More Than Scars (29 page)

“You trust me with your thoughts and feelings?” I looked up at him in the dark and only could see his strong profile. “But you don’t trust me with this?” My hand touched the scarred side of his face tenderly. He turned it from me and set his unmarred cheek to mine.

“I still need time. But to me…” His hand guided my own to rest over his heart. I felt it thundering. “This is more vulnerable at the moment.”

I drew in a breath. “For the moment I will take it,” I whispered.

“Tomorrow we…we have to…” He cleared his throat. “Tonight we talk. Tomorrow we have to go about like…”

“I understand.”

He leaned back on the pillow and allowed my head to rest on his chest. “I’ll go first,” he said softly.

And we talked…just like that, all through the night. We both revealed things we had not to any other and Ian was right…it helped. We had needed it…and it was healing. I don’t remember when I fell asleep but when I did awake again…Liam was gone. I would have thought I dreamt it all, except the imprint where he had been laying on the bed and the scent of him on the other pillow. I cuddled it close and wanted to weep.

I knew just because we had bared our hearts to each other didn’t mean we belonged to each other but I now carried secrets no one else knew. In some ways I very much held claim to him. I couldn’t believe he had trusted me with that!

I wanted to weep knowing I wouldn’t get to see him today…or tomorrow.
Maybe not for a week or two. He needed time. Our sharing last night had been wonderful but it had not been an invitation into his World.

Chapter 15 Its like this

“Like this?” Amelia held up the card she had so labored over

“Yes!” I gave her an encouraging smile. “He will love that!” It was quite lovely for someone so young. “Do another! We want lots of cards and pictures for his birthday! We will overwhelm him!”

Brianne glanced up from her work of art. “What’s that mean?”

“Overwhelm?”

She nodded.

“It means he won’t know what to do with himself he will be so happy! It’s like Christmas when there are so many presents under the tree you don’t know which one to open first!” I smiled, cutting out another heart for Amelia and handing it to her.

Brianne smiled. “I like that we can do that for Daddy.”

“Me too,” I admitted. “What else do you want to do for him on that day?”

“Cake, cake
caaaaaaake,” Amelia sang, focusing on her picture.

“Of course.”

“We want you there too Rissa,” Brianne said softly.

“It’s a family thing
Bri. Your Uncle Ian will be there. You guys will have fun! I will help plan and get it all ready, but I am not your family.”

She frowned at me. “Yes you are family.” She set down her crayon. Her blues lifted to me. “You have to be at Daddy’s birthday.”

I didn’t want to upset her. I knew it was best to just smile. “We’ll see,” I said gently, but made no promises. I nodded to the table. “Are you done with that?”

She smiled and shook her head, getting back to work.

“We’ll talk to Mary today about birthday dinner and the cake! We’ll make it ourselves! I know he rarely goes into the kitchen but I bet Stewart can keep him out! Maybe he an Ian can go for a ride?”

“Daddy will work on his birthday. He always does.”

I looked to the six year old. She couldn’t possibly remember many of his birthdays so she must be repeating something she had heard. “Your Uncle Ian say that?” I nodded when she nodded. “Well, maybe we can change that tradition!”

Amelia smiled and did a little jig in her chair.

“Okay,” Brianne agreed.

“Do you do lessons on your birthday?”

She shook her head.

“Then he can take a day off.”

“That’s Sunday,” Amelia chirped, coloring away. “Only Sundays.”

I rose to my feet when I heard my phone going off. The number was unfamiliar but I figured if they had this number they must be meant to have it. “Hello?”

“Nerissa? It’s Wendy! Ian’s friend? I have your selection completed…the one you liked best! If you’d like to come take a look and make sure it’s to your liking…”

“I’d love that!”

I glanced to the girls. “But I can’t get away now.”

“No problem! I can call Ian…have him bring it over for you to look through? If you don’t like you can add some post its and I can tweak things. If it is to your liking then I can just complete and have to you by Sunday! I know you have your hands full with the little ones!”

I had a feeling she wouldn’t mind having Ian stop by to see her at all. My smile couldn’t be helped. “Let me talk to him. I will see if he will drop by after work.”

“You have your guitar lessons this evening?”

I laughed. “You know about my guitar lessons?”

Wendy seemed embarrassed that she revealed this. “Ian said…well, we went to dinner the other night…and he mentioned your lessons.” Her voice trailed off before she could say more.

My mouth dropped open.

“I…I hope that’s okay! I didn’t know if you guys were…and with the gift you were doing for his brother, I thought….I thought it would be okay if we had dinner.”

I laughed, cutting her off. “No, I think that’s wonderful! I just…he just never said anything. No, Ian and I are friends…very good friends…so you can imagine my shock that he didn’t tell me!” I was grinning now, ear to ear. I couldn’t wait to talk to Ian! “Thanks Wendy…I will be in touch! I really appreciate the work you’ve put into this!”

“Oh you are welcome…just
have Ian call if he’s…”

“Oh I will I will,” I cut her off. “Talk to you later!”

I couldn’t dial Ian fast enough. I knew he was at work…I knew there was a chance he wouldn’t answer and I knew I would be on pins and needles until he called back. So I did an Amelia jig when he answered. “Ian Byrne you have been keeping things from me!”

He chuckled.
“Why whatever are you talking about Rissa?” His voice was low, as if he were whispering into the phone.

There was chatter in the background.

“Are you in a meeting?”

“Yeah, nothing big going on.
Liam is just on a conference call.”

“You’re with Liam?”

“Yeah…his office…he generally does conference…”

“You’re here?”

“On the business floor, yes…I do have a job. Sometimes it’s here sometimes it’s there.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

“Why are you whispering?” His voice was full of humor.

“I don’t know…it seemed like the right thing to do! I’m going to get you in trouble! Go back to your meeting,” I insisted.

“I’m already in trouble.”

“Get off the phone then,” I growled.

“Well, you had a reason for calling me and I want to hear it…so Liam can take care of business. Come meet me halfway. I’ll be on the stair.”

I heard him getting up by the way his voice adjusted.

“I have the girls. Don’t get up! Ian, don’t upset Liam…making him jealous is not important right now.”

“
Nerissa…meet me half way,” he said a little louder.

“Ian!”

“Nerissa,” he threw back at me in the same tone.

There was a pause in the chatter in the background.

I held my breath.

“Is there something more important you need to attend to brother?” It was Liam’s voice I heard and he did not sound one bit happy. It was that all business tone that would make me quake in my boots if it was aimed at me. That no nonsense,
sit your ass in the chair and listen to me kind of voice.

“Say no,” I growled. “We will talk later. This is not about making him jealous now. Please…not now.” My memory flashed to a night cuddled against Liam spilling my heart out. I couldn’t even share this with Ian!

“The call is on hold,” Liam continued. “Is Nerissa okay? The girls?” The business tone dropped a little and there was a soft concern behind the edge.

Ian cleared his throat. “Yes…yes, she’s fine. I guess I’m more anxious to see her than she is to see me,” he chuckled.

“Then make it short. Mr. Camp is very important in this deal and your chatter is not helping. If the girl is not interested, let her get back to her work!”

I smiled and bit my lip. “You heard him Ian…if the girl is not interested leave a girl to her work.”

“You know what this means?” Ian’s words were directed at me.

“He knows that I’m just not that into you?”

Ian barked a laugh. “But thinks quite the opposite of me! Why is that? Who is keeping secrets now Rissa?” The later part he whispered.

It was my turn to laugh.

“Can I have lunch with you and my nieces?”

“I would love that…and I have a favor to ask of you.”

“Anything for you,” he promised, and ended the call.

I smiled and turned back to the girls, still busy at work. “Uncle Ian is having lunch with us! Do you want to let him in on the dinner plans for your Dad’s birthday?” The looks on their faces told me they certainly did! “Now remember…it’s a secret!”

“He won’t take a day off,” Ian scoffed. “No matter how hard you try. No matter if it’s his birthday! Now Christmas…Thanksgiving….Easter, even the Fourth of July he will make allotment for, but not his birthday.” He leaned back on the stool by the counter and stole one of Amelia’s goldfish from her tomato soup causing the little one to giggle and protest.

Mary smacked his hand and handed him his own bowl and his very own grilled cheese.

I smacked at his hand before he reached for the greasy sandwich and helped him from his Armani jacket, laying it carefully over a chair. I gave him a sweet smile.

“May I eat now mothers?”

Both Mary and I nodded.

He dipped his sandwich in his soup and managed to not get anything on his shirt.

“We have to convince him to take it off,” I sighed.

“He takes Sundays off,” Ian argued.

“Well then you have to distract him while we do his cake and dinner. At least get him to take the afternoon for a ride, since we can’t get him to leave the premises!”

“He won’t come into the kitchen,” Ian promised. “Work will keep him busy.”

“And he will be all stressed. We want him to have a nice birthday!”

“We?” Ian’s brows lifted. He took a big bite of his sandwich.

“Don’t look at me,” I laughed lightly. “This is a family affair. I just want to see it go nicely for you guys!”

“You are family Riss,” Ian sighed.

“See?” Brianne laughed. “Even Uncle Ian says so! So you have to come to Daddy’s birthday
Rissa! Daddy would want it.”

“Oh yes, Daddy would,” Ian teased. “You want it too.”

I wanted to give him a smack but knew that would not be a good example in front of the girls. I did give him a glare though.

Mary chuckled softly at her post by the stove. So, was there no one who didn’t know what I felt for Liam Byrne?

“So, besides your ploy to get Liam to have a day off…you said you had a favor to ask of me?” Ian finished his grilled cheese and drank down his soup. Such a boy!

Before he could wipe his mouth with the back of his sleeve I handed him a napkin. “It’s private.”

He grinned. “Mary, would you mind watching the girls for a minute?” He grabbed his jacket, kissed the tops of the girl’s heads and grabbed my arm. ”I’m stealing Rissa for a bit,” he announced.

Brianne protested, but was ignored as I was ushered out.

“We have another call in a bit,” he started in, as we walked toward the stair. “I told Liam I’d be quick.”

“Has he eaten?” I glanced up the stairs.

“Mary is here isn’t she?” He smiled. “Yeah, he had a protein shake delivered just as I headed down. He will survive! You will get to see his lovely self again one of these days.”

I blushed.

“What’s your favor?”

“Wendy called me.” My brows lifted as he frowned.