it against the edge, next to the engine. Then he holds his hand out to me.
“On you go.”
The tube is more like a float, instead of a donut, so I figure I might not look that ridiculous. I try to be optimistic as I grab Liam’s large hand and hoist myself up on to the seat at the back of the boat.
“Lay down and hold on to those handles there, alright?” Robbie instructs, pointing to the float.
“Shouldn’t I be in the water?” I ask, becoming more hesitant about this endeavor.
“I’ll push the tube in once you’re on it,” Liam says amusedly. “Which I hope you manage to do sometime this year,” he adds.
I glare at him and the side of his mouth picks up. “Shut up,” I say with a laugh.
I lay down on the float and grab onto the handles. My feet dangle off the back and I’m suddenly nervous something might bite them.
“What lives in this water— ahh !” Liam gives the tube a firm shove and off it goes, thrusting me into the lake.
I squeal when the water flows onto the tube and pools around my body. I screech as I try to lift myself up to avoid the freezing water, but I quickly realize that is one surefire way to flip over.
“ Shit !”
“Lucy!” Liam scolds. Mia giggles at his side.
“— take mushrooms!” I add, still squealing from the icy water pooling under my belly.
“Ready?” Mia calls in a sweet voice as I drift further away from the boat. I lift one arm away from the float and give her a thumbs up. Liam flashes one back at me and turns toward the controls, slowly increasing the boat’s speed. He kindly starts off slow, so I smoothly follow the boat in a calm wake. Just as I’m getting into position to truly admire his backside from this angle, he picks up speed.
I hear giggling and clapping as the front of the tube is thrust into the air. I tighten my grip on the handles and shriek as water sprays in my face. Liam swings the boat right and left, creating a bumpier wake which my vessel bounces over. Every time I screech, I hear an echo of childish glee from the back of the boat. After a few moments, I adjust to the sensation and rapidly let go with one hand to push the hair and wipe the water from my face. Once I do, I feel a sense of adrenaline that I was not expecting.
“Woo!” I yell, feeling the wind against my face as Liam drives straight and goes even faster than before. In the calmer wake, I garner the courage to tuck my knees under me and kneel on the float, holding on to the handles on the side. I laugh at the distant sight of Mia and Robbie jumping with joy on the boat.
I am flying, I am soaring, I am free.