Loving Liam (Cloverleaf #1) (6 page)

Chapter Five

Liam

Liam stretched leisurely in his bed, his naked chest warm under his thick comforter. He had overslept, but it felt great. Eyeing the digital alarm clock on the oak dresser across from his bed, he saw he hadn’t missed the chance to have breakfast with his brothers at their favorite morning haunt, Herrick’s Diner.

The little restaurant was one of the best places to eat in Birch Valley, and Patrick and Daniel went there almost every morning for coffee and breakfast. They also stopped in for lunch sometimes. Not that Liam could blame them; the coffee was terrific, the bacon was perfectly cooked, and they made some of the best pancakes in the county. When Liam had time off, he enjoyed catching up with his brothers at Herrick’s. The O’Brien siblings had grown up eating there as kids, and the owners were kind people and an important fixture in town. They had kept everything about their diner the same for generations, from the menu to the slightly uncomfortable booths. Above the door, an ancient bell hanging on a weathered string would chime as you entered, the smell of diner food would slam into your nose, causing your belly to tighten with hunger, your mouth would salivate, and neighbors would wave or nod as you walked past them to slide into one of the orange, vinyl booths. Liam hadn’t ever been to another restaurant that could cause so many bodily reactions to food or generate such a sense of community and belonging.

***

Rachel

The next morning, Rachel sat in the small dining section of the hotel. A
side from one other guest skimming the morning paper, it was empty and quiet.
Large windows let in the cold morning sun, and the sky was filled with thick, gray clouds. Rachel stirred her coffee as she looked through the glass, taking in the foreign landscape. She could now see mountains covered with snow, which had been shrouded by darkness the evening before.

She pulled herself out of the trance the stunning view seem to have put her in and began to review her directions to Birch Valley. She was anxious to get on the road and see her new home. Rachel downed her coffee and went to turn in her room key.

Pulling the dirty silver BMW out onto the busy street that would ultimately turn into the highway leading out of this lovely city, Rachel put on her internal game face as she drove away from Spokane.

A thick line of trees greeted her as she crested a small hill. The sun shimmered on their frosted tips, and the splendid view enchanted Rachel as she continued her drive. The vastness of the landscape seemed to encompass her, and as her car went down the hill, she was submerged in an evergreen wonder. Tall pine trees lined the highway, and the road seemed to tremor and crunch slightly under her car. Slowing down a bit, Rachel tightened her grip on the leather-bound steering wheel and refocused her attention on the road. She had never driven on snow, and the sudden awareness of her lack of experience frightened her.

Rachel mentally kicked herself for not having considered what driving conditions might be like here. As tiny white flecks splattered against her windshield, she said a silent prayer, worrying she may have made a terrible mistake.

After passing several small towns, Rachel found herself coasting downhill and applied the brake a little too hard. Fear flooded her veins as the BMW fishtailed, but she was able to regain control of it. A large wooden sign at the side of the road announced her arrival in Birch Valley.

The town was surrounded by small mountains frosted with snow, and large barns and farmhouses blanketed in white lined either side of the road as she continued driving on the single-lane highway. As she entered town, Rachel reduced her speed and tried to take in everything. She noticed only one traffic light, which remained green as she passed it. Storefronts lined the main street, and the shopkeepers who were outside shoveling snow waved as she drove by. The buildings were old but looked to be well preserved. Beautiful Christmas lights were strung overhead, and wreaths decorated every store door. Antique lampposts had swirls of garland wrapped around them. Everything was so Norman Rockwell, she felt as though she had driven onto a movie lot.

Rachel snapped herself out of her daze and remembered she needed to locate the Realty office to get her keys. A smile crept across her lips as she noticed an antique-looking sign that said ‘Birch Valley Realty’ hanging off a building. She had made it. Excitement bubbled inside her as she quickly parked outside the office.

Surprised by the professional atmosphere upon entering, Rachel nervously approached the front counter that seem to be unoccupied.

“Hello?” she announced.

“Be right there,” a woman’s voice answered quickly as its owner emerged from a nearby hallway. “How can I help you?” she asked politely.

“Yes, hello, I’m Rachel Montgomery. I’m here to pick up some keys for a rental.”

“That’s right. I think Cheryl thought you would be in a little later.” The older woman started looking through a drawer in a nearby desk for what Rachel guessed were the keys.

“I stayed the night in Spokane and wanted to get out here early. I know my movers should have stopped by to drop off everything.” Rachel was starting to ramble. She began to feel uneasy as the woman continued to search for the keys.

“Well, my dear, I can’t seem to find those keys. As for those movers, I know they called Cheryl and let her know they should be here soon. Looks like you beat them,” she said cheerfully.

Rachel was confused. “Excuse me, they were supposed to be here almost two days ago,” she started to complain.

A concerned look washed over the woman’s face, and her laugh lines seemed to deepen as she frowned. “Let me call Cheryl and see what she knows.”

“Okay, thank you. I’d appreciate it,” Rachel replied, trying desperately to sound polite but feeling her aggravation rising.

The woman dialed the phone on the desk, smiled softly at Rachel, and turned away as the person on the other end answered. She lowered her voice as they began to speak, and Rachel strained to hear the details of their conversation.

After hanging up, the woman looked squarely at her. “Well, sweetie, looks like we’re in a bit of a pickle.”

“Oh?” Rachel knew whatever this woman was about to tell her was not going to be good news.

The woman took a step closer and inhaled deeply. “It would seem the movers got stuck on the pass.”

“Excuse me? I’m not sure I understand. I made it through just fine. The roads were a little scary, but I made it in my car.” Rachel motioned toward her BMW parked outside.

“You took the 90 highway here?” the woman questioned.

“No, I didn’t.” Rachel was quick to reply with a hint of snottiness in her voice.

“Okay, well, unfortunately the movers did, and they got trapped in that darn snowstorm we had right after Christmas.” The woman looked worried. “Cheryl says she is going to be coming in. She’s plowing her driveway right now. She suggested you stop over at Herrick’s for a cup of coffee and meet her back here.”

Rachel let out a huff. “I guess I don’t have much of choice, do I?”

The woman frowned at her. “Afraid not, dear. Cheryl says she will figure out what’s going on. Herrick’s serves a lovely breakfast if you are hungry. Here’s how to get there,” she offered as she began to write the directions to the diner on a sheet of paper.

Rachel grimaced and accepted the directions with a nod before leaving. This was not how she saw her first day in Birch Valley going. The crisp air stung her face and ears as she jumped back into her car. She cranked the heater and tried to get her bearings.

The diner was right off Main Street and located on the corner. As Rachel pulled into the already-full parking lot, she spied a car slowly backing out and waited to swoop in for the spot.

***

Liam

After Liam showered and dressed, he was looking forward to sharing a nice breakfast with his brothers. He mentally perused the diner’s menu, having a difficult time deciding between the waffles or pancakes. Still undecided, he grabbed his keys and coat, then made his way to Herrick’s with a smile on his face and a growling stomach.

The parking lot was full when Liam noticed his brothers’ work truck parked near the front entrance. When he saw a car backing out, he put his signal on to let the driver in the silver sports car who had just pulled up know it was going to be his spot. The parked car made its way fully out of the space, and before Liam could hit the gas, the silver BMW swiped it. Irritated and surprised, Liam honked the horn. He then sat there motionless as a woman with blonde hair cropped short in some fairy-like cut emerged from the car and pulled her sweater tight around her trim body. With her nose upturned, she didn’t even glance to see where the sound of the horn came from as she went inside Herrick’s Diner.

The small pinch of anger passed after a moment, but Liam was still staring at the car that had stolen his spot. Realizing the driver wasn’t a local, he then eyed the California plates.

Well, that explains that, I suppose.
After locating another parking space, Liam saw the petite woman exiting the diner with a large to-go cup. Seemingly unaware that he was watching her, she got into her fancy car and left.

Liam got out of his truck and made his way into the diner, where he scanned the booths for his brothers. They were perched in their regular place at the far end of the counter.

Daniel gave him a wave and his usual bright smile. “Hey, buddy. You look a little pissed. Everything okay?”

Liam simply shook his head. “The nerve of some people. I was pulling in a little bit ago and was waiting on a space when this lady just stole it.”

“Well, ladies first.” Daniel laughed as he grabbed a piece of bacon from his plate.

“Yeah, I get that, but it was kind of rude, don’t you think? I had my signal on. I was there first, and she didn’t even look in my direction at all,” Liam steamed as he flagged down the waitress to order some breakfast.

Patrick grinned. “Let me guess, was she that cute little blonde that was just in here?”

Liam ordered some pancakes and waffles. After having been riled up, he figured he deserved both. The waitress smiled as she poured him some coffee and walked away with his order.

“She caused a couple of stares, that’s for sure.” Daniel waved his bacon in the air as he talked.

“Pretty much only Daniel was staring,” Patrick added playfully before he sipped his coffee.

“You know what else? Guess where she’s from?” Liam asked. “California. Surprise, surprise, huh?”

“Hey, relax, man, she only stole your parking spot. I think you’ll live,” Daniel said gently, giving Liam’s shoulder a squeeze.

Both men laughed as they turned back to their meals while Liam grabbed the mug in front of him and tried to swallow down the irritation settling back in.

***

Rachel

Rachel pulled away from the diner and quickly returned to the Realty office. She was surprised by the extreme friendliness of the people in the restaurant. Several waved or nodded in her direction as she waited for a cup of coffee to go. The diner itself had her feeling as if she had been transported to another time. The vinyl booths, the stools at the counter, even the waitress’s uniform looked as though they were from decades ago. But she could admit the place smelled fantastic, and the coffee was some of the best she had ever tasted. Rachel actually looked forward to eating there eventually.

Her mood lighter, she opened the door to the Realty office.

“Oh good, you’re back. This here is Cheryl.” The older woman motioned at the finely dressed woman standing next to her.

“Good morning. You must be Rachel? So very happy to meet you. I must first apologize for some of the inconvenience that has occurred.” Cheryl flashed a perfect smile that could rival the many Rachel had seen in Newport. She extended her hand to Rachel, who was thrown off by her intense professionalism.

“This unfortunate mishap will soon be resolved,” Cheryl continued, locking eyes with her. “The moving truck company has assured me the drivers are en route and should be arriving no later than this afternoon. However, I do have those keys to the rental we discussed.” Cheryl turned to the small desk to fetch them.

Rachel simply nodded. There wasn’t a whole lot else she could do, and at least they would be arriving today. She suspected Cheryl was probably in her late forties or early fifties. She had a trim figure, but her skin wasn’t as tight. Her skirt was formfitting and stopped several inches above her knee, her silk blouse brought out the flecks of gold in her hazel eyes, and her highlighted hair was layered in a short bob. She was very put together, but at the same time her appearance looked to be a bit on the side of desperate. She just oozed cougar.

Rachel noticed Cheryl’s heels as they clicked against the hardwood floor. After seeing several business owners clearing snow off the sidewalks, she wondered how this woman was able to get around in those shoes without slipping on the snow and breaking her ankle.