Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
Tori's home alone, working on her computer and trying not to think about Liam and Rachel.
Ugh. What a mess.
She cringes all over again.
First a gay guy and then a guy with a girlfriend. It's like a bad country song. But then all country songs are bad.
What's wrong with me?
Maybe Peyton is right. Maybe she should take a vacation. Step back from all of this and go hide somewhere.
Except she doesn't have time. She can't leave her mom. There are too many people relying on her.
Peyton texted her last night with excitement. She said her cousin's cabin is booked all summer, but there was a cancellation next weekend. You should go for it, girl! Peyton said in her text. But Tori turned it down. I appreciate it, but no, thanks.
Her phone buzzes and she picks it up. It's Blair reminding her they’re having dinner together tonight. They're picking her up soon. She hasn't told Blair the full story with Dr. Adrian yet and figures she'll get that over with.
Def Leppard's "Foolin'" plays through her speakers, and it's exactly what she feels like. A fool.
At least she finally updated the pages for her brother's site that were supposed to be done yesterday. She opens Photoshop and brings up the new logo she's creating for her Happy Pet Nanny business.
Her boys are all flopped down, napping around her feet. There's a glass of lavender lemonade on the desk next to her. Her house smells like the two loaves of banana bread she just baked—the extra one for her next-door neighbor Mrs. Waligorski.
When there's a knock on her door, she figures it's Blair and Road and they've come early, but is shocked to discover Liam standing there.
"Forget it. There's nothing to talk about." She tries to close the door, but he puts his hand out.
"Let me explain, Tori. It's not what you think."
"I don't want to hear it. Just go away."
But it turns out Miss Fancy Pants is there too and slips past Liam's legs. Tori can't resist bending over to pet her. "You shouldn't have come here. And you shouldn't have brought your dog to try and manipulate me."
"That's not why I brought her. I brought her because Rachel tried to take her when she left."
Tori's eyes go wide. "She did?"
Liam nods, his face stern .
"You stopped her?"
"Hell, yes, I stopped her. Though it turned out Fancy didn't want to go with her anyway." He glances down at the dog and seems pleased, but then his expression turns serious. "You were right in what you said yesterday. I’ve made some bad choices with women. It's a problem I have."
She pets Miss Fancy Pants, surprised by his admission.
"To be honest, this is the best thing that's happened to me in a long time."
"What is?"
"You."
"Me?" Her eyes flash up to him.
"Yes, you , Tori."
A warmth moves through her. She can tell he means it. In fact, she doubts he rarely says anything he doesn't mean. "I'm not sure what to say to that," she says, straightening.
"Say you'll still see me tomorrow night."
Liam looks handsome standing on her front porch. Like a suitor who's come calling. There's something old-fashioned about him that appeals to her.
But then she remembers seeing Rachel in his house earlier. The shock of it. Wearing his T-shirt so comfortably. At home in that bedroom.
"You and Rachel have things to work out. I don't want to get in the middle of that."
"You're not getting in the middle of anything." He seems frustrated. "That's what I'm trying to tell you. There is nothing to work out. Rachel and I are finished."
"I think you still have feelings for her."
"No, I don't. I haven't had feelings for her in a long time. Trust me."
She gives him a skeptical look. "I don't believe that. She only left you a couple months ago. How could you be over it so fast?" There's movement behind her, and Miss Fancy Pants barks. Her boys, who were all napping, have woken up and noticed there's another dog out here. "Go on, get back," she tells them.
Liam pulls on Miss Fancy Pants’s leash to bring her away. "Because I knew."
"What do you mean, you knew?" Tori steps onto the porch and closes the door on the chaos inside. "Knew what?"
He glances out at her yard and seems embarrassed. "I knew Rachel was cheating on me for a long time."
Tori's brows go up. "You did?"
"It started last fall before the holidays. Around the same time she brought Fancy home."
"How did you know? Did she tell you?"
"She didn't have to." He snorts. "Rachel's not exactly a criminal mastermind."
"Was it that obvious?"
"Yes, to me, it was."
She studies him, and it occurs to her that he didn't deserve that. She doesn't know him very well, but he doesn't strike her as a cheater. "Why didn't you leave?"
"It's my house."
"Kick her out, then."
He shakes his head. "I couldn't throw her out. I should have. It was a relief when she finally left on her own."
Tori takes this in. She had no idea.
He lowers his voice. "You're the only person I've told this to. No one else knows the truth."
"What about your family?"
"I told them Rachel was having an affair before she moved out, that I had my suspicions, but that's all."
"Were you still in love with her? Is that why you didn't make her leave?"
"Yes, at first." He takes a deep breath. "It's painful to be betrayed like that. I was angry, but then as it went on, I began to see how incompatible we were. We shouldn’t have moved in together to begin with."
There's some barking on the other side of the door, but she ignores it. Miss Fancy Pants glances over but then goes back to sniffing around the potted plants.
"She was cheating on another guy when I met her."
"That's never a good sign."
"I know. I didn't find out until much later, until after we were already living together."
Tori nods. "I'm sorry." And she means it. It must have been difficult. And oddly, she understands why he didn't throw Rachel out. It's like he's too much of a gentleman for that. Sad to think someone would use that against him.
"So now that you understand the situation, can I take you out tomorrow?"
She sighs. "I still don't think it's a good idea."
"How about just dinner?" Miss Fancy Pants tugs on the leash, and Liam gives it more slack.
"I doubt it would be just dinner, don't you?"
His eyes flash to Tori's face. She's wearing a little smile. He's not sure what to say. He's so attracted to her that it's hard to even think straight. He keeps trying to analyze the situation, worried he'll say something wrong and screw this whole thing up even more. "If you want to keep it simple, I can do that. I don't want to pressure you."
"Let me think about it, okay? I'll text you if I change my mind."
The scent of tangerines drifts toward him. He wishes he could kiss her but senses that would be a mistake.
As he's trying not to remember what she looks like beneath those jeans and that M?tley Crüe T-shirt, a car pulls into the driveway behind them. He turns. It's a green Mustang from the sixties, beautifully refurbished .
"Oh no." Tori's eyes widen. "I lost track of time."
Liam admires the car as two people step out and walk toward them. An attractive redhead and a tall blond guy.
Unfortunately, Liam recognizes them right away.
Blair and Road.
The pair move closer, and Liam can't take his eyes off the asshole who bullied him in high school.
Road still looks formidable. But as Liam continues his assessment, measuring the man, there's a smug satisfaction in his gut.
I could take him.
A lot of time has passed since then. He's not a skinny kid anymore and hasn't been for a long time. He's put on height and muscle. Not to mention he's well trained on how to subdue someone in a fight.
Granted, Road wouldn't go easy. He'd get in a few good punches. It wouldn't be clean, but Liam has no doubt he could take him down.
"Hi," Blair says. She gives him a once-over and a quick smile before going back to Tori. "Are you ready for dinner?"
"Um, sure." Tori seems uncomfortable. Her blue eyes meet his, and he can see the tension behind them. "I'll text you about pet sitting next week, okay?" She's obviously trying to get rid of him. "See you later."
"Oh, are you one of Tori's clients?" Blair asks, still smiling. Road is there beside her, and Liam grows tense. He can't help it. Though Road only gives him a brief nod, too busy studying his phone.
"Yes, I am," he says.
Blair's auburn brows come together. "You look familiar. Have we met?"
"We went to high school together."
Tori makes a funny squeaking noise and flaps her arms. "Ah, you know, let's not get into all that right now. There's no need."
"We did?" Blair seems taken aback. She's still smiling, but he sees the exact moment she remembers him. " Liam ?" She looks appalled .
Road jerks his head up, alerted by the tone of his wife's voice. "Something wrong?"
"Yes, something's wrong! It's that loser who poured a milkshake over Tori in high school."
Road's eyes cut to him.
The two men study each other. It's been over a decade. He also knows he's being assessed, measured, the same way he did it to Road only a moment ago.
Meanwhile, Tori and Blair are speaking excitedly to each other.
"He's one of my Happy Pet Nanny clients," Tori explains to Blair. "I told you that! Don't you remember?"
"Yes, I remember, but what's he doing at your house? Did you invite him here?"
"No, not exactly. He just sort of showed up."
Liam glances at Tori. Really? While her words are true, he wished she hadn't characterized it like that. It makes him sound like a stalker.
"This guy bothering you?" Road growls. He slips his phone into his front pocket.
"No, he's not bothering me," she says emphatically. "It's fine. Really."
"I’m leaving," Liam says to Road. "You can calm down."
"Good." His eyes remain on Liam. "And I suggest you don't come back unless you're invited."
"This is coming out all wrong," Tori laments, wringing her hands. "It's okay. Honest! I admit I didn't want him here at first. In fact, I told him to go away, but then it was okay!" She's babbling, and Liam wishes she'd stop. It's not making things better.
Finally, he bends down to get Miss Fancy Pants. She must have sensed the tension, because she's standing right next to him. He straightens up, holding her.
Road blinks a few times and seems startled by the fluffy white dog.
"Have a good evening," Liam says to the three of them before he leaves, his voice grim.
"You too!" Tori calls after him.
Blair and Road remain silent.
He heads out to his truck, cursing this whole screwed-up situation.
The Mustang is parked right next to it, and he can't help admiring it again. Shiny and green with a red interior. Road may be an asshole, but Liam can't deny the bastard has great taste in cars.
Tori spends half the dinner listening to Blair freak out.
"I know you can't help the way you are, but if you're too nice, some guys get the wrong idea. We've been down that road before."
Unfortunately, she can't deny what Blair's saying. They have been down that road. There have been some guys in the past who took her being nice the wrong way, who thought she was playing hard to get when she ignored their calls and told them she wasn't interested.
"This isn't like that," Tori tries to explain, though it falls on deaf ears.
Blair shakes her head. "You don't want an asshole like Liam getting the wrong idea."
"He's not so bad. I kind of like him."
Tori’s tempted to tell her about the afternoon of lust they shared but knows she wouldn’t understand.
"Don't forget the bandito test," Blair continues. "There's no way Liam would pass that." The bandito test is this test she and Blair always gave the men they dated. The test is this: If you were captured by a group of banditos, would the guy you were dating rescue you and risk bodily harm, or would he leave you to a terrible fate?
"I don't know about that. "
Her best friend picks up her water glass. "We know you always want to see the good in people, but sometimes there isn't any good."
Tori doesn't reply and feels a flicker of annoyance. Whether a guy she's seeing passes the bandito test is her decision to make, not Blair's.
When there's finally a break in the conversation, Tori tells them the story of what happened with Dr. Adrian. She's been cryptic about it in her texts.
Road chuckles as he pours salsa over his burrito. "It sounds to me like you were mostly in love with his midnight blue Tesla."
"That’s not true! Though I do love that car. It's so cool."
"I'm sorry," Blair says. "He sounded perfect."
"I know." Tori leans back in her chair. "He is perfect. We have so much in common. And you should see how good he is with animals. He's a great guy."
"I thought he kissed you though?"
Her face grows warm. "It was sort of the other way around." She fiddles with her napkin. "I kissed him."
Blair nods. "I see."
"So, anyway." Tori takes a deep breath. "Yeah."
"You'll meet somebody. I know you will. Just give it time."
Such a familiar refrain from all her married friends. "I have given it time. I think I may have to accept the fact that my special someone might not be out there. Maybe we missed each other in this lifetime."
"I don't think that's true."
Tori picks up her water glass, desperate for a change of subject. "So how's it going with you guys? Is anybody pregnant yet?"
Blair sighs. "Not yet."
Her brother grins. "Though not for lack of trying."
"They say it can take months sometimes," Tori offers. "I'm sure it'll happen eventually."
Blair turns to Road. He leans in and kisses her. They smile at each other, tuning Tori out. Usually she doesn't mind how affectionate they are, but today it's getting on her nerves. She doesn't want to sit around with two people who are crazy in love. It's only making her feel worse.
She glances toward the restaurant window and wishes she could escape. Just for a little while. Escape her life.
And that's when she sucks in her breath.
The cabin at the lake!
What was I thinking?
Frantically, she digs through her bag and gets her phone out, searching for the message Peyton sent her last night. She finds it and then types in a new response to her friend.
I've changed my mind!! Is it too late for the cabin?
Blair and Road are being playful with each other. She's feeding him a tortilla chip and pretending to complain about how much Mexican food he eats. Tori's glad for them. She really is. Married life seems to agree with them both, and she's never seen her brother so happy.
A new text pops up from Peyton. Let me ask Tara.
Okay, thanks!
As she waits for the answer, worried she's ruined her chance, she considers the logistics of all this.
"Could you guys take care of my boys next weekend?"
Blair tilts her head. "I think so. Why?"
"Could I also borrow your Honda for a little getaway?" She knows she has to replace Mable soon, but hasn't heard from Brody yet.
"Are you going somewhere?"
She explains about Peyton's cousin's cabin.
"You'd stay there alone?" Blair asks. "Is it safe?"
"It's just for the weekend. It sounds like a nice place. Peyton offered, and I said no, but now I've changed my mind."
"Where is it?" Road wants to know.
"Truth Harbor. The cabin is right on Treasure Lake."
He picks up his beer and considers this. "I could get you plane tickets to somewhere more exotic. I didn't realize you were interested in going anywhere. "
She smiles. He and Blair are always traveling to the most amazing places. "Thanks, but for now this is good. I just need a little break."
"Yes, of course we'll watch your animals," Blair says. "And you know you can use my car as long as you need it."
"Thanks, I appreciate that."
Her phone buzzes, and Tori grabs it off the table.
She said yes!
Tori grins. I'm so glad! Thank you!!!
You're welcome! I'll give her your number, and she can text you with all the details. I'm so happy you're doing this!
Me too!! I'm excited!!!
It turns out the cabin was also available Friday and Monday, so Tori decided to go for it. She figures, why not? The next week becomes a whirlwind as she tries to rearrange her life to be gone four days.
Dr. Adrian said it was no problem taking the time off from the animal hospital, and she's been calling her Happy Pet Nanny regulars to let them know. A couple of them weren't happy, but she offered them a discount on their next bill to make up for the inconvenience. The no-kill shelter she volunteers at was able to find a replacement for her two shifts. It's all coming together with one exception—her mom, who has a complete meltdown.
"You're leaving town?" she wails. "Why would you want to leave town?"
"It's only for a long weekend," Tori says. It's Wednesday evening, and they're sitting in her mom's living room. "I'll be back on Tuesday."
"What am I going to do? What if I need help?"
"Just call Road or Blair. They'll come over."
"Hey, am I chopped liver?" Wayne comes out from the kitchen with a beer in his hand. "I'm here too, woman."
Tori doesn't say anything. She doesn't trust Wayne to be reliable.
"But what if I need my baby girl?" Her mom’s bleary eyes stay on Tori. "You can't leave me."
Wayne sits beside her mom on the couch. The new couch.
Tori was shocked when she came over tonight and saw all the changes. New living room furniture. New dining room table and chairs. There was even artwork hanging on the walls. For a moment, she thought she'd walked into the wrong house.
"Honeybunch, I'll be here," he says to her mom, rubbing the back of her neck. "If you need something, let your man know. Haven't I done right by you so far?"
Her mom turns and smiles at him. She puts her hand on his leg and purrs, "You sure have. You're my sugar daddy."
Wayne grins. "Damn straight I am." He leans over and kisses her on the mouth.
Tori wants to puke.
"Where did all this new stuff come from?" she asks them.
"Here and there," Wayne says. "I got a special deal on it." He winks at her mom, who's smiling at him like he's the answer to all her prayers.
"I love it so much." Her mom runs her hand over the sofa's green fabric. "Makes me feel like I'm living in a brand-new house."
"What kind of special deal?"
"Oh, you know." Wayne reaches for his cigarettes. "Just a fire sale, that's all. Everything must go." He grins with crooked teeth at her mom, who giggles.
Tori wonders if it all fell off the back of a truck. She's not sure if she wants to know the truth.
Before she leaves, she hides the bourbon under the kitchen sink and switches her mom's whiskey sour to water.
"Please don't let her drink so much," she pleads quietly to Wayne in the kitchen. "That's all I ask."
He's smoking another cigarette. "Don't worry, your mama is in good hands with me. I'll take care of everything."
Tori cringes .
"You go have fun on your trip."
By the time she heads home, Wayne and her mom are curled up on the new sofa, watching Netflix on the new television, and eating a bowl of microwave popcorn.
Late that night, as Tori's doing laundry and decorating her planner with stickers and washi tape, she knows there's one loose end she hasn't taken care of yet.
Liam.
She's been thinking about him since Saturday, though she tried not to. In fact, she never contacted him about pet sitting Miss Fancy Pants. After that incident on her porch and the dinner with Blair and Road, it seemed like it was best to keep her distance.
Except a strange thing keeps happening.
Every night when she goes to sleep, she imagines him here with her, his arms wrapped around her, like the afternoon they shared. Cozy and safe.
She reaches for her phone and brings up their last text conversation. Her thumbs type in a single word. Hi .
There's no reply. It's after eleven though. She types some more. I hope this doesn't wake you up. I just saw the time .
Still holding her phone, she stares at the screen, wondering if this is a mistake. Her pulse jumps when she sees him responding.
It's okay. I'm awake .
How's Miss Fancy Pants?
Good. She missed you last week .
Was she okay by herself?
For the most part. I came home for lunch a couple days .
She nods, glad to hear that.
Another text from him appears. I never heard from you Saturday .
I know. Sorry .
There's a pause and she's not sure what to say. It's weird. She's not even sure what she wants from Liam, only that she wants something .
Tori types some more. I'm going away this weekend for a little vacation .
Where to?
She describes the cabin on the lake. Peyton's cousin texted her the link online, and it looked really nice in the pictures. It's right on the water with an amazing view .
Sounds great.
Her thumbs hover over the phone. She’s nervous, her stomach filled with butterflies, debating what she's about to do. She knows this is crazy, but she types again.
Would you like to come with me?