Chapter Nine
We’re out on the boat for hours. The twins take turns on the tube, and even try to ride together one time, which ended with a near rescue mission to fetch Robbie, who somehow flew off the tube. We snacked on tuna fish sandwiches, which I mentioned was in very poor taste, considering the setting. That got me into the lovely position of explaining to Mia where tuna comes from. I’m pretty sure I scarred her for life.
Back at the house, we quickly get the twins—and Blue—washed off in Liam’s outdoor shower. It’s after 4 pm, and Jill should be back soon to pick them up so he can head to the restaurant. Once they’re changed into dry clothes, Liam sets them up with Finding Nemo in the living room. I take the opportunity to go onto the deck and remove my wet tank top. Just as I wring it out over the balcony, I hear the sliding door open behind me.
“Here, take this,” Liam says, handing me a black shirt.
“Oh, that’s okay,” I say, shaking out my sad, wrinkled tank top. Goosebumps appear on my arms from the breeze off the lake. I could run across the street and grab a new shirt, but of course, Liam’s offer is much more enticing.
“It’s fine. I have about a hundred of them.” Liam opens the shirt, and I see it’s the same “Liz’s” T-shirt that the staff at the restaurant wear. I smile as I accept it.
“I’m making coffee, want some?” Liam asks.
“Yeah, that would be great.”
“Two sugars and a splash of milk?” he adds as I follow him inside.
“How did you know that?” I don’t even bother masking my surprise.
“Trick of the trade. I can tell a person’s coffee order just by looking at them,” he says with a wink.
“That’s such a lie. You just guess and hope for the best.” I shake my head.
“Well, you’ll never really know, will you?”
I join the kids on the couch, who are both sprawled over Blue who lays in between them. Mia has her head on his shoulder and is using him like a pillow, while Robbie has his small legs thrown over Blue’s back, dangling over Mia’s head. It’s quite a scene. Blue looks miserable, but I can tell he secretly loves it.
I hear the coffee machine whirring to life and can’t help but think that Liam and I have made some serious progress today. He only grunted once or twice, I think because he couldn’t hide behind his rigid facade in front of the kids. But I have only known him for a couple of weeks, so I’m trying not to push it. And as much as I loathe the idea of being part of a coincidental setup—I do believe Jill had to go to work—today gave me a chance to learn more about Liam. He is actually just a big goofball, especially with the kids. Part of me can’t wait to get back to the house so I can jot down some notes for a potential hero for Ruby’s book.
When Liam emerges from the kitchen with two mugs, he nods his head toward the back door. I open it for him and follow him outside.
“Blue is like the fun uncle who puts up with the kids just because he knows they’re not staying for good,” I say as I shut the door behind us.
“Ha!” Liam laughs, setting down two mugs on the table in the middle of two Adirondack chairs. “I’m the fun uncle, he’s like the grumpy old granddad who denies he’s had any fun but who loves those kids to death.”
“He definitely does.” I plop down in one of the chairs and take in the view. In the distance, behind the mountain peaks, the clouds are starting to gather. I think for a moment there’s going to be a rainbow, but when I look again it’s not purple I see on the edge of the clouds, it’s a darker gray. The crescent moon sits just at the edge of the clouds, the edges of which are sticking out like the fingers on a hand. One part of the sky looks like a completely different world from the other—one side bright blue, the other getting darker by the second.
Or maybe it’s just my imagination.
I take a quick photo of the landscape, trying to subdue my urge to type a note into my phone about the structure of the clouds. I must have writing on the brain; I haven’t felt this inclined to write about nature in a while.
“View keeps getting better, huh?” Liam says, taking a sip of his coffee.
“That’s an understatement,” I say.
“Do you actually like living in the city?”
I pause, taking in Liam’s question. I don’t think anyone’s ever asked me that before. I try to recall my parents’ reactions when I first moved, but nothing comes to mind.
“It comes with its challenges,” I reply. I draw my legs up beneath me and rest my head in my hand. I can’t help but admire Liam and his sun-kissed skin, sat against this dreamy backdrop of the lake and the sky.
“That was a very diplomatic answer,” Liam says, a curious tone in his voice.
I sigh. Can he see right through me? Am I that much of an open book? I never thought my face was as revealing as the words that come out of my mouth, but Liam seems to be able to pick up on my every expression.
“It’s very different from where I grew up, which I like. And it’s where my job is,” I add.
“And you love your job,” Liam responds quickly, a hint of skepticism in his voice.
“Of course,” I say with a nod. I’m caught off guard by Liam’s question, a question that surprisingly strikes a nerve. Since coming here, I’ve realized that living in Manhattan puts me in a bubble. I’m so accustomed to having everything I need—or think I need—within a five-minute walk of my apartment that I’ve forgotten that there are other ways to live. Admittedly, I’ve been enjoying the slower pace of Hudson Hollow, the beautiful views, and the peace and quiet.
I keep my eyes on the lake to avoid Liam’s intense gaze—this setting is entirely too romantic for me to be caught staring at him. As much as I hate to admit it to myself, I'm far too interested in him. And I shouldn’t be, can’t be. I’m only here for a short time, and I’m here to do a job. I can’t let any potential feelings for Liam, or whatever this is, jeopardize that.
Research. Small town. Cast of characters. Stay focused, Lucy. Don’t look directly into those perfect blue eyes.
“So, Jill’s a single parent. That must be tough,” I say, hoping he’ll accept the change in subject.
Liam takes a sip of his coffee before he speaks. I tilt my head to read his expression and catch myself tracing the stubble along his jaw, wrapping around his lips. He’s changed out of his boating attire and is back to his usual jeans and “Liz’s” shirt look, only he’s paired it with a collared plaid shirt. He looks like the lakeside version of a lumberjack, complete with the five o’clock shadow and the luscious hair that falls just below his ear.
“It is, but she works hard to hide how much she’s struggling. For herself, for the family, for the twins.”
“What about your parents? Do they get babysitting duty too?” I say with half a smile.
“My dad does what he can, but he’s been in rough shape since my mom passed,” Liam’s voice tapers off at the end of his sentence. He turns and looks over the railing, his gaze fixed on something in the distance. We’re silent for a few moments, long enough for a warm breeze to send the brush across the canal rustling like a wave.
“I’m so sorry,” I start, my voice cracking. “I shouldn’t have asked.”
Liam puts his hand up and quickly pats his knee. “Don’t be. How could you know?” He pauses. “She died last year, colon cancer.” My heart drops. “By the time we knew something was wrong, it was too late. It was very quick.”
“Liz was her name, wasn’t it?” I ask, already knowing the answer by the look in Liam’s eyes.
“Elizabeth, yeah,” he replies with a soft smile.
I don’t want to say “I’m sorry” again. I am sorry, of course, but I feel like that is the last thing people want to hear when they are grieving. I don’t want to be generic, or come across as disingenuous. I want Liam to know that his pain is palpable, and that I truly feel for him.
“Do you think about her a lot?” I ask.
Liam is surprised by my question. He nods slowly, his eyes boring into me. “Every time I look at the lake,” he says.
“I lost my grandparents in high school. I was really close with my grandfather. I looked for him everywhere too, just to find that one thing that would remind me of him every day. It makes missing him hurt just a little bit less.”
Liam looks out over the water again. “She loved the lake. She loved Hudson Hollow, she never wanted to go anywhere else.” A smile spreads across his face as he speaks, and I don’t think he realizes how tender it is.
I take a deep breath before I say anything. “You hide it well,” I say softly. “That you’re suffering, I mean. I’m guessing you and Jill have that in common.”
Liam nods and gives me a thin-lipped smile. “Today is a good day. I have bad ones too. But you… you made today easier.”
I match Liam’s intense gaze and restrain myself from reaching out to touch him. I think back to when I took his hand on the boat. It wasn’t the usual touch and spark that I read about in my books. It was a warm comfort that fell over me like a cloud. The kind that made me think, why have I never held this hand before now ?
Just as I’m about to respond, Liam’s phone rings. He looks at it quickly. “That’s Jill, she’s on her way.” I nod and we both stand up in unison. I turn and walk into the house before I pull a classic Lucy and make an awkward joke to cut the tension.
I help Liam get the kids packed up. Mia tells me that today was the “mostest” fun and she hopes it’s not a “bajillion” years until she sees me again. She even gives me a hug before I leave. Robbie grunts at me when I say goodbye. Apples and trees.
That night, I’m curled up on the couch, wearing the T-shirt Liam gave me which I put back on after my shower. Even though it doesn’t smell like him—this shirt smells like it just came out of a cardboard box—I still find myself wanting to wear it. It doesn’t help with the feeling of guilt in the pit of my stomach as I speak the details of my day into my notes on my computer.
After an hour, I have a few lakeside meet-cute scenes sketched out, my favorite one is where the two love interests meet after a jet ski collision in the middle of the lake. I smile reading it over, but my smile quickly fades when I realize the hero I’m visualizing in my head has blonde hair that falls to his ears and a laugh that echoes from his chest.
I’m going to have to change that.