AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“He has a pet flying squirrel, isn’t that cool?”
Ah, to be eight years old and in fickle first love.
I sling an arm around Legs’s shoulder. “A flying squirrel?! He sounds way cooler than boring, old Finn.”
“Right?” Legs beams.
As she starts chattering about her apparent newfound crush on Hassan (seriously, I don’t remember hitting the boy-crazy stage until I was, like, twelve. Kids these days are growing up so fast), I hear a rustle at the door.
I glance up in time to see Liam hovering in the doorway, and the look on his face makes my breath catch. He doesn’t know I can see him, see his soft-eyed, dreamy-smiled expression. It makes my heart ache in the best way.
Honestly. Beneath all his complicated layers, this man is more cinnamon roll than extra-crunchy granola.
He slips away quickly, but he’s too late.
I saw the look in his eyes.
And I don’t think I can unsee it now.
29
LIAM
“Is she asleep?”
When I come out of Legs’s room, Annie is standing at the foot of the stairs, wearing her jacket and staring up at me curiously.
“She is.” I walk down the stairs as quietly as possible. Last thing I want to do is wake her. “Still a little tearful, but she’s had a rough week with her mom being away.”
“I get it.” Annie shoves her hands deep in her pockets, making the bottom of her jacket fan out.
“Thank you for coming over. You were… great.”
The understatement of the century. Annie was phenomenal this evening. A lifesaver.
I may have snuck up to the bathroom while she was talking to Legs, and eavesdropped at the door. Annie managed to simultaneously comfort her, validate her feelings, empathize, and cheer her up.
It was downright impressive.
“She’s a great kid,” Annie says.
“And I don’t have to hunt down this Finn character and rough him up?”
“Rough him up?” Annie snorts, her eyes dancing. “Are we in a Hardy Boys novel?”
“Depends who’s asking.”
She cocks an eyebrow at me brazenly. “Just how much did you snoop on ourprivateconversation?”
“I may have overheard a thing or two.”
“Eavesdropped, you mean?”
I give her a little smile. “That’s a strong word.”
She crosses her arm and juts her chin. “That’s an accurate word.”
She’s got me and she knows it. I cross my arms and lean against the wall, getting comfortable. “Well, now that the cat’s out of the bag… Toby Barnett, huh? Was he a stud?”
