Loving Liam (Cloverleaf #1) (14 page)

As the brothers enjoyed their meal, they shared some laughs, ordered another pitcher of beer, and soon moved on from the subject of Rachel. As more patrons trickled in, Patrick excused himself to go and get his boys, and Daniel and Liam decided to stick around and wait for one of the pool tables to open up. Liam wasn’t ready to head home yet. He needed a distraction, anything to get Rachel out of his head, even if for just a little while.

***

Rachel

Rachel woke up early on Saturday. Now that she was settling into the routine of her job, her body was starting to act as its own alarm clock. She put on a pot of coffee and went to peek out the sliding back door while she waited for her precious caffeine to brew. To her surprise, two deer were standing in her backyard. Rachel grabbed her cell phone and snapped a picture to send to Chelsea before the deer sensed her watching them and bolted off.

Her cell phone buzzed in her hands. “Hello?” she answered.

“Oh my God, are those deer? Where at?” Chelsea practically screamed with delight and wonder.

“Yup, in my backyard. Isn’t that crazy?” Rachel asked as she continued to peer through the glass door, trying to see if any more were in the yard. They’d had a break from the bad weather for a couple days, and some blades of yellowed grass poked through the melting snow.

“That’s pretty cool. So how’s it going?” Chelsea asked.

“I’m meeting with those ladies later this morning to decorate for the retirement party tonight.”

“That’s right, I forgot. What are you going to wear? Something cute, please. What if you meet some hot, single guy there?” Chelsea sounded excited.

“Oh, please!” Rachel answered, instantly thinking of Liam. She pushed the images away. “So what about you? What do you have planned for this weekend?”

“I actually have to go out with some guy my dad met.” Chelsea groaned. “The upside is he’s also a plastic surgeon. I guess they met at some conference or something.”

“Well, it’s nice your dad thought about fixing you up, right?” Rachel said cautiously.

“I think he’s trying to find someone to take the load off him, financially speaking.”

Rachel wanted to tell Chelsea that she didn’t have to rely on her father for support. In the past, Rachel had tried encouraging her friend do something with her life so she could support herself, but like Rachel’s own mother and Chelsea’s mother, Chelsea figured she would eventually marry someone rich, and that would take care of everything.

“So when are you meeting this guy?” Rachel asked, noticing her coffee was finally ready to pour.

“I guess we’re going to dinner tonight. I’m not sure I even want to deal.”

Rachel frowned. Chelsea was sounding a bit like a spoiled brat. “What could dinner hurt?”

“That’s funny coming from someone who, like, never goes out and never wants to meet anyone,” Chelsea sprang back playfully.

“I know, and I guess I’m at a point right now in my life where I want to put my career front and center. Not that I don’t want to meet my Prince Charming, get married, and have children, but not right now, you know?” Rachel stirred cream into her coffee, watching the white swirls dance against the dark brown liquid.

“You’re impossible, that’s all I know. Give me Prince Charming and the big castle, and I’d be a very happy girl. You know, Rachel, we’re in our thirties now. I looked in the mirror the other morning as I was using my cleanser, and I saw several little wrinkles I have to go in and get fixed,” Chelsea complained. She sounded like Rachel’s mother.

Rachel spied the time on the clock above her fireplace. “Well, try and have a good time. I’ll check in with you later. I need to hurry and get ready to meet the ladies to decorate for that party.” Rachel hung up and chugged her coffee.

***

Karen was unloading several large plastic bags from her car when Rachel parked next to her.

“Good morning, let me help you with some of those,” Rachel offered as she climbed out of her car and quickly moved to grab some of the sacks.

“Oh, thanks, dear. Some of the other ladies just got here too. I’m so glad you decided to help.”

“I have been looking forward to it since you guys invited me,” Rachel said as they hurried inside. Even though it hadn’t snowed in a few days, the air remained chilly, and the sky this morning had been purple and gray with storm clouds.

Inside, the other women greeted Rachel and brought her attention to a platter of homemade muffins at the end of one of the tables.

Mary smiled at Rachel. “Please help yourself to one of my muffins.”

“You know, these muffins are pretty famous,” Karen explained as Rachel grabbed one that was glazed with honey and nuts. “Everyone in Birch Valley just gobbles them up. The bakery keeps begging Mary for the recipe or at least for her to bring them in so they can sell them.”

The weather needed to warm up soon so she could start running again, Rachel thought. It seemed as though every time she got together with these ladies, she ended up eating. As she bit into the muffin, she discovered it was banana nut, but unlike any banana-nut muffin she had ever tasted. It was dense and rich but tasted healthy and hearty.

“My God, Mary, these are amazing,” she exclaimed. “You seriously need to consider selling these.”

Mary’s eyes twinkled with a quiet pride. “That’s nice of you, dear, but I just enjoy making them for friends and family every now and again,” she said humbly.

“Well, I think you’re sitting on a goldmine. This is wonderful,” she mumbled with her mouth full of the delicious treat.

Mary playfully shooed her away. “You are too sweet, honey. Perhaps when I bake again you can come over and we will make them together.”

“Oh, that would be fun. But I can’t promise I won’t try to convince you to sell these.”

Both women laughed, and Karen started laying out the decorations she had purchased for the affair. Over the next hour, the women hung party lights and streamers and laid out table cloths to get the cafeteria looking festive. They also placed bouquets of balloons around the room and hung a huge banner on the wall had been made by one of the classes. It read in bright, colorful letters:

Best Wishes, Mr. Anderson.

After saying good-bye, Rachel headed home to wash up and get ready for the festivities.

***

After showering, Rachel decided to take Chelsea’s advice and dress to impress. The short dress she pulled from her closet was completely out of season for the blustery winter weather, but the aqua chiffon material called out to her and begged to worn. Shoes, however, were a whole different matter. Rachel debated between shiny black pumps and a tan pair for a while without making a decision. At one point, she stood in front of her mirror wearing one of each color. Both gave her legs some length, but the black pump added a fun nighttime flare to the outfit while the tan pump kept the dress classy and understated. She wasn’t too sure which look she was going for. She knew the party was semiformal, but it was also being held in the school cafeteria—not a semiformal location at all. Rachel decided to keep things simple and went with the tan high heels. With hair and makeup complete, she felt like Cinderella ready for the ball.

***

Liam

Liam was adjusting his tie when his phone rang. “Hello?” he answered, balancing the phone between his chin and shoulder while he manipulated the knot on the tie.

“Oh, hello, dear. I wanted to see how your outfit for this evening was coming along,” Mary’s soft voice replied.

“Hi, Mom. I’m getting my tie on as we speak, but I’m pretty much ready to go. Did you want me to meet you guys at the school or at the house?”

“Actually, at the house would be perfect, but only if you don’t mind. I have a couple of dishes I made for the party and could use a little help carrying them.” She sounded thankful.

“Sure, not a problem, Mom. Are Dad and Grandpa Paddy tagging along?” Liam asked as he finally got the knot into position.

“Yes, but I had to bribe them. I figured we could all ride in our car, if that’s okay?”

Liam agreed and said good-bye after promising he’d be there shortly.

***

As Liam entered the house, he saw his father and grandfather waiting patiently like overgrown children on one of the leather couches in the living room.

“Oh, there he is,” Grandpa Paddy exclaimed with a grin.

“Hi, son. I see you got roped into going too, huh?” Pat said.

“Didn’t have much choice since I work there,” Liam said with a laugh as he heard his mother’s heels clicking madly against the wood flooring.

“Oh good, you’re here.” She handed him a foil-covered dish and spun around to retrieve another from the kitchen. “You look quite handsome, son,” she gushed as she motioned for her husband to get up and help.

“You look pretty tonight too,” Liam called after her.

Once all the food was loaded, the family piled into their sedan and set off for the school.

***

The O’Briens arrived a little earlier than the guest of honor and the rest of the guests so Mary and the other ladies could set up the food. When they pulled into the school parking lot, several other cars were already there. When Liam spotted Rachel’s silver BMW, a twinge of nervousness developed in his gut.

Pat held the cafeteria door open for Mary, Grandpa Paddy, and Liam, whose arms were fully loaded. As he headed for the buffet table, he was amazed at how the women had transformed the cafeteria.

As Mary, Karen, and a few other women scurried around, unwrapping food and putting out serving utensils, Liam saw Rachel out of the corner of his eye. As he turned to look at her, he noticed her dress. The aqua color boldly contrasted her sun-kissed skin and drew his attention to the exposed flesh of her arms and calves.

Liam’s father and grandfather also seemed to have noticed her.

“Who’s the lass?” Grandpa Paddy asked as he elbowed him softly in the ribs.

“That’s Mr. Anderson’s replacement, the new principal,” Liam answered, having a hard time taking his eyes off Rachel as she rushed around helping the women with the flurry of last-minute details. She was clearly unaware the O’Brien men were staring at her.

“Wow, she’s quite pretty,” Pat said.

“Yeah, she’s also my new boss, Dad,” Liam added, wondering why he felt a twinge of regret.

“I’d like her to be my boss,” Grandpa Paddy added with a chuckle.

Good grief
, Liam thought as he led his grandfather to a table and his father went to see if Mary needed any help. When Liam looked back at Rachel, she quickly turned away, busying herself with arranging some plastic cups near a large punch bowl.

He suddenly felt thirsty.

“Hi,” he whispered as he approached, so as to not scare her as he reached out to pick up a cup she’d dropped.

***

Rachel

Rachel’s skin had started tingling the moment Liam arrived. It was as if some internal magnet drew her to him no matter how hard she resisted. When she turned around to look at him, she almost gasped. Fitted slacks encased his muscular legs, and the brown dress shirt brought out both his trim waist and hues of green and gold in his eyes that she had never noticed before. She watched as he gently led an elderly man with the same bright green eyes, and who seemed to have difficulty walking, to a nearby table. He then turned to her, and electricity fired through her as their eyes met.

She turned away to stir the punch bowl, and his cologne tickled her senses as he neared her. Feeling clumsy, she knocked over an empty cup. As she reached for it, his warm, firm hand covered hers. It was so much larger than her own. He stood the plastic cup upright on the table and tried to calm her obviously disturbed nerves.

“Wow, you ladies did an amazing job,” he offered in a soft, husky voice as he scanned the room in wonderment.

“Thank you. Karen was the brains behind the operation. Also, your mother,” she stammered as electricity coursed through her, along with a fleeting thought of what his lips would feel like on hers. She pushed it away, chiding herself for acting like some lovesick schoolgirl.

“Yes, my mom loves doing events. She gets a kick out of it. She also enjoyed meeting you. Apparently, you made quite an impression on her,” Liam said as his green eyes drank her in.

“She is such a lovely woman. I really like her, Liam. Is that your grandfather I saw you with earlier?” Rachel questioned as she attempted to gather her wits about her while trying to disentangle one of her silver, dangly earrings from her hair.

“Here, let me help you.” Liam moved her small hands away from her ear and worked the earring loose.

Rachel struggled not to shiver at his touch and tried steadying herself as a wave of emotion flooded her.