I took Liam’s hand despite the fact that I couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss when I touched him. No matter what weirdness was going on between us, sometimes he needed me to protect him, too.
Chapter Five
Liam
With her hand in mine,I could face seeing my father.
Grandma Dorothy went to the fridge and began pouring tea. When I noticed her hands shaking too much to hold the pitcher steady, I went to her side.
“I’ll get that for you grandma.” I took the pitcher from her hands and guided her to the breakfast nook where she sat across from Dad. He hadn’t looked up from the paper he was reading. A steaming cup of coffee sat at his elbow.
She beamed up at me. “You’re a good boy. Thank you, Willy.”
“Anytime.” I told her, deciding not to comment on her error about my name. Ignoring the issue wasn’t healthy by any means, but it was better than focusing on how quickly she had changed. To Charlie, I said, “Do you want a cup?”
Charlie gave my hand an extra squeeze, then took an empty seat next to Grandma Dorothy. “Sure, thanks.”
“Hey, Dad,” I said when I couldn’t put it off any longer.
“Liam,” was all he answered.Was it just me, or did he look…older?I didn’t want to believe it. In some ways, I still wanted to think my father was invincible.
I poured iced tea for the three of us and served them. “How have you been, grandma?” I asked to break the silence. Sometimes silence was worse than my father’s dictating to me. His blatant lack of interest in having a conversation screamed how little my life mattered to him these days. But, oh, how he’d come to life if only I did everything right—which meant his way or nothing at all.
“Just fine, dear. How’s school?” Under the table, her foot began to tap against the floor and when her hands weren’t busy with the glass they were constantly rubbing together. Once we’d learned she’d been diagnosed with dementia, the first thing Charlie had done was look up all she could about dementia. She quizzed her nursing instructors, scoured any available medical texts and gracefully agreed to help advise my parents when they chose home health care, even though she didn’t think she was experienced enough to be of any assistance.
I always thought I was the one who took care of Charlie, protected her…but she did her fair share of taking care of me, too.
“Just waiting to hear back about applications for school in the fall.”
My father snorted into his coffee and set down his newspaper. The full force of his gaze turned to me, pinning me to the sink where I was rinsing the empty pitcher. I’d been right earlier, he does look older. But that wasn’t the only thing. He looked like an older me. Was this what I’d turn into if I spent the next thirty years fighting to pull life from an unforgiving patch of earth? His weathered skin had deep grooves that reminded me of cracked mud when the farm went too long without a good rain.
I ignored him because I didn’t want another argument in front of Charlie and grandma. Raised voices agitated her.
“That’s great,” Grandma said, beaming. “What about you, Charlie?”
Charlie smiled at her, her cheeks pink with pleasure and she told grandma about her classes and the kids she saw on rotation at the hospital during her rounds. I’d forgotten how much she loved being here. She even said once being around my family, even when they fought, was like a relief for her. I relaxed a little, ignoring Dad’s scrutiny. I could deal with his bullshit for one weekend if it gave Charlie a reprieve.
“Where are Janie and Marie, Mr. Frank?” Charlie asked my dad. She never had a problem talking with him and he treated her like a third daughter.
“They’re sleeping over at a friend's house for the weekend.”
“I was wondering why it was so quiet,” she said, eyes twinkling.
He mustered up what passed for a smile in her direction and it hit me how Charlie always manages to pull people out of their shell, even miserly old bastards like my dad.
“Those two do more caterwauling than the barn cats.”
Grandma was tapping her feet again and Charlie reached over to hand her the glass of tea without a second glance. My father looked at Charlie with such warmth in his eyes and Grandma Dorothy began chattering happily about the TV programs she’d been watching, I leaned against the kitchen counter, my heart stuck in my throat. Charlie fit. I couldn’t imagine being here without her.
I wanted to kiss her again.
The urge slammed into me with the intensity of an avalanche. I wanted to cross the kitchen, pull her to her feet and plant a kiss on her she’d never forget. Not a hasty, spur-of-the-moment kiss. Right here in front of my family, alone. It didn’t matter where. I wanted her. And it terrified me.
“Did you hear me son?”
I focused in on my father, who was standing in front of me, his coffee cup in his hand. That was one way to get my thoughts off the carnal route they’d taken. “What’s that?”
“I could use your help outside, if you have a minute.”
