CHAPTER 38 Liam Bradley
Brunch
“Okay, you two. Get a room.” Everleigh’s voice snaps us out of it, and I realize it’s the first time she’s actually seen the two of us together.
It was her idea for me to be here today when I admitted how miserable I’ve been without Penny.
She told me that Penny’s been miserable, too. I told her that I was staying away so as not to interfere with her divorce, and I knew I wanted to go to the prove-up so I could be there the moment her marriage was officially over.
Dolores is watching Liora out in the hallway, and I can’t wait to introduce Penny to my little girl.
I pull back. I have a million things I want to say, but it feels like right now, here in this courtroom…it’s not the time. Maybe later when I get her back to my place…if I get her back to my place.
“We have brunch reservations in twenty minutes,” Everleigh says, glancing at her watch as I reluctantly pull apart from Penny. “Let’s go get the baby so we can get to the restaurant.”
“The baby’s here?” Penny asks, her voice a whisper.
My eyes soften as a small smile plays at my lips. “The baby’s here.”
“Oh my God!” she squeals, and she claps her hands together. “Bring me to her! I’ve been dying to meet her!”
I chuckle and grab her hand to lead her out of the courtroom, but Everleigh stops her first to give her a hug.
“Congratulations, Penguin. I’m so happy for you that this is over,” she says softly.
“Thanks, Ev. I’m so glad you came, and I’m really super glad you made brunch reservations because I couldn’t eat this morning.”
Everleigh giggles and lets go of Penny, whose hand is still attached to mine. I lead her out of the courtroom that way, and I love how it feels to hold her hand in public with no worries of my sister finding out about us.
I pull her over to Dolores, who’s waiting with hand sanitizer for anyone who wants to hold the baby. She hugs Penny and congratulates her as I reach into the carrier since Liora’s eyes are opened. She’s looking all around, quietly taking in the sights.
“Hey, baby girl,” I croon softly as I pull her out, and when I stand and turn around, three women are gaping at me with wide eyes and slackened jaws. “What? Did I do something wrong?”
It takes a second for them to snap out of it, but it’s Penny who speaks first. “No! Quite the opposite. You’re already a pro at this Daddy thing.
” She walks to me and takes the baby from my arms, and a pulse of love overwhelms my entire body as I stare at the woman I love staring the baby I fall more in love with every single day.
“Oh my goodness, sweet girl. Aren’t you beautiful? ” she murmurs.
Liora makes a little cooing sound.
“She likes you,” I say, and Penny smiles.
“I like her, too. What’s your name, little bunny?” she asks as she stares at the little bunny onesie I dressed her in this morning.
“Liora Isabella Bradley,” I say.
“Liora,” she repeats, her voice breaking as a fresh wave of tears starts up. She brushes them away. “That’s beautiful. How’d you pick it?”
“The Li like Liam plus the ora sound in Dolores.” I shrug, and Penny’s eyes dart to Dolores.
“You approved that?” Penny asks with a smile.
“The little stinker did it without my knowledge,” she says as she pushes to a stand. “And sweet woman, it’s good to see you.”
Everleigh slings her arm around me. “I’ve never seen you like this, Liam.” Her voice is low. “You two look amazing together.”
“You’re sure you’re okay with it?” I ask as Dolores and Penny marvel over the baby.
“When I see you two together, how could I not be?” Her brows push together and she shakes her head. “Just don’t hurt her.”
“You have my word.”
Everleigh hugs my arm, and then she joins the other ladies as they stare down at Liora. I can’t help but look at four of the five most important ladies in my life.
Dolores, the woman who is there for me through thick and thin no matter what.
Everleigh, my big sister who manages to round up the Bradley siblings when she can, most of whom are already at the restaurant for brunch waiting for the rest of us.
Penny, the woman who stole my heart and will hold it in her hands for as long as she’s willing to.
And Liora, my baby girl, my sweet princess, my little angel who I didn’t know I needed until she plowed into my life just ten days ago.
The only one missing is Ivy, my baby sister—and she’s only missing because she’s already at the restaurant.
Brunch takes forever, mostly because it’s a big group of us.
Penny, Dolores, Everleigh, Liora, and I arrived to greet Madden, Dex and Ainsley, Ford and Tatum, and Ivy.
Getting most of the Bradley siblings in the same room is no easy feat, and there’s a lot of speculation about what we’ll each be asked at the trial tomorrow—and whether we’ll all have to take the stand or if it’ll mainly be Madden and Archer.
We’re missing Archer at brunch since he has a game in Vegas this afternoon, but he’s flying out afterward with his fiancée, and we have dinner plans with everyone tomorrow night at the Bradley Mansion—now owned by my brother, Ford, and his wife, Tatum.
They’re talking about all the details of who’s flying in when and who’s flying out when…
all things I’m not really listening to as I keep my eye firmly on whoever is holding my baby and my hand planted firmly and possessively on Penny’s thigh.
I lean over toward Penny when Everleigh is holding the baby. “You doing okay?”
She glances at me and leans in a little. “Haven’t been this good in a while.” Her warm smile makes her whole face light up. “The only thing that would make this better is if the boys were here.”
“I wish they were here, too. I told myself I’d stay away until it was official.
It’s official, Pen, and I’m right here. I want you.
I need you. Move back into my place. I don’t know what your agreement says, but if you can, come to San Diego with me.
You and the boys. I miss them so goddamn much, running around and causing chaos.
I want to practice soccer with Benji and play catch with Sammy and have them grow up protecting their little sister. ”
“Oh, God, Liam,” she says. She moans my name, actually, and I’m definitely ready to hear that again later.
“And if it’s too much too soon, I totally get that. Move at whatever pace is right for you. You can still move into my place with the boys and not to San Diego. I’ll visit when I can, or you can tell me to fuck off, and I won’t visit but you can still live there—”
“Liam?” she interrupts. My eyes meet hers. “Shut up,” she says, and she pulls my mouth down to meet hers.
I hear Everleigh’s cackle beside us and my siblings whooping at the sight of me kissing Penny in front of everyone here, and you know what?
They can tease and whoop and cheer all they want.
Someday, these same people and more will be gathered together once again as Penny stands in a dress and I stand in a tux, and we make our vows to forever.
I feel it in my bones. Nothing has ever been this right.
But if she doesn’t want to get married again, that’s fine too.
I just want a life with her, Liora, and the boys.
And it feels like it all starts right now.
As if on cue—and as if I’m some sort of magician, really, for making this happen—two little boys and one frazzled grandmother come running up to the table.
“Mama!” Benji yells as Penny lifts to a stand, and at the same time, I lift to a stand as Sammy yells, “Uncle Liam!”
Hell, my own eyes start to sting with something unfamiliar.
I may play the role of a tough NFL quarterback, but seeing this little kid come running up to me to give me a hug after we’ve been apart for far too long pulses this protective feeling in me that I never want to let go of.
I want to provide for these kids. I want to help create a stable environment for them.
I want to be a part of their lives, to care for them and help guide them and teach them.
In short, I want to be a father to them—a stepfather, at least.
Penny and I haven’t had a chance to really talk about what the terms of their divorce were, but the judge mentioned that she’d have full parental control and relocation, and he also questioned whether she wanted to ask for support. I’m smart enough to guess what that means.
And I’m right here to give her the support the man she incorrectly married the first time refuses to give. She doesn’t have to ask. We don’t need to sign papers. She can have all of me, including my bank account.
Which is why, on Saturday afternoon when I opened a savings account for Liora and started piling money into it, I did the same for Sammy and Benji.
Even if I’m not a part of their lives, I want them to be taken care of.
I knew Penny wouldn’t accept charity from me, so I also set up college accounts for the kids.
It’s one less thing she’ll need to worry about down the road, but it takes some of the financial burden off the future.
I did it with the help of her mom, whose number I happened to have from back when Penny lived with me.
I give her a hug as Everleigh stands and pulls more chairs over to our table for the next set of arrivals, and I love how Penny just fits into our family.
She’s been a part of it as Ev’s best friend for a long time, and as Everleigh takes her seat between Penny’s mom, whose name is Wilma, and Ford, I realize for the first time how everyone here is celebrating this woman.
Her kids are here now, and they don’t know the gravity of what just went down.
But as I watch her hug Benji, and as the boys switch and Sammy hugs his mom while Benji hugs me and whispers how much he missed me, I realize that they don’t need to know.
They’re here with family now, and we will take care of them and their mom. Forever.