Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
Elena's eyes roam over Tori with obvious disdain. "It's you ."
"Yes, it’s me."
"Where's my brother?"
"He went to the grocery store."
Elena motions toward the driveway. "His truck's here."
"I know. He took my minivan."
They stare at each other. Elena's dark hair is pulled back in a ponytail. She's wearing a sweatshirt and jeans, sunglasses on top of her head. Very little makeup.
"Would you like to come inside and wait for him?" Tori asks politely.
"Yes, I will." She barges in and marches right past her.
Tori follows her into the living room. At the sound of a new person's voice, there's barking, and all four dogs come scrambling out from the kitchen.
Oh no .
Tori tries to wrangle them, telling them to sit, but they're only half listening. And Miss Fancy Pants isn't listening at all.
"What is all this?" Elena asks with obvious disgust. "Whose dogs are these? Get them away from me."
"They're mine." She pulls Duff and Eddie away by their collars. At least Tommy Lee's hanging back. "Sorry. They're very friendly and get excited meeting new people."
"It figures you'd have a pack of wild dogs."
Tori bites her tongue. She walks them to the backyard and then closes the dog door. They'll be safe out there from any more mean comments.
Elena is bent down, petting Miss Fancy Pants.
"Can I get you a glass of iced tea while you're waiting?" Tori asks, knowing Liam's whole family drinks the stuff like water.
"Wow." She stands and looks her over. "You’re offering me iced tea in my own brother's house."
Tori's temper frays. "Does that mean you'd like some or not?"
"You've got quite the nice setup, don't you? I'll bet you'd just love to move in."
"Move in here? " Tori's disturbed at even the thought of it. "I would never want to live here."
"We both know that's a lie. I'll bet you've got my brother running around in circles for you."
"I don't know what you mean."
Elena snorts. "Oh, I think you know exactly what I mean."
"No, I don't. "
"It means your sweet and innocent act doesn't fool me. It didn't in high school, and it doesn't now."
"I'm not acting like anything."
Elena's brown eyes, which are unfortunately the same rich shade as Liam's, glare at her. "You're just another one of his mistakes. Don't forget that." She sneers. "At least you'll be gone soon enough."
This is Liam's sister , she reminds herself, gritting her teeth. Liam told her how his sister was widowed three years ago, leaving her with two small children, and despite everything, Tori felt sad hearing that. She also reminds herself that he spent hours on Saturday meeting and dealing with her family. The least she can do is be nice to this one relative.
"Whatever you might think of me, I care about your brother very much."
"Please." She rolls her eyes. "You're obviously using him."
"Using him for what?"
"Who knows? But I don't trust you. And my brother deserves a whole lot better than a weirdo."
There's a sound as the front door opens, and a few seconds later, Liam walks into the living room carrying two bags of groceries.
"Elena? I saw your car out front. I didn't know you were stopping by."
She adjusts the sunglasses on her head. "I was in the area and thought I'd take a chance that you were home. I haven't seen you in weeks. We all miss you, especially the kids."
Liam's expression turns stricken. "I miss those monkeys too. I wish you'd brought them with you."
Elena's expression hardens as she glares at Tori. "It's just as well I didn't."
He doesn't seem to hear her comment as he heads into the kitchen to put the groceries away. The two women follow him.
"We're going to grill tonight," he says, emptying one of the bags while Tori stands beside him and empties the other. "Would you like to stay for dinner?" He looks over his shoulder at his sister .
Tori hopes she says no.
"I'd love to."
Great.
"Great." He turns to Tori. "I got those ice cream bars you like so much." He grins, holding up a box of her favorite coconut cream treats.
"Thanks, that was sweet of you."
To her surprise, he leans down and kisses her. "To be honest, you've got me hooked on them too."
She senses Elena's disapproval pouring out like smoke from a fire.
As they get everything ready for dinner, both women are in the kitchen. Tori makes the salad and gets out the package of her favorite veggie burgers. Elena does something with the chicken. He gives each of them a glass of iced tea.
"Sometime you'll have to try the blackberry sage tea Tori makes," he says to Elena. "It's incredible. I would never have thought those flavors go together, but they do."
"Is that right?" his sister says.
"She makes another one with lemongrass and ginger that's also delicious."
"Sounds… unusual."
Weird is what she means. Tori can tell by the tone of her voice.
By the time they have everything set up and have moved outside, the two women haven't spoken one word to each other. Liam is carrying the entire conversation.
Tori knows him well enough that she can tell he's really trying hard with his sister.
"So you don't eat meat?" Elena asks her. "None at all?"
"No, I'm a vegan."
Elena rolls her eyes.
Smoky barbecue smells drift out from the grill. Liam cooks the food while he talks to his sister, catching up on the latest news about various family members.
Tori sips her tea, listening politely .
"You should come over for dinner soon," Elena says to him. "The boys would love to see you. How about next week?"
He uses tongs to turn the chicken on the grill and seems cheerful. "That sounds great. We'll be there."
"Actually, I just meant you ," she says to him, then turns to Tori. "No offense."
"None taken."
But Liam does seem offended. He turns around, still holding the tongs. "What do you mean, just me? Tori's not invited?"
"No, she's not."
He puts the utensil down and turns the grill off. "I thought you came here to make peace. That you finally came to your senses about all this."
"What gave you that idea?"
"Because you're here , having dinner with us."
Elena shakes her head. "I'm here because you're my brother, and we miss you. Apparently your priorities have changed though."
"My priorities haven't changed. They've expanded to include someone new, that's all."
"My God." Elena leans back in her chair. "How can you be so smart and so dumb at the same time?"
Liam goes still. "I'd tread carefully here if I were you."
"Oh, so now I can't speak my mind? It's like high school all over again. And you know what? Just like high school, this "—she points to Liam and Tori—"isn't going to end well."
"You have no idea what you're talking about. I've never been this happy in my entire life." He looks over at Tori and grins.
She smiles too, though her stomach's tied in knots, sick at the way Liam and his sister are arguing.
Elena seems frustrated. "She's just another one of your crazies, and you refuse to see it."
His expression hardens. "Stop it."
"Except she's worse than all of them put together. She's only going to drag you down. "
Liam straightens his shoulders, his voice stern. "That's enough. I'm not listening to you disparage Tori."
"I know the truth is hard to hear, but I can’t stand by silently as you make another mistake."
"I don't believe this." He throws his hands up. "I honestly thought you came here because you realized how ridiculous you were acting."
"I'm not the one who's acting ." Elena turns to Tori. "I can see you've got your hooks deep into him. You must be quite pleased with yourself."
Tori doesn't even know what to say to this strange assertion. "Hooks? I don't have any hooks."
Liam's expression is grim. "Just leave, Elena. Before you embarrass yourself any more than you already have."
"So you're kicking me out of your house? That's nice. Your own sister."
"Please go."
She pushes her chair back and stands up. "Don't say I didn't warn you." After having the last word, she leaves, slamming the screen door behind her. A few seconds later, the front door slams.
Tori gets up and immediately goes to Liam, putting her arms around him. "I'm so sorry."
"Are you kidding? I'm the one who needs to apologize to you. My sister has lost her mind."
"She thinks she's protecting you from me."
He laughs. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."
"Maybe I am one of your crazies."
His arms tighten around her as they both hug each other. "Rubia . " He sighs. "What you are is the best thing that's ever happened to me. With you, I finally hit a home run."
They wrap up the leftover barbecue and take the dogs out for a walk. There's a trail near his house that goes through a wooded area. It's still early evening, so there are plenty of people out, some with dogs or kids, others on bikes.
He takes Tori's hand. The woods smell mossy and green, sunlight shining golden through the trees.
They don't talk about Elena. Instead, Tori tells him about her day, about the work she did for her brother, then about the various animals she was pet sitting. She's lively and animated. He laughs when she describes how one dog gets frantic if she comes inside the house before he finds his rubber duck, how he likes to greet her at the door with it. It reminds him of Fancy's antics.
Whoever thought he'd enjoy hearing dog stories? But so much has changed in his life since Tori came into it.
He's never felt so at ease with a woman before. And every time he sees her, or knows he's about to see her, he can't stop grinning.
"I'm glad I'm staying over tonight," she says later when they're back at his house and getting ready for bed.
"Are you? Despite what happened with my sister?"
She nods and climbs in beside him. Flashes of her feet and hands show she's wearing her usual pink glitter nail polish. "I hate to think of you all alone here in this neighborhood. It's so sad."
"So it's gone from spooky to sad?"
"The more I think about it, this neighborhood isn't you ."
He studies her pretty face, the light sprinkling of freckles across her nose, and realizes she possibly understands him better than he does himself. "I used to think it fit me perfectly, but you're right. I'd rather have what you described. A place where I know my neighbors."
In some ways, this neighborhood is a metaphor for everything that's been wrong with his life.
She slides under the cool sheets next to him and they make love in a slow, unhurried way. He enjoys taking his time like this, savoring her. She's tried to come with him a few more times since that first attempt, and he knows it's still bothering her.
"I want it because I want the intimacy with you," she tells him after another bathroom visit.
"We are intimate." He runs his fingers along her hairline. "This is intimacy, rubia. Right now."
Her eyes drift shut as he plays with her hair. "I want it all though. Every level."
"I know."
She gazes at him. "Does that make me greedy? I already have so much."
"No, of course not. I just don't want you to feel pressured."
Her eyes are still on his face, studying him. "You should accept your sister's invitation for dinner next week. After what she’s been through, it can’t be easy for her."
He strokes her hair, kneading her scalp with his fingertips. "It has been a while since I've seen my nephews."
"Elena’s probably threatened by me. Especially with how much time we spend together."
"There’s no reason to be. I have room in my life for all of you." Though he sees Tori’s point. They’ve been so wrapped up in each other, he’s seen little of Elena and the boys lately.
"I don't want to come between you and your family. Just go. Please. I’d feel so much better."
"Okay, I will." His mouth turns up at the corner. "You're amazing. I always knew I was right about you."
"You’d do the same for me."
"Hopefully my sister let's go of this grudge soon. She doesn't like to admit when she's wrong about anything. I'd love for you to meet my nephews. They're great kids."
"I'd like that too."
When Wednesday arrives, Liam's supposed to meet Road at a Mexican restaurant after work. Tori's been texting him about it all day.
Please don't kill each other tonight!!!
Don't worry, I'll only arrest him.
Very funny.
Did you ask him why he wanted to meet with me?
I texted him, but he hasn't responded. I asked Blair, and she has no idea either!!!
Her brother is already there when he arrives at the restaurant, studying his phone. Liam slides into the booth across from him.
Road glances up. "Thanks for meeting me. Do you mind if I order dinner while we talk?"
"Knock yourself out." The waiter brings Liam a menu, but he only glances at it. He doubts he'll stay long enough for a meal. Meanwhile, Road is eating chips and salsa.
"Bet you're wondering why I asked you here," Road says, taking a sip from his beer.
"I have to admit, I'm curious."
"There are a couple reasons." He puts the bottle down. "First off, thank you for agreeing to play on Brody's softball team. That's seriously cool of you."
"Sure. Like I said, so far my schedule looks fine, but unfortunately, that could change."
He nods. "I still appreciate you not holding anything that happened between the two of us against my cousin."
Liam doesn't reply, wondering where this conversation is headed.
"And then there's a second reason I invited you here." Road takes a deep breath and seems uncomfortable. "I want to apologize for the shit that happened between us in high school."
This surprises him, though he's careful not to show it.
"Been thinking about it since the weekend, and I know I was a real dick to you. "
"That's true. You were." The waiter brings him his iced tea. " Gracias ."
"You have to understand the situation back then. My little sister was crying her eyes out. She told me some dude asked her to homecoming, and because she said no, he poured a milkshake over her head."
Liam drinks from his glass and puts it down.
"It was fucked up," Road says. "I was pissed as hell at you after I heard that story."
"When you tell it like that, it sounds bad. That's not the actual story though."
He leans back against his seat. "Yeah, I know. Tori gave me a new history lesson. Turns out I was wrong about everything. I’m sorry, man. I acted like a real asshole."
Liam can't help grinning a little.
Road grins too. "Bet you're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"I admit, I am."
"That's understandable." Road nods and then meets his eyes. "So, are we square?"
Liam considers him for a long moment. He didn't see this coming. It occurs to him Road isn't quite what he thought. "Yeah, we're square."
Road lets his breath out. "Good."
The waiter comes back and asks them if they'd like to order. Liam consults the menu. He didn't think he'd be staying for dinner, but he’s changing his mind.
Meanwhile Road orders, asking a few questions about the food. To Liam's surprise, the whole exchange happens in Spanish. Once the waiter's gone, he leans forward.
"Hablas espa?ol?"
"Sí," Road says. "Vivi en Espa?a durante un a?o."
"Mis abuelos son de Mexico," he says, telling him how his grandparents are from Mexico. "Crecí hablando espa?ol e inglés." As a result he spoke both Spanish and English growing up .
They talk more, and by the time the waiter brings Road's meal, Liam decides to order dinner. He points at Road's beer and says he'll take one of those too.
They spend the rest of the evening getting to know each other, speaking Spanish the whole time. Liam learns about Road's travel blog and the books he's written. It's an enlightening conversation.
When he goes to Tori's place afterward, it's obvious she's been on pins and needles waiting for him.
"How was it? You're still in one piece obviously, and I assume he's not in jail. I hope he wasn't rude. I told my brother I'd stop speaking to him if he doesn't stop acting like a jerk."
Liam tells her how Road apologized for everything that happened between them.
"He did? That's great news!"
"Yeah, we talked for a while. You never told me he speaks Spanish."
"Oh, yeah." She goes into the kitchen and fiddles with the oven. From what he can see, she's making a fresh batch of the dog snacks she sells. "He lived in Spain for a while. Is his Spanish any good?"
"Surprisingly good."
"I have to say, when my brother realizes he's wrong about something, at least he's quick to admit it."
Liam nods and can't help thinking of Elena. She's convinced Tori and her family are nothing but lowlifes, but who's the one acting poorly?
"He invited me to a ball game next week with him and Brody."
She pulls out a pan of dog snacks and sets it on a cooling rack. "Are you going to go?"
"I think so." He pauses. "Listen, there's something else I wanted to talk to you about."
She adjusts the temperature knob then closes the oven door. "What’s that?"
"My parents want us to come down and visit them in Portland this weekend. "
Her eyes flash over to his. "They do?"
"Yeah, my mom called me today." She called while he was at work and wanted to know if he really threw his sister out of the house. He tried to explain how it wasn't as dramatic as that.
"I suppose we could go down there." Tori seems worried. "They won’t be rude to me, will they?"
"No, they'd never behave like that." When she comes closer, he reaches for her hand. "I’d really like you to meet them."
She goes quiet at this.
"It’s important to me."
"Okay." She takes a deep breath. "Then I'll meet them."
Tori's nervous. She's worried Liam's parents will think the same thing Elena does.
That she's another one of his crazy girlfriends.
"You can play country music if you want," she tells him once they're in his truck, heading south on the interstate. "I don't mind."
“Really?" He glances over at her with concern. "Are you feeling okay, rubia?"
She laughs lightly. "I'm just nervous."
"There's no reason to be nervous." He reaches over and takes her hand. "They're going to love you."
Tori sighs. "I hope you're right."
She looks down at the way they're holding hands, then back up at Liam's handsome profile as he drives.
Love .
They've been throwing that word around a lot lately. Neither of them has said "I love you," but they've been saying things that are awfully close. "I love how you make me feel" and "I love everything about you."
And it's all true. She's never felt so connected or intimate with anyone.
Along with faking orgasms in the past, she also used to tell guys she loved them. But only if they said it first, and only because she didn't want to hurt their feelings or disappoint them.
More and more though, she's been thinking about what Liam said—that maybe those guys were disappointing her . No one ever looked too closely or tried to understand her. He's the only one. And that's when a strange thought occurs to her.
What if he's my special someone?
What if they were supposed to be one of those high school sweetheart couples? The ones who got married and stayed in love the rest of their lives, and all these years apart were just a big mistake. Maybe that's why the universe brought them together again.
The thought takes her breath away.
By the time they arrive at his parents’ house, it's late Friday afternoon. It was raining off and on as they drove down but has since cleared up. They live in an upper-middle-class neighborhood where all the houses are well spaced apart. She sees kids on bikes and people out working in their yards.
A petite woman wearing a floppy yellow hat is out front adding flowers to a clay pot.
"There's my mom," he says, pulling into the driveway.
They climb out of the truck, and his mom takes off her gardening gloves and walks toward them. She gives Liam a big hug. "It's about time you came down. We haven't seen you in almost two months."
"Things have been nuts at work."
His mom nods. "I know, I heard. The Rizzo arrest has been making it into all the papers here."
"It's starting to get national attention."
Adrenaline spikes through Tori at the mere mention of his big case. All her worries about Wayne and her mom come rushing back.
When they're done hugging, his mother's light blue eyes turn to her. "And you must be Tori."
"Yes, it's very nice to meet you."
To her surprise, his mom gives her a big hug too .
"I'm Moira. Liam's told us a lot about you."
"He has?"
"Come on inside. Are you hungry? I made some vegetarian chili for a late lunch. I understand you don't eat meat."
"Yes, that's right," Tori murmurs. "But don't go out of your way cooking for me. I can always find something to eat."
"It's no bother," Moira says cheerfully.
Once inside, she sees the house is decorated nicely. Comfortable and not ostentatious. Moira is talking a mile a minute, asking her son questions interspersed with lots of lively laughter. She's not at all what Tori thought she would be. Despite what Liam said, she was still picturing someone more severe like Elena.
Moira pulls her floppy hat off, and Tori sees her short hair is colored bright red. Even though it's not natural, it suits her.
"Where's Dad?"
"Upstairs. He should be down soon."
They sit at the kitchen table, where Moira pours everyone iced tea with lemon. Liam tells her about Tori's tea flavors and how creative she is, and Tori feels embarrassed. Though she has to admit, it's the first time she's been with a guy who bragged to his parents like this.
"Now, let me have a real look at you." Moira turns toward her and reaches out to take her hand. Her eyes roam over Tori's face. "Well, you're just lovely, aren't you?"
"Thank you." She's not sure what to make of all this. The hand holding and the scrutiny. It doesn't seem ill-intentioned though.
"Liam's told me you have a kind nature, and I see it now too. Tell me a little about yourself."
"Well, I have a pet sitting business called Happy Pet Nanny. I bake dog snacks and sell them. I also work on websites and create graphics for them."
"You're quite industrious."
Tori's brows go up, and she laughs. "I never really think of myself that way, but I suppose I am. "
Moira nods approvingly and smiles at Liam. "I do like her."
He grins. "I told you you would."
Tori studies Moira. "Thank you." Despite all this scrutiny, there's something warm and welcoming about her. "I like you too."
She beams. "Then we're off to a good start. Would you two like a bowl of chili?"
They both say yes, and Moira goes to get it for them. Tori offers to help, but Moira tells her to sit back down. A minute later she comes over with two bowls. As they begin to eat, a man who's obviously Liam’s father comes into the kitchen.
"Sorry I missed your arrival." He puts his hand on Liam's shoulder. "I was cleaning out the garage all morning and needed a quick shower."
"Mom told me you were doing that today, but I didn't believe her."
His father chuckles. "It reached critical mass." His intense gaze shifts to her. "And you must be Tori." He puts his hand out. "I'm Ray."
She shakes it. "It's nice to meet you." It's clear Liam takes after his dad. They have a similar height and build. Neither of his parents has Liam's sensual mouth though.
Ray sits at the table and asks how the drive down went. Tori remembers him from that meeting in the principal's office years ago. How he seemed so serious and intimidating.
He still seems that way.
Moira, who's like the opposite of her husband, comes over with two more bowls of chili. She sets one in front of him and then takes a seat with the second one.
"So what can you tell us about Rizzo?" Ray asks, drizzling honey over his cornbread. "That case of yours has been creating a lot of good press for the bureau."
Liam nods. "It's really blown up. The U.S. Attorney's Office is still adding to the list of charges, and we've arrested a number of his associates. A lot of separate investigations are happening."
Ray listens while eating his chili .
"That's about all I can say for now. Ironically, there's even a connection with Tori and how we first met again."
"Really? Is that so?" Both his parents look at her.
Liam relays the story about Mable and how the ring of thieves is likely part of Rizzo's crime network. "It turns out they're using these minivans to smuggle stolen goods across state lines."
She tries to smile and not look nervous during his retelling. Except it isn't easy. There are two FBI agents staring at her. She feels like a lamb sitting in the lion's den.
It must show too, because Liam reaches over and squeezes her hand. She knows he thinks she's nervous meeting his parents, and she is, but talking about all this is making her queasy.
More than anything, she wishes she could tell him everything. All her suspicions about Wayne. It would be such a relief. What's the worst that could happen?
They could arrest my mom .
After they eat, Moira shows her the guest room where she'll be sleeping. Apparently Liam will be on the pullout bed downstairs in the family room. He'd already warned her that his parents are Catholic and would put them in separate bedrooms.
"You should sneak down to me tonight," he whispers when they're alone in the guest room. His mom left to go grab her a towel and washcloth.
" Me sneak down?" She imagines herself navigating these unfamiliar halls alone at night. With her luck, she'd knock over a vase and wake up the whole house. "Why don't you sneak up?"
"Because my parents' bedroom is right across the hall."
"What if we get caught?"
"We won’t get caught. The family room is on the first floor and has a door."
She chews her bottom lip. "I don't know. Your dad's an FBI agent."
He chuckles. "So am I, remember? "
"I know, but he probably has the place booby-trapped with alarms and motion detectors and Lord knows what else."
For some reason he finds this amusing. "They're all on the outside of the house. Or most of them anyway."
"Gee, that's reassuring."
"Don't worry." He leans closer. "I'll draw you a map with coordinates that show all the blind spots for the interior cameras."
She stares at him with wide eyes.
"Just in case though, wear a black leotard and a mask."
"What?"
His mouth twitches.
"Oh, you !" She smacks his arm, and he cracks up. "You think you're so funny, don't you? A real comedian."