Chapter 23
Charity
Sweet Disposition – The Temper Trap
“Ihave to admit,” Faith muttered, her head tipped to one side, “he has a great ass.”
“Faith!” I threw her a glare but quickly moved my gaze in the same direction as hers. Directly on Liam’s behind. “I think maybe he does squats.”
“Thousands a day by the look of it.”
We both snorted and it felt good. Much more than us sharing laughter at the sight of a hot guy’s ass. It felt like finally we were making progress. Years of bickering and back-biting weren’t going to disappear just like that, but at least she didn’t seem to hate me.
As we fell into silence, the grinding whir of a drill reverberated through the apartment as Liam finished adding the final extra lock to the front door.
His final repair job after the dripping faucet.
I watched him work, the pungent chemical aroma of paint wafting from the hall where he’d touched up a replastered section of the wall.
It had taken a lot to persuade him not to repaint the whole thing, reminding him that we needed to get back on the road home.
Besides which Faith had grumbled more than once about us invading her space when she’d traveled for hours smelling an old guy’s farts just to get away from us.
“All done.” Liam sauntered into the room, a thin layer of dust lying like powdered sugar on his cheeks.
His long strides were lazy and confident, his shoulders so wide they blocked the light from the small kitchen window.
His cologne had faded, but there was still a faint scent of spicy citrus lingering as he came closer, his boots squeaking on the kitchen linoleum as he stopped in front of us.
He worried his bottom lip as his eyes focused on me. “What am I missing?”
“Nothing.”
Faith snorted beside me and Liam’s gaze whipped to her. “Maybe I don’t want to know.” His chest heaved with a sigh. His fingers started to unbuckle the work belt hanging low on his hips. “We should get going, I’d like to get a few hours’ drive in before we stop at a motel.”
“I can do some driving,” I offered. “If you want to be home by morning.”
“Nope.” His answer was short, edging toward curt.
“Why not?” Anger swelled in my gut as I pushed off the kitchen cabinet, ready for a fight. “I’m a great driver. I can easily drive your truck.”
“I know you can.” There was a slight purse to his lips as his eyes glittered with amusement. “Pretty sure you could handle anything you put your mind to.”
“So?”
“So, you need a good night’s sleep and now that you know Tinkerbell here is okay, you should sleep soundly tonight. And that’s what you’re going to do. In a bed. Not in the passenger seat of my truck.
There was a darkness beneath his eyes as he waited patiently for me to argue. “You’re right we shouldn’t drive straight through.”
“Seesh, Charity, you should make him work harder than that!” Faith tutted and walked out of the room, patting Liam’s shoulder on the way past. “Make sure the princess has a decent mattress, lover boy, you don’t want her tossing and turning all night.”
Liam shook his head and chuckled and I wondered where these beautiful, playful versions of Faith and Liam had been. And then he surprised me again.
“And Faith, message me the details of the loan shark. I know people so consider it resolved.”
It was at that moment that I think I fell a little bit in love with him.
“Don’t forget to call Mom and Dad,” I reminded Faith as we said goodbye at the side of Liam’s truck.
Noise from the auto shop had lessened with just the boom of a deep bass from a radio somewhere deep in the building. An elderly couple, arm in arm, wandered by smiling warmly at us and I felt happier about leaving Faith here than I thought possible.
“I told you I’d call,” she said, shoving her tongue into her cheek as she blinked slowly.
Liam’s hand squeezed my shoulder, and I knew it was a silent suggestion to let it go. I’d done all that I could. Liam had gone above and beyond, making the adjustments to the apartment and calling his friend who’d offered to take Faith on a two-week trial. The rest was up to Faith.
“Okay, well I hope it goes okay with the job.”
“Yeah, I’ll do my best not to embarrass the family.”
Liam grunted but didn’t say anything, just opened the truck door for me. It seemed Faith didn’t want to hang around making niceties either, instead she waved and turned back toward the front door.
“Drive safe.” Was all we got before she disappeared inside, letting the door bang loudly behind her.
“Let’s go.” Liam’s hand on me felt comforting as I climbed into the truck, because even though I felt optimistic about my sister’s future, I couldn’t help but worry. And that was my bad, because I needed to have more faith in Faith.
I had six whole hours of sleep. Restful and dreamless, and it was all thanks to Liam. He’d made me see that Faith needed to be in charge of her own destiny and not forced into the mold that everyone else thought she should be in.
Now, after another day on the road, we were approaching Sweet Maple Falls, and the disappointment was huge. I wanted Liam to drive slower, maybe take a detour, anything to avoid having to leave the warmth and security of his truck.
“I wonder if Cole called Rose about Denver?” I asked, thinking that if I got him talking, I could gauge how he was feeling about being back home.
“Probably.” He scoffed and shook his head. “Wouldn’t be surprised if he’s arranged for round-the-clock-care for him.”
“Maybe he just needs a buddy,” I suggested. “Loneliness is the worst thing in the world.”
Turning to watch the scenery flash by, it hit me that loneliness was one of the reasons I was sad to be home. Home was just me and the occasional visit from my neighbor’s cat, Gordon.
As Liam moved to turn the radio up, I got a hint of his cologne mixed with mint gum and coffee. Everything about him made my stomach clench with want.
“We’ve made good time,” Liam’s deep growl filled the space between us. “Fancy grabbing a bite to eat?”
Blinking rapidly, I let out a long breath. “Yeah, that sounds good. Where do you fancy?”
“Well, it’s fajita night at The Tap.”
Turning onto Summit, I watched his forearms as he spun the steering wheel.
Veins bulged against the tanned skin as he reversed into a parking space with ease.
One hand went to the center console, his fingers stretching out and I almost laid my hand on his.
They were so big, strong, and capable, and whenever he touched me with his long, calloused fingers, the warmth of safety seeped into me.
His profile in the dimming light of dusk took my breath away.
There was something about him that made it hard to look away.
He had the whole rugged, small-town heartbreaker thing down to an art.
The dying sun caught the messy edges of his dark brown hair; his strong jaw was brushed with stubble, and his full lips were increasingly touching on a smile.
But it was his eyes that drew me in more.
Deep emerald with hints of amber, steady and a little stormy when he was agitated or guarded, but sometimes soft when I caught him looking at me.
Like maybe, just maybe, I wasn’t what he’d planned on, and he wasn’t sure how to pretend like he didn’t like it anymore.
“The Tap okay?”
I jumped at the sound of his voice. “Sorry. The Tap? Yes, fajitas sound good.”
Once he’d killed the engine, I expected Liam to jump out of the truck, but he stayed where he was, staring out of the windshield at Petals’ storefront with its spring-themed display.
“The sky is so clear, which around here usually means there might be a surprise snowstorm on the way.” He dropped his head back against the headrest of his seat, turning to look at me.
“That would be just my luck with the hotel construction. Something else to delay it.” His lips stretched into a smile.
“I think I’ll still be building it in ten years’ time at this rate. ”
“Maybe you’ll find something else about the body now you’re back. ?” My pinky finger bobbed up and down restlessly, desperate to move toward his.
“Maybe,” he replied with a long sigh. “Joe would have messaged if there was anything. Anyway, what’s done is done. So, how are you feeling about the way you left things with Faith?”
“I don’t know how I really feel about it.”
“How so?”
I shrugged, my eyes searching his for any idea of what he was thinking about how I’d left things with Faith. But he was unreadable.
“Faith is complicated,” I told him. “You think she’s turning a corner, think she’s in agreement and then she just…boom.” I threw my hands in the air like an exploding bomb.
Liam dropped his head back and let out a laugh, deep from his belly.
“Yeah, she’s definitely unpredictable. But I think you’ve left her in a good place and…
” he patted my hand, the touch of his warm skin making my chest tighten, “if she messes up then that’s her issue.
It’s not yours or your folks. She got what she wanted, to move away from here, so let her live her life how she wants to and just be there as her sister, not her punchbag.
” His fingers curled around mine, his thumb brushing slowly against the back of my hand.
In that moment, I would have done anything to stay in that truck cab for hours.
We watched each other, breaths quiet, our gazes intense as the streetlights started to flicker to life outside.
The stillness was comforting as unspoken thoughts and feelings hung in the air with a heavy dose of anticipation.
It was peaceful and serene, like we were suspended in our own little bubble away from the rest of the world.
The calm was broken by the buzzing of my phone and, instinctively, I worried it was Faith. I grabbed it from the cup holder and looked at the screen.
“I need to take this,” I said with a sigh, disappointed that the beauty of the moment was gone. “It's Carla.”
“Go ahead. I'll go in and grab us a table.” His fingers squeezed mine once before letting go, the loss of contact immediate and sharp.
As he opened his door, cool evening air rushed into the truck, carrying the familiar scents of Sweet Maple Falls, maple trees, mountain air, and the faint aroma of food drifting from The Tap.
I watched him walk toward the entrance, and then, just before he reached the door, he turned back and caught me staring. Even in the dim light, I could see his smile, warm and knowing, before he disappeared inside.
Taking a steadying breath, I answered the call. “Hey, Carla, what's up?”
“Charity! Are you back soon?”
“Just pulled into town, as a matter of fact. Why?” I sat up straighter, worried because Carla sounded stressed and Carla was never stressed.
“I've been trying not to panic, but we have a situation with the business dinner.”
My stomach dropped as I watched Liam through The Tap's front window, already charming the hostess. “What kind of situation?”
“Pru said someone else has requested they attend the dinner.”
I sighed, thinking of how it would mess up my table plans. “Did she say who?”
“ Of course she didn’t .You know how she likes to be in control. She said she’d tell you once he’s confirmed.”
“Oh, the subterfuge,” I replied, annoyance lacing my tone.
“Apparently, whoever he is has heard about our little gathering and wants to 'explore investment opportunities' in Sweet Maple Falls.” Carla's voice carried a note of barely contained excitement mixed with terror.
“Charity, this could be huge for the town, but it means we need to completely revamp our setup.
We're talking about impressing someone who could bring serious money and development here. We need to go big or go home here.”
Through the window, I could see Liam settling into a booth, glancing toward the door every few seconds. Waiting for me. The sight made something warm unfurl in my chest even as my mind started racing with all the additional planning this news would require.
“Okay,” I said, forcing my brain into business mode. “We can handle this. When do you need me in the office?”
“First thing tomorrow? I'd start making calls, but you know how Prue is, she wants to talk to the person in charge and that’s not me.”
I leaned back against the truck's headrest, suddenly feeling the weight of returning to real life.
The past few days with Liam had felt separate from everything else, like we existed in our own world where the only things that mattered were finding Faith and figuring out what was happening between us.
“I'll be there at eight,” I promised, already mentally shifting gears.
“You're a lifesaver. How did things go with Faith?”
“Better than expected. I'll fill you in tomorrow.”
After hanging up, I sat for a moment longer, watching Liam through the window.
He was studying the menu, but I could tell he was aware of my absence by the way he kept checking the door.
The realization that someone was waiting for me, not because they needed something from me, but because they genuinely wanted my company, sent a flutter of warmth through my chest.
But Carla's call had pulled me firmly back into reality.
Tomorrow, I'd be the professional event planner again, dealing with demanding clients and impossible logistics.
Tonight might be one of the last chances I had to just be Charity, not Faith's sister, not the town's go-to problem solver, just me.
I grabbed my purse and headed toward The Tap, toward Liam, determined to make the most of whatever this was between us before the real world demanded all my attention again.