Chapter 12
Liam pulled the vehicle into the furniture store parking lot. Addyson peered over at Liam as uncertainty filled her.
“Come on, we got this,” Liam encouraged as he got out and came around to her side.
Grabbing her purse, Addyson walked to the entrance. Liam’s comforting hand on her back helped calm her nerves. Sam always made the decisions, telling her too many choices always made her anxious.
Liam took her hand, avoiding the salespeople, and veered right toward the living room furniture.
“What’s your favorite color?” he asked.
“Blue,” she said as she stopped to examine a couch.
“Go sit on it. You can’t tell if you like it by staring at the price tag,” he teased.
“It’s expensive,” she said, scrunching her nose at the price tag.
“I believe you have a check to cover it,” Liam reminded her. “Think of it as an investment. It’s something you’ll use practically every day. It must be large enough to support Zeus and you while you watch some sappy dog movie.”
Addyson giggled. “Then count this one out. I don’t think you can even fit on this and be comfortable.”
“Way to make a man feel special,” he playfully grumbled as he went to sit on the furniture. “Getting used as a fill-in for your horse of a dog.”
“You’re the one giving the advice,” she said, smiling. “I’m ruling this as a no.”
“Good choice. It’s too hard.” Liam rose and took her hand, heading toward a big plush sectional. “What about this? You can stretch your legs, and Zeus will have room,” he suggested.
Addyson gingerly sat on it and bounced, testing the seat’s feel. Liam sat beside her and pressed her back against the back cushions.
“Relax,” he gently ordered. “Can you picture this in your living room?”
“It’s comfortable,” she hedged. “Zeus can have the longer section to watch TV with me.”
Liam rose and sprawled out on the longer section, showing her the size.
“Shoot. I didn’t take any measurements,” she said, running her hand over the fabric.
“I have them here. The veterans thought they might come in handy,” he said, pulling out his phone. “If you get this, you’ll have room for two more chairs.”
Addyson bit her lip as she rose from the couch. Her eyes scanned the area, finding the recliners. “I’ve always wanted one of those heated chair recliners with massage. Maybe I can get one of those,” she confessed.
“You can get two if you want. Leo has one in his office for when he’s taking a nap with Derrick,” Liam told her as he led her toward the chairs.
“I think it’s sweet how he takes an active role in his kid’s life.
He does things on a larger scale than most, but his heart is in the right place,” she said as she inspected the chairs.
She sat in two and shook her head. A plush, cream-colored one caught her eye.
Walking toward it, she checked the tag and sat.
“It has a remote,” Liam said, handing her the attached device.
She pushed a button, closed her eyes, and sighed. “Oh, this feels like heaven.”
“It has three heat levels and three cooling. You can set it up for automatic adjustments, and it will remember your favorite setting.” Liam read the label.
“This will fit great right beside the fireplace while I read,” she said thoughtfully.
“Let me try,” Liam teased. “You can’t tell me Zeus won’t sit in it.”
Laughing, she rose from the seat and let Liam try it out. “Yep, you’re right. You’ve made it easy to picture my baby sitting there.”
“Grrr,” Liam growled, making her giggle more.
“Do you want to take a stroll before making a decision? We can go to another store if you’re not happy with this selection,” he reminded her.
“It’s wise to take a stroll around before deciding,” she agreed.
They walked around the store comparing materials and prices.
“Hi, I’m Jack. How can I help you today?” a salesman asked, watching the two of them.
“We’re comparing furniture,” Liam explained. “If you’ll give us a few more minutes, we’ll find you when we’re ready or if we have questions.”
“What about this one, Liam?” Addyson asked as she sat on a darker blue couch with a large cushion, which moved to either end.
Liam gazed at her and then at the furniture. “It has its advantages. You can move the footrest to either end or even in the middle to hold a tray of snacks,” he suggested.
“It’s comfortable. Will you sit next to me? Zeus usually lies his head in my lap, but I don’t know if it’s wide enough,” she said, studying it.
Approaching the couch, Liam stretched out and placed his head in her lap. “It’s quite comfortable, and it fits me.”
Addyson’s hand went to his head, and she stroked his brown hair, peering down at him. “Do you think it’ll last with Zeus?”
“I’ve only met him a few days ago, but he seems trained. As long as you’re not wrestling him for his ball, I think you’ll be fine,” he moaned. “If you keep stroking my head, I’ll be fighting Zeus for his spot.”
“I like this,” she said quietly.
“Me, too,” Liam whispered, staring up at her.
Addyson stroked along the side of his head and his scruff, enjoying the feeling.
Sam always shaved his, hating an untidy appearance.
Yet on Liam, it made him appear sexy. His full lips seemed soft, and she longed to run her finger over his lip to see if he might nip at her.
She liked his playfulness. Sam tended to stay serious most of the time.
Addyson stopped herself, realizing she compared the two men.
“Where’s the salesman? I want to order this couch and the recliner,” she said, trying to rise. Liam sat up and watched her closely.
“What about the other chair?”
“I’ll get it later. This will get me started,” she said, waving to Jack.
“Don’t you want to finish the tour?” he asked.
“No. I like this,” she assured him. “I need to pick up some dishes and new glasses.”
“We’ll eat some lunch and then visit the other stores. Unless you ate in town, you’ve eaten a donut and a cup of coffee,” Liam said as he stood to the side, letting Jack into the small space.
“Do you know if you have this couch in stock? I’m also interested in the cream recliner with heat and massage,” she told the man.
“Let me pull it up on my computer, and I’ll check the warehouse. Do you need it by a specific time?”
“No. I’m not in any rush, but I’d like to have an idea of the soonest delivery date,” she explained.
Jack walked away, leaving them alone.
“What about a kitchen table?” Liam asked. “The idiot took a knife to the top and slashed the chair cushions.”
“I never sit in the kitchen. It can wait until some other time,” she said, waiting for Jack.
“All right. What sounds good for lunch? What about Mexican food? I know a good ramen place a few blocks down,” he suggested.
“Mexican sounds great,” she said as Jack hurried over to them.
“It’s in stock. We can deliver the two pieces tomorrow afternoon,” Jack informed her.
“Oh, great,” she murmured. “I’ll take them.”
She followed Jack over to his desk and waited while he processed the order and scheduled delivery. Handing him her credit card, she signed the paperwork, feeling giddy at picking out something of her own.
A few minutes later, Liam drove them to a small Mexican restaurant and led her to a secluded table toward the back, where he sat against the wall.
“What’s the matter? You’ve barely said anything since we got into the SUV,” Liam asked her after the waitress took their orders.
“I guess the last couple of days finally caught up to me,” she lied, glancing away. In truth, she enjoyed shopping with Liam. Unlike Sam, he asked for her opinion, encouraged her to make choices, and seemed relaxed. Part of her felt guilty for comparing the two of them.
Between the car searching and the furniture buying, Addyson realized how regimented her life with Sam had become. He determined where they lived, kept a minimal household due to their frequent transfers, and chose items such as cars and furniture without her input.
“Addy?” Liam waved his hand in front of her face.
“I’m sorry,” she said, letting out a little laugh. “I’m afraid my brain shut down.”
Frowning, Liam gazed at her. “Does your head bother you?”
“No,” she assured him. “I’ve made more decisions these past few days than I have in my entire medical career. It has me off kilter.”
“Didn’t you and Sam discuss things when you deployed or before he did?” Liam asked, confused.
“We deployed at different times. As you know, SEALs can be gone for months or return in a week. Since he managed the moves, I let him make most of the decisions. It didn’t seem fair for me to dictate what to purchase when he used it most of the time.
When I took a month’s leave, we’d travel or visit family. ”
His brows knitted together. “What about this house? Sam died before you moved there, didn’t he?”
Addyson bit her thumbnail. “Yes. I didn’t need to decide on anything. I brought most of our things with me.”
The waitress set a taco salad before her and passed Liam a platter of burritos, rice, and fried beans.
“Your intruder destroyed more than half of your stuff. It’s a good time to think about things you like and might enjoy,” he encouraged. “Zeus will like the new couch you picked. I can already see him cuddled at your feet.”
Addyson grinned. “He’s my baby.”
“Did you and Sam want kids?” he asked, taking a bite of his food.
“We were trying to have a baby when he got killed,” she said sadly.
“Hey,” Liam said softly. “I didn’t mean to bring up old memories. You’ve experienced enough the last couple of days without me drudging up more.”
“It’s fine,” she murmured. “I wanted to have a piece of him to remember him by. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out.”
“Where shall we go for your new dishes?” he said, changing the subject. She let out a relieved sigh, not wanting to talk about the man she loved with all her heart.
“There’s a store on Market Street. They always have stuff with vibrant colors. Do you mind going there?” she asked, tearing off a piece of her taco shell.
“We’ll go there first,” he said, taking another bite.