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“Yeah, hi,” she breathes out and mentally shoves herself for sounding like a schoolgirl. “Sorry about Frank, you can put him down now. Frank, honey, you have to stay with Mommy when we’re outside by the street.”
“It’s okay, I’ve got him.” Liam glances at her and holds out one firmly muscled arm. “I’ll take those bags, too.”
“Oh, um, okay then.” Willow shifts the bags to his arms and rubs at her sore shoulders. “Thanks…uh, for helping with…” she gestures at him now loaded down with her child and shopping.
He starts down the sidewalk and she hurries to keep up with him.
“I’m not doing it for free,” he says.
“I’m…sorry, what?”
He stops and grins down at her, a real smile that lights his face and brightens his eyes until they glitter. “I’ll take payment in the form of more meatloaf.”
Willow’s breath catches in her throat. She isn’t entirely sure she’s heard him correctly but she isn’t going to push it. If that’s what he wants, then she is happy to cook for him again…tonight or any night he wants. Wait: did she really mean that? She feels her face redden as she realizes she did.
“Now?”
“Sure, if you have the time.” Liam gives a bounce and sets Frank to squealing again.
“Okay, yeah, I have time.”
“Good.”
They are quiet for the rest of walk home. Just the three of them, walking down the sidewalk together, almost like a family.
***
When Liam follows Willow up the stairs she can’t help but wonder if he is checking out her ass. She wonders, if he was, what he thought of it? Her mind wanders back to the other night and she hurries ahead, afraid if he sees her face that he’ll be able to read all the thoughts behind it.
She pushes her key into the lock and shoves the door open with her hip, moving aside so Liam can duck under the frame, Frank still riding high on his shoulders. She pulls the bags out of his hands and hurries into the kitchen with them, coming back just in time to watch Liam swing Frank off his shoulders.
Frank bounces around Liam in a circle. “That was the mostest fun of ever!”
Liam smiles down at him and drops his hand onto Frank’s little head. Willow feels her heart constrict. She isn’t sure what is going on here but seeing them together makes her happy and scared all at once. Frank has had never had a man in his life and he seems to love spending time with Liam. Willow is just worried that Frank is starting to get attached and she doesn’t know what is happening with Liam. With her and Liam. Is there a her and Liam? She doesn’t want her heart broken but she wants Frank hurt even less. She doesn’t know how long Liam will be around. She doesn?
?t know if Liam wants to be around. He seems to have come out of whatever funk he’s been in since they’ve had sex but she isn’t sure how long it will last. Liam is a wildcard.
“I’m just going to start on dinner,” she says. “Liam, give me a hand for a second?”
He looks startled at her words. “Yeah, sure. Back in a minute, buddy.” He pats Frank’s head again and follows her into the kitchen.
Willow pulls pans out and busies herself peeling potatoes. “Feel free to grab a beer.”
She waits until he is settled at the small table with a beer before she turns to face him. “What’s going on here, Liam?”
“Dinner,” he says and tips back his beer.
“You know what I’m talking about.”
Liam sighs. “Listen, just friends, right? I could use a friend, too. Frank’s a cute kid. You’re a cute kid. I don’t know what’s going on. Let’s just…see.”
“I can’t do that, not with Frank. If he gets used to having you around and you take off…”
“I’m not going to do that to the kid. I promise, no matter what happens with us, if we’re friends or not, I won’t take off. If I have to leave I’ll talk to him…let him know. A little man-to-man.”
She watches as he peels at the label on his bottle and leaves the pieces in a little pile on the table. Cartoon sounds drift in through the kitchen door. It all feels so normal, so safe. The three of them at home, cooking dinner, watching TV. She can even picture the two of them putting Frank to bed and then…
“Okay. Friends.” She turns back to stove.
