Emerson laughs. “Leave them alone,” she says. “Let’s not make this awkward.”
“Little late for that,” Jared jokes.
“I don’t mind making it awkward,” Murph says. “It’s too big o’ news to pretend it’s not happening.”
“It is big news.”
We all turn and look up at Liam standing at the head of the table like he’s the father.
Which, in a sense, he is. He’s the only parent among us, and he took it upon himself to make sure his three younger brothers could go to college.
He’s green-eyed like Hunter and dark-haired. His expression flips between serious and irritated a lot of the time, but he’s got a soft side and a great laugh.
He smiles so genuinely at me that I flush. “You know I approve of this match, right? You’ve always been the only woman who could handle my brother.”
“Hey.” Jared glares at him. “You think I’m hard to handle?”
“Obviously,” Liam says, unfazed. “We all are. But you’re like a stallion that needed taming.”
“I don’t want to tame Jared,” I say. “I like his wild side. And he likes mine.”
Liam gives me a head nod. “That’s a better way to put it. That’s why you two are in a relationship and I’m single.”
He says it as a joke, but his smile doesn’t reach his eyes.
He slides into the booth next to Jared at the same moment that Haley slides in beside me at the other side of the table.
They both flinch as they look across the table.
Recognition flashes on Liam’s face.
“I remember you,” he says. “The woman who makes assumptions.”
Ouch.
“Hey,” Emerson says to Liam. “I know you two didn’t hit it off when you met last year, but Haley’s a great person.”
“It’s okay,” Haley says to Emerson before she turns to Liam and says in an apologetic tone, “I realize I was rude before, but it wasn’t personal.”
Liam’s hard expression softens just a touch. ‘No worries,” he says gruffly. “I’m sure I could have handled it better.”
Jared jumps in and asks Liam how Lulu is.
“She’s awesome,” he says with a proud smile. “She’s curious and has non-stop energy.”
“How old is she?” Haley asks him.
“Two and a half,” he says.
“That’s a lovely age,” she says enthusiastically.
I look at her in surprise. “Do you have experience with kids?”
She nods. “I was a nanny for years.”
“Really?” Liam looks at Haley like he’s seeing her for the first time. “Did you enjoy it?”
“I loved it. I only worked for one family, and then the kids got too old to need me, and I ended up in the corporate world. Started out as a way to make money, and I found my way to a great company.”
