More Than Scars (46 page)

“Sweet dreams.”

When I awoke I called Mary the next morning. After Stewart’s display I could only imagine what the sweet woman had gone through. She had settled down so I asked for her woman’s perspective of how Liam was doing and the children.

“The children are asking after you but it has only been a full day you have been gone! Mr. Byrne sent back his coffee…so he is not a happy camper.”

I laughed at this. It made me feel good.

              I refrained talking to the girls, not wanting to upset them further. Liam told them I was sick. They would accept him at his word.

             
I then called my man, fairly buzzing to hear his voice. “How was Zosimo?”

             
“Good morning to you too,” he chuckled.

             
I smiled. “Did you have a nice ride?”

             
“It was okay,” he agreed. “Had a lot of things on my mind.”

             
“Was one of them…”

             
“All of them were you,” he growled.

             
I smiled. “Grouchy this morning. Have you had any coffee?” I bit my lip, stifling a giggle. I sat up on my bed.

             
“Just a sip,” he grumbled.

             
“Are you coming over to see me?”

             
He cleared his throat, and I’m sure he straightened his tie. He certainly wasn’t shirtless this morning! He would be dressed to the nines. It was a work day.

             
“Are you coming home?”

             
“No, another day with Mom…Doctor tomorrow…he said just a few days with the stitches.” I was frowning. I didn’t know why all of a sudden it was so important for him to come see me after all we had  through…after all he had done for me! “I think he’s going to take them out. I looked today…the cut looks good…doesn’t even hurt anymore. I haven’t had a pain pill since before bed. Not a smidge of pain…that must be a good sign…” I rambled a little, not wanting him to argue about me not coming home. I got up and paced a bit, preparing for a bit of a fight.

             
“When is your appointment?”

             
“In the morning.”

             
“I will send my driver to take you both.”

             
I smiled. His way of taking care. “Thank you.”

             
“Will you come home tomorrow?”

             
“I don’t know,” I said softly.

             
“Do you want to come home?” he asked gently.

             
“Of course I do, but….”

             
“But?”

             
“It’s silyl,” I sighed.

             
“It isn’t silly I’m sure. No hiding…right?”

             
I pulled in a breath. “That’s just it Liam…and I don’t want to sound heartless…but you made two huge steps the other night. I thought it would be easy to…” I sat down on my bed and drew my knees to my chest. “To come see me.” I took his silence as either irritation or guilt so I pushed on. “I just feel like if I come back there…you will have everything…you won’t need to step outside ever again. You will have your children…your business…your…your love life…” I blushed. “Everything under one roof.”

             
He cleared his throat. “So you stand outside the mansion like the proverbial carrot…trying to woo me out?” he growled.

             
“No,” I cried. “Liam…you know I am not like that! I really am here healing…and I’m here for my Mom and Al…I just thought…” I shook my head. “Never mind. I will be home in a few days. Lets not argue, please.”

             
He was quiet for a moment.

             
“I love you, that’s all,” I whispered.

             
“I know you do,” he sighed. “God I love hearing you say that,” he moaned.

             
I heard his line beep. “I’m keeping you from work again.”

             
I could hear the smile in his voice as he murmured, “You are my favorite distraction.”

             
“I’m glad for that title.”

             
He chuckled. “Love you Nerissa…I have to run.” And his line died.

             
I sighed and heard Al return from our coffee run. I hurried out, glad I always requested mine black. He grinned when I grabbed mine up.

             
“Gonna doctor it to your liking I see?”

             
I shook my head and gave him a pleading look.

             
“What Riss?”

             
“Can you make a run to the mansion with some coffee?”

             
His brow furrowed. “Pretty sure they have coffee there.”

             
I stomped my foot.

             
“Nerissa what is it?” My Mom laughed.

             
“Liam is miserable and he won’t drink coffee anymore if I don’t make it. After what he’s done for me….”

             
Al rolled his eyes. “Fine! But I ain’t giving him a good morning kiss!”

             
My mom and I laughed and I set to making coffee the way Liam liked. When Al tried to take the to go cup, I grabbed it back and hurried to my room, wrote a quick note, dabbed my lips with a bit of lipstick and signed it with a kiss. It simply said…Coffee by Nerissa, hopefully you find this acceptable to drink. It was made with love. I smiled and returned the cup to my brother.

             
“Now hurry before its cold!”

             
That night my coffee gift was reciprocated with a full meal….servants and all showing up at my mother’s apartment. My note simply said…Stewart said you were eating pizza…this will not do…only the best for my lady. The coffee was delicious…it’s the idea that your hands make it that get me through the day.

I was on romance overload with this man.

              Mom, Al and I enjoyed our fine dining in the little apartment…me still in my pajamas.

             
True to his word, Liam had his driver waiting for my Mom and I when we left for my appointment the next morning. I was being spoiled. But all I really wanted was Liam. He could keep all the little gifts and gestures. I wanted him with me.

The doctor did take out my stitches…only three days of the itchy things. He was very pleased with how well healed the skin was and assured me there would only be the faintest of a pink mark…maybe for a few months. I had been lucky he said. I thought of Liam’s beautiful face. I wouldn’t have minded a small mark. It was nothing compared to the reminder he would always have.

              We left the office and it was snowing again. I shivered. I wished good memories could follow snow. I had once loved snow! It had been a long time ago…but I had loved it. We got into Liam’s car and the driver drove us confidently on the slick streets to my mother’s apartment.

             
As we pulled up, I noted a car parked where Al’s car usually sat…Ian’s car! Had he come to visit? We got out carefully, my mother before me. The snow had already covered our tracks made from this morning.

             
“Nerissa!” a chorus of girly voices sang out. I was bombarded with hugs.

             
Brianne! Amelia! How had Ian worked this? My girls! Oh! I had missed them! I hugged them to my body now and the tears…always the tears were there.

             
“Oh I have missed you,” I cried, kneeling down in the snow to hug them to me. I didn’t care that my jeans were wet with snow now.

             
“We missed you,” Brianne sobbed. “Daddy said you were sick! He said we had to wait to see you! I begged him to let us come here!” She hugged me about my neck.

             
“I wanted to check for feber but you were not in your bed….not in Daddy’s bed,” Amelia cut in. “I couldn’t find you! And Daddy said you were at your Mommy’s and had to wait for you to come home! I didn’t want to wait!”

             
Brianne nodded, stepping back. “And then he said we didn’t have to wait anymore!”

             
I gave both a smile. “So he let your Uncle Ian bring you?”

             
Brianne giggled, turning her face up into the falling snow. “No, silly, Daddy brought us.”

             
“Daddy said, Damn, he was getting it from both sides!” Amelia crowed.

             
I didn’t have it in me to chastise her. My heart was like a jackhammer in my chest. I looked past the girls and there he was…sitting on the stoop as if he belonged there.

             
“Hey girls, let’s go get some hot chocolate,” My Mom called to Brianne and Amelia. “It’s cold out here. We’ll warm up inside and let your Daddy and Nerissa talk…okay?” She popped her head in for the driver. “You too…let’s give these young people privacy.” He didn’t argue with her.

             
I watched them march inside, right past Liam.

His eyes were only for me. My pulse was at full gallop as I started toward him. Just like his own, my eyes were taking him in. His dark hair was covered in snow now, as he sat still. His broad
shoulders, also covered. I stepped up to him and my heart leapt. My fingers reached for his hair and I brushed the snow gently from it.

             
“I can’t believe you’re here,” I whispered.

             
“You wanted me here.” His warm brown eyes with their shades of sienna and gold lifted to mine and my heart faltered.

             
“I did.”

             
“I’m not hiding,” he whispered.

             
“No you’re not,” I said in a halting voice. Oh Lord, the tears.

             
“I’m not going to let my girls hide either. They wanted to see you too…they were done waiting too.” He smiled and reached for my hands.

             
The warmth shot through my veins the instant he touched me. It was not imagined. “This is big for you,” I whispered.

             
“I will do anything for you.” He rose to his full height and I suddenly felt so small. His hands cupped my face tenderly and his thumb brushed over where the stitches has just been removed. He gently moved me to the step above him to bring me more level to him so he could study the work done. He dipped his chin to brush his lips along the line.

             
I held my breath and closed my eyes letting him minister gently to my skin. His touch was something that I had missed.

             
“I am so happy you are here,” I sighed. I smiled up at him as he drew back.

             
“Will you come home with me then?” He smiled back.

             
I reached up and touched his face reverently. “Maybe,” I teased.

             
He frowned. “I will give you anything…anything that is mine is yours, just ask me for it! Just come home with me today…please Nerissa!”

             
“Anything?”

             
He wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me gently into his warmth. “You belong with me and the girls.”

             
I smiled. “Anything?” I lifted an eyebrow.

             
He grinned and nodded.

             
I kissed him tenderly then. “These I already claimed.” I kissed him again for good measure and didn’t know if I wanted to pull away or stop. He tasted quite lovely. “I already have your love…which is too much.” I grasped the collar of his coat and tugged. His eyes softened on me. “Maybe I could ask for Zosimo?”

             
He chuckled. “He’s yours already.”

             
I mocked shock. “Your most prized possession?”

             
His eyes grew serious. “Other than my daughters…you are my most prized possession Nerissa,” he whispered. His eyes held mine.

             
“Me?”

             
“You are mine?”

             
I nodded dumbly.

             
“Than yes.”

             
I wanted to take him down in the snow right there and kiss him senseless. “And you are mine?” Yes, I heard my own voice tremble damn it!

             
He groaned. “No one else’s…ever.”

             
I smiled. “Then I know what I want to ask for.”