“Funny, I don’t see you as an introvert at the hospital. You give orders like a general. The nurses respect you. As one of your patients, I can say you provide exemplary care. You appeared engaging, genuinely concerned about my prognosis, and even explained the procedure in human terms. To tell the truth, I felt hesitant about the procedure until you broke everything down for me.”
“Really?” she asked, her large blue eyes peering at him as if to see if he lied.
Liam nodded. “I’m telling you the truth.”
His admission seemed to please her as she glanced at her lap, not bothering to remove her hand from his grasp.
He’d rather admit he enjoyed her company and her hand fit his perfectly, but something told him to take one step at a time.
CHAPTER 12
Liam pulledthe vehicle into the furniture store parking lot. Addyson peered over at Liam as uncertainty filled her.
“Come on, we got this,” Liam encouraged as he got out and came around to her side.
Grabbing her purse, Addyson walked to the entrance. Liam’s comforting hand on her back helped calm her nerves. Sam always made the decisions, telling her too many choices always made her anxious.
Liam took her hand, avoiding the salespeople, and veered right toward the living room furniture.
“What’s your favorite color?” he asked.
“Blue,” she said as she stopped to examine a couch.
“Go sit on it. You can’t tell if you like it by staring at the price tag,” he teased.
“It’s expensive,” she said, scrunching her nose at the price tag.
“I believe you have a check to cover it,” Liam reminded her. “Think of it as an investment. It’s something you’ll use practically every day. It must be large enough to support Zeus and you while you watch some sappy dog movie.”
Addyson giggled. “Then count this one out. I don’t think you can even fit on this and be comfortable.”
“Way to make a man feel special,” he playfully grumbled as he went to sit on the furniture. “Getting used as a fill-in for your horse of a dog.”
“You’re the one giving the advice,” she said, smiling. “I’m ruling this as a no.”
“Good choice. It’s too hard.” Liam rose and took her hand, heading toward a big plush sectional. “What about this? You can stretch your legs, and Zeus will have room,” he suggested.
Addyson gingerly sat on it and bounced, testing the seat’s feel. Liam sat beside her and pressed her back against the back cushions.
“Relax,” he gently ordered. “Can you picture this in your living room?”
“It’s comfortable,” she hedged. “Zeus can have the longer section to watch TV with me.”
Liam rose and sprawled out on the longer section, showing her the size.
“Shoot. I didn’t take any measurements,” she said, running her hand over the fabric.
“I have them here. The veterans thought they might come in handy,” he said, pulling out his phone. “If you get this, you’ll have room for two more chairs.”
Addyson bit her lip as she rose from the couch. Her eyes scanned the area, finding the recliners. “I’ve always wanted one of those heated chair recliners with massage. Maybe I can get one of those,” she confessed.
“You can get two if you want. Leo has one in his office for when he’s taking a nap with Derrick,” Liam told her as he led her toward the chairs.
“I think it’s sweet how he takes an active role in his kid’s life. He does things on a larger scale than most, but his heart is in theright place,” she said as she inspected the chairs. She sat in two and shook her head. A plush, cream-colored one caught her eye. Walking toward it, she checked the tag and sat.
“It has a remote,” Liam said, handing her the attached device.
She pushed a button, closed her eyes, and sighed. “Oh, this feels like heaven.”
