Chapter 6
Let Him Cook
? Stay a little longer - Brothers Osborne
Ruby
“Dad? Why is Ruby Lynn Hayes sleeping on the couch?”
My head lolls against the pillow, and I slowly blink my eyes open.
Sunlight filters in through massive picture windows, momentarily blinding me.
Once everything comes into focus, I don’t recognize my surroundings.
Before I can try to make sense of it, the faint smell of bacon hits my nostrils, and my stomach growls at the prospect of food.
“Shhh. Come here, buddy. We don’t want to wake her.”
Liam.
“Too late,” he says.
I tilt my head in the direction of the voice, and a set of piercing green eyes is staring straight into my soul. “Hi.”
Propping myself against the arm of the couch, I glance around what I can only assume is Liam’s house and return my gaze to Aiden, who is standing near the massive reclaimed wood coffee table.
“Good morning,” I murmur.
“Hungry? Dad’s making breakfast.”
“Oh, I’m ok. I don’t want to intrude on your time with your dad.”
“Get in here, Ruby,” Liam calls from somewhere behind me.
Aiden holds out his hand, offering to help me off the couch. It’s almost comical. He’s small, and even a fraction of my weight would pull him down. Instead, I scoot my butt to the edge of the cushion and stand of my own volition. Taking his hand in mine, I let him guide me through the living room.
To say Liam’s house belongs in a magazine would be an understatement. It’s modest in size, but the vaulted ceilings, deep earthy tones, and black accents lend to the overall warmth of the home.
Aiden pulls me through two antique doors into a gorgeous kitchen with black cabinets and butcher block countertops.
It’s not the architecture that steals my breath—it’s the man standing at the stainless steel stove holding a spatula.
He’s wearing nothing but an apron and a pair of low-slung grey sweatpants.
His muscled back is on full display, along with a significant portion of his chest, finally answering the niggling question of whether his tattoos travel anywhere else on his body.
An intricately detailed pair of wings peek out from the apron, and it’s clear there’s more hidden beneath.
Liam clears his throat, interrupting my shameless perusal. “Do you still like your eggs scrambled like a child, or have you evolved in the last ten years?” he asks wryly.
There’s a sassy retort on the tip of my tongue, but I’m spared the effort as Aiden leaps to my rescue. “Hey! Scrambled eggs are the best.”
Liam’s lips tip into a slight smile as he looks at his son, and the pride I see there is almost overwhelming. Liam Murphy is beautiful. Liam Murphy as a dad is downright bad for my heart. “Sorry, buddy. You’re right.”
“I’m with Aiden on this one. Do you have any—”
“Shredded cheese?”
Heat creeps up my neck as Liam steals the words from my mouth.
I tilt my head to one side and smirk. “Do you remember everything?”
“When it comes to you? Yes.”
The statement is so matter-of-fact, I can’t even wrap my head around its meaning.
“Sit, Ruby. Breakfast will be ready soon.” Liam points his spatula at the island.
Aiden is already waiting patiently for his meal, but I’m still frozen on the spot, gaping at the gorgeous man who’s cooking for me.
Aiden stands and pulls out the stool directly beside him, his wide smile melting my heart. “Here. You can sit with me!”
“Thanks, little man.” I return his smile and slide into the seat. “Such a gentleman.”
Liam passes me a cup of coffee, and our fingers brush as I reach for the handle. Is he doing it on purpose? Maybe it’s my subconscious giving in to my every impulse to touch him.
“Two creams and an ungodly amount of sugar?” I ask, already knowing the answer.
“Of course,” he says. “Wouldn’t dream of giving you coffee that actually tastes like coffee.”
I snort out a laugh as he turns back to the stove and cracks two eggs into a hot skillet. I didn’t know I had a thing for men who can cook, but fuck is it doing something for me.
Thank god I packed my vibrator.
“I have to be at the bar at noon,” Liam says. “If you’re not in a hurry, you can catch a ride with me.”
“What about me, Dad?” Aiden asks.
“I’m dropping you off at school after breakfast.”
“Can Ruby come? Pleeeease.” Aiden clutches his hands together and bounces on the spot. I want to tell him I’m more than happy to tag along, but I’m not his parent, and I don’t want to overstep.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, buddy. Ruby probably wants some privacy.”
“Aw, man.” Aiden slumps forward in his seat, resting his chin on his fist.
I can’t stand the dejected look on his face, stepping in despite my earlier hesitation, “I really don’t mind, Liam. If it’s ok with you, I mean.”
“Are you sure? I know it’s a lot to ask. Everyone is going to want a piece of you.”
More importantly, do you want a piece of me?
“I know most of the people in this town,” I say. “They won’t bother me. Besides, I can handle myself around a crowd. I’m happy to do it, if that’s what Aiden wants.”
Liam slides two steaming plates piled high with cheesy scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast in front of us. I’m already salivating in anticipation—and not just because of breakfast.
“Alright. If you’re sure,” he says.
I nod, devouring the first bite of eggs. An involuntary moan slips past my lips, and I don’t miss the way Liam gently bites down on his bottom lip before turning back to the stove.
It’s like breakfast and a show as Liam cleans up around the kitchen. Could I kidnap him? Keep him in my penthouse like some reverse Cinderella, so he can wait on me shirtless? No. That story never ends well for the captor.
Just as I’m finishing the last of my toast, he returns to the island with a thick green drink. Must be a protein smoothie of some kind. I reach for my plate to take it to the dishwasher, but Liam grabs it first.
“I’ll take it,” he says. “Need a refill on your caffeinated sugar water?”
I maneuver the coffee mug in my hand so I can discreetly flip him the bird, and down the rest of the drink in one gulp. “Nope.”
He shakes his head and snags the mug from my hand, adding to the stack of dishes.
Aiden finishes quickly and darts off to his room to get ready, muttering something about someone named Jerry along the way.
Once Aiden’s out of sight, Liam says, “You really don’t have to come. I’ve fallen victim to Aiden’s puppy dog eyes more than once, so I get it, but I can tell him you’re not feeling well.”
I place my hand on Liam’s forearm, hoping he’ll feel my sincerity. “I want to be there.”
“Ok.” He chugs the rest of the disgusting-looking sludge and loads the mug into the dishwasher with the rest of our dirty dishes. “I’ll just throw on a shirt.”
“Thank god. Wouldn’t wanna distract the moms at drop off,” I mutter under my breath as he turns the corner.
Proving me wrong once again, Liam returns in a green t-shirt that leaves very little to the imagination and will most definitely distract everyone at drop off. Does he buy them a size too small?
Aiden is hot on his heels, clutching his backpack in his fist. It’s massive compared to his small stature, and his mass of red curls bounce as he skips into the entryway.
“Ready?” he asks, his bright green eyes alight with excitement.
I motion for him to get ahead of me. “Lead the way, little man.”
The drive to the elementary school is short, but the drop-off line curves all the way around the parking lot. Aiden tells me about the elusive Jerry, who, as it turns out, is a bunny. I don’t know what I was expecting, but Liam having a pet bunny was not on my bingo card.
As we inch closer to the entrance where the teachers are greeting kids on the sidewalk, I recognize a few familiar faces. Ivy is there with Rylin, and Aiden immediately perks up when he spots them. “Daddy! It’s Ry Ry. Can I go now?”
“Sure, buddy. I’ll come around and help you out.”
“I’ve got him.” I tug off the seatbelt and hop out of the truck. A few hushed whispers reach my ears, but I ignore them and catch Aiden when he jumps down. He clings to my hand, tugging me toward Ivy and Rylin.
“Aiden!” Rylin squeals, barreling toward us.
He lets go of my hand and catches her in the most adorable hug I’ve ever witnessed. When she lets go, Aiden looks at me and says, “Ry Ry is my best friend in the whole world.”
And like that, I’m reduced to nothing more than a puddle on the sidewalk.
“That’s my Auntie Ruby,” Rylin says, hugging my legs.
If I wasn’t ovulating before, I sure am now. Having kids isn’t on my radar anytime soon, but these two could easily convince me.
Mrs. Barnes, my fourth-grade teacher, strides over. “If it isn’t my favorite student! Welcome home, Ruby. What brings you to our school this morning?”
“I’m just dropping off my buddy Aiden here,” I say, ruffling his curls.
“Hi, Mrs. B,” he says, with a polite wave.
She waves back, shaking a massive keychain full of keys with a lanyard hanging off the end. “Ok, kiddos. Let’s get you inside.”
Aiden waves to his dad, then to me, before following Mrs. Barnes and Rylin through the massive double doors that haven’t changed a bit in the years since I attended Oak Ridge Elementary.
“How are you feeling this morning?” Ivy asks, smirking.
“What do you mean?”
“Girl, I saw that hunk of a man carry you into his house like he was bringing his bride over the threshold last night.”
“Oh shit. You were there?”
“Mhm. I was babysitting Aiden. You were three sheets to the wind, so I don’t expect you to remember much.”
“Yeah, not gonna lie. I don’t remember anything after he tossed me in the truck. Please tell me I didn’t say anything stupid.”
Her eyes dart to the truck, and she doesn’t answer.
“Ivy…”
She pinches her lips together and scrunches up her nose. “You… might’ve tried to kiss him,” she says slowly.
“I did what?”
“Don’t worry. It was kind of cute.”
I groan, and my face flushes. “You know what? I think it might be time to simply perish. RIP Ruby Lynn Hayes.”