Liam and I are a long way from exchanging vows. We haven’t even saidI love youto each other yet, but I feel it inside. After today, I think he might too.
“You like this guy a lot,don’t you?” Jeremy leans his hip against the kitchen counter in my apartment.
It’s late.
I’ve worked non-stop for the past few days because I booked a last minute wedding.
The original florist bailed, so the bride came to me in tears three days ago.
I was still wallowing in the lingering grief of finding out the truth about my father when she walked into the shop.
I sat her down, went over what she envisioned for her wedding, and I set out to make it happen.
It took calls to three different suppliers on the east coast, but I pulled it off.
Leanna worked late the last few nights, and we had to reschedule the drop-in flower arranging class, but we got the job done.
“Liam is a good man.” I take a sip of water. “You’ll like him, Jer.”
He nudges the bag of food he brought with him toward me. “You should eat something, Athena.”
“Leanna ordered pizza.” I glance into the brown paper bag. “I’ll make a sandwich before I go to bed.”
“Can you see yourself marrying him?”
I choke on the last swallow of water in the bottle. I cough once and then again as I wag a finger at my brother. “Don’t go there.”
I don’t mention the fact that Leanna is still driving the marriage train at high speed. She’s mentioned it at least once a day since Liam came into Wild Lilac. I haven’t seen him since.I pointed out that fact to her, but she laughed and told me that absence makes the heart grow fonder.
“We are dating,” I say on a wheeze. “Promise me that you won’t bring up marriage at my birthday dinner.”
His hand dives into the bag. “I promise. I’m putting this food away, and then I’m taking off. Eat and then sleep, Athena.”
I need to fit a call to Liam in there too, but I don’t tell my brother that.
“I’ll see you on Sunday,” I say with a smile. “You’ll be on your best behavior, right?”
“I’ll be a charming son-of-a-bitch.” He flashes an over-the-top smile. “Tell your boyfriend that if he doesn’t show up, I’ll hunt him down.”
“He’ll be there,” I reassure him with a kiss on the cheek. “He promised me that he would be there.”
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
Liam
“Fuck.”The word falls from my lips as my call to Athena drifts to her voicemail.
We haven’t connected in days.
Her rush to get the flowers done for a last-minute wedding and my overbooked schedule hasn't given us a chance to connect other than via text message.
One of my colleagues came down with the flu, so I took on her clients as well as my own.
I’ve been in the office from sunrise to sunset for the last five days.
I’m tempted to reschedule the basketball court session I’m on my way to, but Gareth Quillan is ready and willing to meet up, so I need to show up for him and his son.
I adjust the waistband of the black shorts I’m wearing. I tugged a black hoodie on with it because the wind has been whipping its way through Manhattan today.
