Chapter Fifteen – Aurora
Aurora
I held up the white kitten and smiled. “Isn’t she adorable?”
My sister sneezed. “No. She’s going to make me miserable.”
With a roll of my eyes, I said, “You’re not allergic to her, Lou. You just don’t want to clean out the litter box.”
Pointing her finger to her nose, she said, “Bingo.”
“I’m not cleaning it,” Granny said while folding her arms over her chest as she leaned against the counter.
Ignoring them both, I smiled at the kitten and said, “I’m going to be your momma, and I’ll take care of you. I’ll feed you and clean out your litter. All of it! We don’t need these two meanies.”
“You say that now,” Lou said as she rounded the corner and stopped in front of me. “What happens when you go on vacation? Who watches the white monster then?”
I covered the kitten’s ears. “Don’t call her a monster. What is wrong with you, Lou?”
She flashed me an evil smile.
“Besides, I don’t take vacations.”
Granny walked up and scratched the kitten behind the ears. “That’s because you need a man. Maybe if you dated and got laid, you wouldn’t need a kitten because your own kitten would be getting some action.”
My mouth fell open while my sister lost it laughing.
“Tell it like it is, Granny!” Lou said, barely able to breathe through her tears.
Trying my hardest not to laugh, I said. “Granny! I cannot believe you just said that.”
She shrugged. “I’m just being honest. You need a man, Aurora. You spend all your time in this bookstore, and when you do get free time, you’re over at Liam and Winnie’s pretending you don’t have feelings for him.”
My mouth fell open. “I am not.”
Lou let out a huff. “Please. You’re both denying your feelings for one another. And everyone in town knows it.”
“That is not true!” I said, almost whining like a child. Granny raised her brows, like she was waiting for me to stomp my foot.
The new bell we had installed to alert us when someone came into the bookshop went off. At the time, I thought the little song was cute. Now it just reminded me of the buzzer on my dryer that I don’t know how to turn off, which goes for, I swear, at least five minutes after my clothes are done.
“Jesus, I’m going to find that thing and rip it out!” Granny stated before turning and heading to the back.
I turned and froze. Liam was walking into the bookstore with Winnie. Just the sight of him made my heart flip in my chest. When our eyes met, Liam broke out into a huge grin. I swore time stood still for a few moments until I heard Winnie’s voice cry out.
“Kitten!”
Lowering myself, I smiled as Winnie gasped and looked from the kitten to me. She bounced on her toes in pure excitement.
“She is just a little baby, so we have to be very careful petting her.”
Nodding, Winnie gently stroked the kitten’s back.
“So soft,” she said in her sweet little voice.
“She is.”
Liam walked over and bent down as well. The smell of his cologne penetrated my senses, and I had to force myself not to lean in closer to him and draw in a deeper breath.
Get a grip, Aurora.
“You got the cat you’ve always wanted.”
My head jerked up. “What?”
He smiled, and I ignored the way it made my lower stomach clench with desire.
“You said before you’d always wanted a white cat with blue eyes. You finally got one.”
A small laugh slipped free as I said, “I forgot I’d told you that.”
Liam went back to scratching the kitten under the chin while Winnie cooed over her. “What’s her name?” Winnie asked.
“I haven’t named her yet!”
“She’s cute,” Liam stated with a smile.
“What brings you two to the store today?” I asked. “We don’t have a storytime planned.”
When Liam’s gaze met mine, something in the air crackled between us. I wasn’t sure if it was just my imagination or not, but something moved across his face, and I could have sworn it was desire.
My sister and the girls were right. I needed to tell Liam how I felt. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could pretend to be his friend and stop the desire to kiss him.
“Winnie and I wanted to invite you over for dinner tonight. Mary and James are leaving for the weekend, so it’s just us.”
“Who is going to watch Winnie this weekend while you’re at work?” I asked.
Liam pulled Winnie closer to him and smiled. “I took the weekend and all of next week off.”
“Are you going on vacation? If so, take Aurora, she needs one,” Lou said with a smirk in my direction.
I shot her a dirty look, and when Liam looked down at the kitten, I mouthed that I was going to kill her. Her reply was to wink at me.
“We don’t have anything planned, to be honest. I just knew I wanted to spend some time with Winnie.”
Suddenly, Granny appeared. “You, Winnie, and Aurora should go somewhere. She is in desperate need of a vacation. Her kitten especially needs one.”
I almost choked as Lou did the silent shoulder laugh as I cleared my throat and stood, leaving the kitten on the floor.
With my hands on my hips, I glared at my great-aunt and sister. “I do not need a vacation. What I do need is for the two of you to get back to work.”
Lou huffed. “Oh, so you can play with a kitten, but we’re expected to work?”
“I pay you to work, Lou. I own the bookstore, and if I want to sit on the floor and play with a kitten all day, I will.”
Before my sister turned and headed to the back, she looked at Liam. “See what I mean? She needs a vacation and also needs a good fu—”
“Go, Lou!” I said, pointing toward the back and cutting off what she was about to say.
She held up her hands as she walked backward. “I’m going! I’m going.”
When I looked at Granny, she stared me down. “I’m not going anywhere.”
I exhaled a frustrated breath before I turned back to see that Liam was standing, and Winnie was holding the kitten.
“I take her home, Rora.”
I bent down. “But she’s my kitty, Winnie. She’s the bookstore kitty.”
“Will she wive here?” Winnie asked.
“No, she’s going to live with me upstairs, but she’ll come to work with me and have her own spot to sleep and play here in the bookstore.”
“I wanna puppy!” Winnie declared as she handed me the kitten and turned and looked up at her dad. “A white puppy!”
Liam winked at his daughter. “Maybe Santa will bring you one.”
Winnie gasped and then jumped in excitement.
Liam glanced back at me. “So, are you free for dinner tonight?”
I chewed nervously on my lower lip before dropping it. My brain told me to tell him I was busy, but my heart won out. “I’m free. Would you like me to bring something?”
A brilliant smile spread over Liam’s face. I didn’t want to read too much into it, but something felt different between us. Something good.
“Just you.”
“And da kitten!” Winnie added.
Laughing, I nodded. “And the kitten!”
I pulled into Liam’s driveway and drew in a long, deep breath.
I had no idea why he invited me over for dinner tonight, and a part of me didn’t want to know why.
The other part of me was curious as hell.
I mean, it wasn’t the first time he had invited me to dinner, but something felt different between us.
Maybe tonight was the night I would tell him about my feelings.
Yes. Tonight, I was going to be honest with him and myself and tell him how I felt.
After grabbing my phone, I sent Harper a text.
Me: Liam asked me over for dinner, and I’m going to tell him how I feel.
Her response was almost immediate.
Harper: OMGEEEEEEEE!
Me: You think I should, right?
The bubbles began to move, stopped, and then started moving again.
Harper: HELL YES. Like a month ago.
I laughed, then realized she couldn’t hear my laugh, so I typed it out.
Me: LOLOLOLOLOLOL! I’m scared, Harp. What if I’m reading him wrong and he only wants to be friends, but then what if I’ve been such a chicken this whole time, and everyone is right when they say he has feelings for me as well, and we’re both just being stupid? I’m doing the right thing, right?
Harper: Holy fucking run-on sentence! What is the matter with you, Aurora?
My head dropped against my headrest. I had no idea what was wrong with me, so I couldn’t possibly answer her question.
I jumped when my phone went off with another text.
Harper: Aurora…stop sitting in the car and just go into the house.
Quickly looking around, I slowly shook my head.
Me: How did you know I was still in my car?
My phone rang and I quickly swiped it.
“Hello?”
“Do you want to know how I know you’re sitting in your car still?”
“Yes, please!” I stated in my most offended-sounding voice I could make.
Harper sighed. “I’ve known you a long time, Aurora. I knew you had feelings for Liam before you even knew it. I know you’re worried that you’re going to be setting yourself up for heartbreak, but you’ll never know unless you try.”
“Harp, Hope hasn’t even been gone a year yet, and you want me to swoop in and try for her husband?”
“No, I want you to get out of the car and go have dinner with Liam. See where things are between the two of you and then take it from there.”
A sudden ache developed in my chest. “I’m afraid he’s going to break my heart in two, Harp. I’ve never felt this way about a guy. Not even jerk face.”
“Oh, Aurora. Honey, I know you’re scared, but you can’t live the rest of your life in your bookstore hiding from your own feelings because you’re afraid you’ll be hurt.”
I was about to argue with her, but she was right. That was exactly what I was doing.
“You’re right. That’s exactly what I’ve been doing, and that stops now.”
“I have a feeling that Liam hasn’t invited you over to talk about being just friends.”
Before I could say anything, a light knock on the driver’s side window caused me to cry out.
“Holy shit!”
“What is it?” Harper quickly asked.
I turned to see Liam standing there, a smile on his handsome face.
“Nothing. Sorry I yelled in your ear. Liam knocked on my window.”
Harper laughed. “Well, stop talking to me then and get out of the car, Aurora!”
“Oh, yes, right. Okay. Bye, Harp. Love you.”