Consolation (Consolation Duet #1) (14 page)

I get home, shower, and make sure everything is set. When I called Reanell to have her watch Aarabelle, she gave me “advice” on what to do tonight. Not that I had a brilliant plan, but apparently Reanell wasn’t impressed at all. So, she provided me with the restaurant and where to take her after dinner.

Sixty seconds seem to take forever. The clock is broken because I swear it’s not moving. Fuck it. I’m going over now. I’ll annoy her until our reservation.

I grab my coat and head out the door.

The ten-minute drive gives me a chance to talk myself out of embarrassing myself. Even though we’ve been friends for years, this is definitely something else. I’ve seen her in dresses. I’ve seen her in a bikini. But this is different.

I park outside her house and open the glove box to grab the gift I got her and the letter from Aaron falls out. Fuck. I forgot about that.

Here I sit outside his house to pick up his wife for a date and I haven’t even read what he wanted me to know. I’m a fucking douchebag. I stuff the letter in my console. Tonight, I want to be with her. I don’t want his ghost haunting me and I already have enough guilt about this date.

I think about what Quinn said and how I’m stupid. Partially, I am. She’s a widow, a single mom, and trying to put the pieces of her life back together, but there’s something there. She draws me in and I don’t even realize it’s happening. She makes me want to be a better man.

I went from dreaming about guns to thinking of the way her blonde hair looks when she’s tired and it falls in her eyes. The way Aarabelle looks when she’s asleep and how much I want to have that at some point. I can’t explain it. I don’t know if there’s even a way to put it into words. But she does something and here I sit trying to talk myself into doing something I’m not sure I should. If she’d never been Aaron’s wife, I would’ve been at her door already. I would’ve had her in my bed, in my arms, and in my heart, but she comes with a warning sign. One I’ve chosen to ignore because I can’t. I’m weak to her and I don’t know why.

But I’m going to find out.

Knock, knock, knock.

The sound of the tap on the door causes the fear to stir like a snowstorm inside of me. The way your face grows cold and it hurts to breathe—which is crazy since it’s summertime. I know it’s not bad this time, but I’m still terrified.

It’s a date.

With Liam.

I glance at my dress and press it down with my hands, smoothing the soft, satin fabric and at the same time trying to calm my nerves. I do a quick mirror check, fluff my hair, and pinch my cheeks. I wore my favorite red dress. I was worried after so long it wouldn’t fit, but luckily it fits better than the last time I wore it. My breasts are fuller thanks to Aarabelle, and it clings to my curves perfectly. The soft, flowing curls hang to my mid back and I have my nude heels on. It’s the first time in months I’ve taken any time to really look pretty. Usually I’m in sweats and a ponytail. Not much need for vanity around a baby.

“Here goes nothing,” I say to myself before opening the door.

Liam stands there with his hand on the frame and my mouth goes dry. Holy shit. He’s dressed in black dress pants and a dark blue shirt. His sleeves are rolled showing his forearms and the fabric clings to his muscles.
What is it about a man’s forearms that are so damn sexy?
My eyes travel his body and absorb every part of him. It’s not normal how good-looking he is. It’s not fair. He makes it impossible for any woman to resist him. I make my way up to his face where the grin is painted. He watches me watch him, clearly enjoying himself.

I haven’t really
looked
at a man like Liam. I don’t usually pay attention, but with him . . . it’s impossible not to. He’s tall and steadfast, commanding and alluring. Every part of him screams danger, yet I see inside his heart. I see the man who cares for me and Aarabelle. The one who arranged an entire night out after not being able to see each other for a few weeks. I see the heart he wears on his sleeve with me. I want him to push me, but he knows somehow that I need to go to him.

I stand there admiring the insanely sexy man at my door as he stares at me. “Hi,” his rich voice is low and seductive. One word and my heart begins to race.

“Hi,” my voice cracks and I look down.

Liam steps forward and grips my chin. He pulls me so we’re eye to eye. “You look breathtaking. I missed you.”

“You did?” I ask already knowing he did. He sent me texts the entire time he was away letting me know he was thinking of me and Aara. That’s the one thing with Liam—I can’t help but let him chip at my walls. He cares for Aarabelle and loves her. When she was sick, he came running. Not out of some stupid obligation, but because he was concerned. You could see it in his eyes and it was another crack in my armor.

He laughs and steps closer so we’re toe to toe. “I did. Did you miss me?” Liam’s finger lightly travels down my arm, leaving goosebumps in its wake.

I shrug and reply playfully, “Eh, you know. I needed someone to hang a couple of new photos, so I guess I did . . .”

Liam’s hand flies to his chest in mock horror. “I’m the handyman. I’m crushed.”

I take a small step forward and wrap my arms around his torso and hold tight. “I missed you.”

His strong, thick arms wrap around me and my body molds to his. “We’re going to be late,” he says and presses his lips to the top of my head.

I look into his blue eyes that glimmer in the moonlight. “Where are we going?”

“That’s a surprise.”

“Wow, you’re really going for the kill.”

“I don’t know how many of these I may get, so I’m going to make it count.” Liam’s lip rises and he wraps his arm around my waist and guides me to the car.

“Keep this up and you may get a few more dates,” I joke and nudge him.

“We’ll see. I’m not the only one on probation,” Liam simpers and I slap him in his chest.

“Yeah, okay. You wish, buddy.”

He laughs and I follow as we walk arm in arm down the driveway.

“God, I love your car,” I say aloud as I climb in. He has a 1968 Dodge Charger that he restored with his dad. It’s candy apple red with tan interior. Every part of this car screams Liam. It’s sexy, mysterious, loud, and yet it fits him in some odd way.

“You match,” he muses as I settle into the seat. “Robin’s been good to me. She never lets me down,” he says as he grips the wheel. “We have an understanding.”

“You named your car?”

“And this surprises you? She’s my baby. You wouldn’t not name your child, would you?” Liam asks completely serious.

“That’s stupid.”

“No, it’s not.”

I laugh and buckle my seatbelt, “Yeah, it totally is, and why a girl? Why not name the car after a guy?”

Liam smiles and backs out of the driveway. His hand glides over the dashboard as he speaks of his car. “Same reasons ships are named after women. Ships have personality and character. They protect us on the seas and bring us home. They mirror what is beautiful about every woman. Willful, strong, protective, and faithful, and Robin is no different.”

“I think I’ve heard it all.”

“Well, I could say it’s because it’s not the initial expense but the upkeep that will kill you.” His mouth curves as I roll my eyes. “But that might be considered sexist.”

“Might?” I retort.

I try to fight laughing or smiling. I try but fail.

“See, I can always make you smile.”

“And at the same time make me want to punch you.”

Liam chuckles and pulls into the parking lot at the Lynnhaven Fish House. Which is one of my absolute favorite restaurants in Virginia Beach. “It’s a gift—at least that’s what my mother says.”

“She’s biased.”

“Natalie?” Liam asks slightly apprehensively. I look over and he sits with his hand on the door. “I’m glad you agreed to come out tonight.”

Not that I had much of a choice, but of course I did. I could’ve told him no and gone home to Aarabelle. There were a hundred other things I could have chosen, but instead, I put on a dress and went blindly with him. “Me too.”

“Stay here,” Liam requests and exits the car quickly.

My lips widen in approval as he opens my car door a few seconds later. He extends his hand and I place my palm to his. I don’t know that I’ve ever had a date be so chivalrous. No. I will not compare. I need to be here in the moment.

“Thank you,” I say and kiss his cheek. “By the way, how did you know I love the Fish House?”

“Lucky guess,” he says but I sense there’s something more to that.

We enter the restaurant and are seated at the window overlooking the bay. It doesn’t matter that my house backs up to this view, I’ll never tire of it. The way each wave brings new water to the sand, washing away the footprints we leave and giving everything a new chance. It’s . . . hopeful.

Once we order and get our wine, Liam grabs my hand that’s resting on the table. “You okay?”

“I’m great. Why?” I ask, perplexed.

“You’ve just been quiet.” He looks out to the ocean and then back to me.

I smile tentatively and flip my hand over so we’re palm to palm. “Is this weird for you? I mean, it’s
us.
”

Liam sighs and his finger whispers over the skin on my wrist. “Weird? No. Unexpected? Yes.”

That’s a good word to describe what all of this is. Neither of us thought we’d be sitting here on a date, yet that’s exactly what we’re doing. “It’s a good unexpected though, right?”

“Natalie, I wouldn’t want to be sitting here with anyone else,” he answers and the truth shines through his eyes.

I want to reply
me either.
I want to say the words, but they die on my tongue. Aaron’s face flashes in my mind and my stomach drops. The guilt begins to grow heavy and sits on my chest. It weighs on my heart and begins to crush it. I’m on a date with another man at the restaurant my husband took me to on our anniversary every year.

“Lee?” Liam asks as tears pool in my eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“This . . . this place,” I say and try to get myself under control.

“Did I fuck up?” he asks and comes around the table, crouching in front of me.

“No,” I say and dab my eyes. “It’s just . . . Aaron.” I look away because I hate even saying this. “He . . .”

“He took you here?” Liam asks, not sounding upset, but concerned.

“Yeah,” I look back at him as a tear falls. “I’m so sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize. You don’t have to pretend with me.” Liam grabs my hand and turns my chair so I have to look at him. “Listen to me. He was your husband, the father of your child, and my best friend. You don’t have to pretend he isn’t here between us. If you think he’s not in my mind every time I look at you, you’re wrong. I’m struggling with thinking of you the way I do. Imagining doing things with you that he’d beat my fucking ass for.”

Again, a part of my heart breaks, but this time for Liam. This thing between us isn’t easy for me, but I never thought about how it would be for him. I wonder if we’re doomed from the start. I don’t know if it’s even possible for the two of us to have a chance at this. There aren’t simply two scarred hearts trying to find a way. There’s also a ghost between us.

“I don’t know how to do this,” I reply honestly.

“Me either. That’s why I said we take this slow. You can talk to me though. If you’re missing him or if you want to talk about him. He’s not an off-limit topic. You never mention him with me. Why?” Liam grabs my hands as we sit in this beautiful restaurant and people look at us. He doesn’t waver from me. Instead, he kneels on the ground, holding my hand, while I have a mini breakdown.

I pull my hands from his and rest them upon his face. The short beard he keeps is trimmed and it tickles my hand. I brush my thumb back and forth and stifle the emotions that were stirring. I lean forward and kiss his lips gently. “Thank you.”

His brows set into a straight line and looks away. “I don’t know what for. I made you cry again . . . which I begged you never to do again. Although,” he stops and gives a quick laugh, “You tend to kiss me when you cry, so maybe I should rethink this. But you didn’t answer my question.”

“I don’t know. I feel like it’s wrong to talk about him with you. I loved him so much and now I have these feelings for you and . . .” I trail off unsure of what to say.