BareBottomGirl (9 page)

Liam stepped forward to shield Greer. “This is our
housekeeper, Greer Davidson.”

Greer shifted around him. Although he sensed her tension,
she approached Julie with her hand outstretched. Liam closed his eyes for a
heartbeat. This would not be good, not if he knew his ex.

“I’m pleased to meet you. Liam and Chas have told me all
about Wyatt,” Greer’s tone was friendly, her smile open. “Can I give you a hand
with anything?”

Julie ignored Greer’s hand as if it was beneath her to
actually shake hands with the hired help. Instead, she looked down her long,
paid-for-perfect nose and popped the trunk with the remote. “His things are in
the trunk.”

With barely a hitch in her stride or her smile, Greer
shifted directions to the back of the sleek Mercedes. Liam moved toward the
rear passenger door, glaring at Julie.

“You’re such a bitch,” he muttered as he passed her.

“And how is
your
latest bitch, Lee? Still working at
the hospital?” Julie smiled when he hesitated before opening the door to get
Wyatt. “Play nice,” she continued. “Sole custody with no visitation would be so
easy to do unless you can find a judge who’d like your dick up
his
ass.
Is that why you and Chas hired a housekeeper who looks like a little boy?”

“Shut the fuck up,” he growled as Greer stepped back from
the trunk and slammed it shut. Nothing in her expression indicated she’d heard
any of the poison pouring from his ex-wife. Liam could only feel grateful. He
wrenched the door open, took a deep breath to calm himself, and bent to smile
at his son. “Hey, Wyatt! How you doing, big man?”

“Daddy!” His son’s high-pitched squeal helped loosen some of
the tightness around his heart. It still amazed him this beautiful, blue-eyed
boy was something he and Julie had created. While he might have her eyes, his
dark hair was all Liam’s.

He extricated Wyatt from his car seat. The little boy
chattered and giggled about nothing. Liam lifted him into his arms, contentment
wrapping around him with the hug of Wyatt’s chubby arms around his neck. He
would take whatever shit Julie dished out, take whatever he had to in order to
hold onto this, his son.

He opened his eyes. Greer watched him, something flickering
in the depths of her gaze before she hoisted Wyatt’s suitcase and a bag of
toys. A lot for a weekend. Liam turned a questioning stare to Julie.

“This is a weekend party, right?”

She arched her brows in feigned surprise. “Did I say weekend?
I don’t know what I was thinking.”

Liam’s brows snapped together. “Julie…”

“It’s a week, but if having your son is a problem…” She let
her words drift off. Liam ground his teeth with impotent fury. He knew where
this always headed. She could always take him back to her parents, and then it
would take a freaking act of Congress, or an act of his attorney at the very
least, before he’d be able to see Wyatt again. She’d done it before. There was
no true interest in what was best for their son, only how she could use him as
a tool.

Greer spoke. “Wyatt, can you show me where your room is so I
can take your things there?”

The little boy nodded, wriggling in Liam’s arms until he set
him down. Liam watched them head toward the house. He owed Greer. She’d seen things
heading south and skillfully extricated Wyatt from being in the middle of it.

“Did you find a little boy-girl for you and Chas to play
with, or is it only you who likes to play for both teams?”

Wyatt was no longer there, neither was Greer. The door had
shut behind them, and Liam felt absolutely no need to hide his true feelings
anymore.

“Get back in your car, Julie, and get the hell off my
property. Call me when you get back. I’ll bring him to you, but stay away from
here.”

“Don’t you mean stay away from your little housekeeper?” she
sneered. “I bet if you close your eyes, you won’t even notice she doesn’t have
a penis.”

“Enough!” Liam roared. Fists balled in his pockets he took a
step back from her so he wouldn’t hit her. “Get in your car and go.”

Her eyes widened, as if she finally realized she’d pushed
him too far. With more speed than grace now, she slid behind the wheel,
spinning gravel as she backed out and whipped down the drive.

Liam closed his eyes, forcing himself to take in long, slow
gulps of air, exhaling just as carefully. Looking back on things now, he found
it hard to believe he’d ever been sufficiently interested in Julie to have sex
often enough to father Wyatt. He knew she hadn’t been faithful during their
time together, but looking at Wyatt was enough to tell him he was indeed his
son’s biological as well as legal father. He just wished Wyatt didn’t have such
a bitch for a mother.

He let out a long, shaky breath and glanced toward the
house. He needed some time to get himself under control before he could face
either Wyatt or Greer. Movements somewhat jerky, he turned on his heel and
retreated to his studio.

Greer saw Liam’s stiff back and rough strides as he hurried
away. She and Wyatt had returned down the back stairs just as the Mercedes
roared off down the drive.

“Snack.” Wyatt tugged at her t-shirt.

Greer glanced down and gave him a grin. “Please.”

“Snack, please.”

“I’m on it.”

After settling him at the table with a juice box and some
cheese cubes and crackers, Greer returned to the sink and to surreptitiously
studying Liam’s studio. From everything she’d seen and heard since arriving,
she knew he loved his son. So why would he still be closeted in his studio?
What had his ex done? Greer frowned, feeling a surge of protectiveness and
unsure if it was for Liam, his son, or both of them. Probably the latter with a
dose of Chas in there as well. Liam and Chas were inextricably linked in her
mind. Chas would probably know exactly what to do for Liam right now, but Greer
wasn’t nearly as confident. Whatever was growing among the three of them was
still so new.

“Everything good with you, Wyatt?” she asked. When he
nodded, his little jaws munching away on cheese and crackers, she said, “I have
to get something from my room. You stay right here at the table.”

Maybe she should call Chas, but she didn’t want to
interfere. When the phone rang and she saw it was his cell number, Greer sagged
with relief. Grabbing the receiver, she stepped into her room and pushed the
door almost shut.

“Chas? Wyatt’s here. Liam is out in his studio.” She was
about to tack on info about the fight he’d appeared to have with his ex, but
Chas’ curse from the other end of the line forestalled her.

“I was hoping to make it back before the bitch got there.
Did they fight?”

Greer let out a heavy breath. So Julie made a habit of this.
“The part I heard was carried on with enough chill to freeze the Ohio. I
thought it best to get Wyatt out of there since she was making threats about
custody.”

“Bitch.” She heard Chas’ sigh. “I’m on my way, but I’m stuck
in some of the construction along the interstate. If he comes back in the
house, call me and let me know. Otherwise I’m going straight to the studio to
talk to him. She’s fucked with his head so damn much…”

Greer glanced out the window of her room toward the building
where Liam worked. No sign he’d left—or intended to anytime soon. Her heart
hurt for him.

“Don’t worry. Wyatt and I are good to go right here in the
house.”

She set the phone back on the charger and returned to the
kitchen. Wyatt had lined up his fish-shaped crackers and used some of his
cheese cubes to build a wall between them and another group of fish.

“Look!”

She sat next to him and examined his creation. “What you got
there?”

“Fighting fish. These ones are mean.” He pointed to the
other side. “Them are good guys. They’re gonna win.”

Greer rubbed his back. “Good. I like it when the good guys
win.”

* * * * *

It had taken him a while to settle down. When Liam had first
stalked into his studio, his breathing had been uneven, his heart pounding and
his fists knotting. He hadn’t dared to touch the sculpture for the Children’s
Museum. Instead, he’d pulled out some fresh clay, sitting at a work table and
letting his fingers begin to push and rub and shape. To begin with, what had
come forth had been his anger, swirling the clay into an angry mess he’d
eventually slammed back onto the work surface.

For a moment, all he could do was stare at it in
frustration, but then he’d closed off the negatives and let his emotions go. He
looked now and saw a roughed-out shape of Greer as she’d been last night,
arching into the corner of the couch, her clothes in disarray and her small
breasts bare and aroused. It might not look like her yet, not to the average
eye, but it did to him. Liam continued to work, his concentration restored and
Julie just a dim, bad memory.

When he finally sat back, he saw Chas leaning against the
door frame, arms crossed across his chest. Someday, Liam would sculpt him too.

“Can I see?” Chas murmured.

Liam pushed back from the table and nodded. With that
beautiful, graceful stride of his, Chas traversed the length of the studio,
stopping when he had a good view of the piece Liam had roughed out.

“Greer?” Chas’ glanced darted to him for verification and Liam
nodded. “Does she know?”

“No. Don’t tell her. I told her I wanted to sculpt her and
she freaked.” Liam looked at the piece and sighed. “I’ll probably toss it, but
damn I don’t want to.”

“It’s good. Really good. Even without the facial features
in, it’s her—the lines, the posture. She’s stunning. And surprising.”

“Surprising?”

Chas raised his brows. “Did you really expect things to go
as far as they did?”

“No way. And I certainly didn’t want to push.” Liam covered
the model with a wet cloth. “I think I’ll let it sit for a while until I figure
out if I want to finish it, and if Greer will actually model so I can perfect
it.”

“Where is she?”

“Inside. She took Wyatt in to get him away from Julie.”

“You okay, Lee?” Chas cupped the back of Liam’s neck. For a few
seconds, Liam lost himself in the intense blue of Chas’ eyes. The love and
sympathy reflected there were nearly his undoing.

Liam sucked in a shaky breath. “How is it you’re always here
when I need you?”

“That’s easy. I love you.”

Liam stared out the studio window, blinking the moisture
from his eyes. “You and Greer. I’d be a basket case right now without you.”

Chas bumped shoulders with him. “Come on. Let’s go in. I
could use a shower. I’m sure you could too. Then we’ll relax with Greer and
Wyatt. Just the thought makes me smile.”

When they reached the top of the stairs, Liam heard Wyatt’s
laughter rippling down the hall. Curiously, he continued past the door to the
master suite and toward the front of the house. He paused in the doorway to his
son’s room. Greer and Wyatt were both sprawled on the floor with paper and
crayons scattered around them.

“Draw Daddy! Draw Daddy now.”

“Superman?”

“Yeah!”

Wyatt’s dark curls blended almost without demarcation into
Greer’s short hair. Wyatt slung a chubby arm around her shoulders while she
worked on something in front of the two of them. She tensed at the contact,
then relaxed and continued to work.

Liam swallowed past the lump in his throat. He’d never seen
his son so relaxed with Julie. Greer was more than stunning and surprising, she
made him feel things he’d thought had gone forever.

“What about Chas?” Wyatt murmured. “Can he be Superman too?”

She tucked the crayon behind her ear. “Well, I guess he
could, but shouldn’t we make him his own superhero?”

Wyatt’s little feet kicked back and forth in the air behind
him. “Yeah. We should.”

“How about Thor?”

“Who’s he?”

“Well, in one of the comic book stories, he’s a doctor who
has to use a cane, but really he changes into a warrior god who fights bad
guys.”

Wyatt’s little legs kicked faster. “Yeah! That’s Chas.
Doctor Chas. He can fight the Cat Woman!”

Liam glanced at Chas who had started to snicker. When they
turned back to Wyatt and Greer, the two had rolled over and were staring at
them as if they’d been caught doing something wrong. Liam stepped into the
room, his eyes passing over them to the drawings on the floor.

My God, she had incredible talent! There he was as Superman,
she’d already caught Chas’ expression perfectly, though the warrior body wasn’t
yet finished, and— Liam started to chuckle.

“Oh man, Chas, you have to come see this.”

When Chas joined them, he laughed along with Liam. Cat Woman
was none other than Julie.

“Look, Daddy!” Wyatt pointed at the paper. “You’re Superman,
Chas is going to be…Thor. And Mommy’s Cat Woman. She’s the bad guy.”

Greer’s eyes were wide and guilty. Liam bent and lifted the
paper. “You have a good eye.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “We were just playing…”

“Greer,” he said and paused, waiting for her to look at him.
“I’m really glad you and Wyatt have hit if off so well.”

She stared at him for a moment longer then nodded.

“Chas and I were just going to get cleaned up. Why don’t we
drive to the Captain’s Quarters for dinner? They’ve got a band playing tonight
and the weather’s supposed to be great.”

“I can stay here with Wyatt…”

“No, let’s all go. You know it’s super casual outside, and
there are plenty of people there with their kids.”

“All right.”

Lord, if she were any more reluctant, they’d have to pry her
out of the house with a crowbar.

He and Chas headed back down the hallway to the master
suite. It wasn’t until the door was closed and Chas was shucking his scrubs
that he said, “She was in a boating accident, Liam. On the river, five years
ago. Barge and a ski boat.”