AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I considered it for a moment. “Sure.” For now. I was going to soak up every second of this. Liam Wells had been forced to call me for help, which meant I truly had the upper hand for once. The man didn’t have many buttons to push, but I’d just found a golden one.
He opened up the passenger-side door and slipped into the seat. “You know, you would be really funny if your sense of humor didn’t kick in at such bad times.”
I grinned to myself. “Probably.”
The incident really had lightened my mood. More often than not, Liam had the upper hand, and for a moment, the playing field had been leveled. The jerk was far too perfect in most areas. On rare occasion, something like this would come up, and when it did, I’d have to latch on to it and ride it out. Otherwise, the only topic I could really roast him about was how he dried his hair with T-shirts instead of towels to avoid split ends. Only bringing that up was tricky, because I’d started doing the same thing after I realized how freaking luscious his hair was. I would be lying if I said the trick didn’t work.
Liam didn’t trip, didn’t fumble. He was cool, calm, and collected. He always wore that knowing smirk like he was five steps ahead of everyone else. The most frustrating part was that he actually was. I couldn’t even blame the guy for his blatant confidence. If I had a body like his and the face to match, I’d be walking around like the next contestant of The Bachelor too.
The only other time in recent memory I’d had ammunition this good was when he assumed Paul and I were sleeping together. The concept was so hilarious there was no way I couldn’t laugh at it.
A few minutes into the drive, Liam groaned and dropped his head back. He mumbled about nosey receptionists and then answered his vibrating phone.
“Hey, Melinda. I’m on my way now. Just don’t let—”
A pause.
“What do you mean they left? Who told them they could?”
The woman on the other end of the line sounded older, but I couldn’t make out what she was saying. Liam pinched the bridge of his nose, bouncing his knee in his fancy navy suit.
I snorted. This man was so unlike the Liam I’d spent years loving. My Liam had danced on top of tables in college. He’d once sung “Love Is an Open Door” with meat a karaoke bar. This stuffy businessman was a virtual stranger. Then again, I hadn’t always been an overstimulated, easily annoyed, incredibly short-fused mom.
It seemed as though we’d both changed.
“Why did you call him? When will it be fixed? Yes, Melinda. Of course I have questions.” With each question or demand, Liam’s voice got louder.
It took all I had to hold back a smile when I heard a string of loud Spanish words filtering from his phone.
“I’m not yelling. Okay, I am. I’m irritated. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He hung up with a sigh.
I kept my eyes on the road, still biting back a grin. “Hmm, does this mean I’m not taking you to the office?”
Liam ran a hand through his hair. I hadn’t seen it this chaotic in years. He was always so put together. Now, his tie was crooked and there were grease stains on his once crisp white button-down. “Nope. Do you mind dropping me off at my house?”
It was a thirty-minute drive if traffic wasn’t a nightmare. Liam’s cozy cottage was just outside the city. It was the perfect location. Rural enough to have a bit of land but with easy access to downtown.
I hated how much I loved the place. Why couldn’t he live in a typical bachelor pad? Something unrealistic and obnoxious that highlighted his single status, instead of the fairy-tale house off on its own down a quiet street filled with older couples and widows.
The white siding was crisp, a perfect contrast to the sage green front door and weathered wood finishes that gave it a bit of a rustic feel. The front of the house was an oasis of boxed flowers, and the wraparound porch was outfitted with cozy conversation sets. It would be the perfect place to watch the sunrise with a cup of English breakfast tea or spend a quiet evening with one of Layla’s books. My feet propped up on the railing and soft instrumental music strumming quietly in the background. The boys’ laughter on the air as they chased and climbed in the backyard.
That, right there, was heaven.
Or it would be, if that slice of paradise didn’t belong to Liam Wells.
“Sure.” I put on my left turn signal and made a U-turn.
We rode with nothing but the hushed sound of road noise breaking the silence. I hadn’t realized how awkward the quiet could be. Usually, we were too busy arguing to allow such a thing.
“So…Melinda? What happened to Annie?”
When we were married, Annie was Liam’s receptionist. She was a tiny thing in her early twenties with bright blond hair who wore insanely short skirts. She would call Liam at all hours of the day and ask the dumbest questions. I swore it was just so she could hear his voice. I couldn’t stand her. Sometimes, before things went south, I would pop into the office to bring Liam lunch and leave a huge lipstick mark on his cheek, or maybe even his collar. It was my version of peeing on my territory.
“I fired her a while ago.”
Huh. He’d once told me that he didn’t have the authority to fire her. I guess he did now.
