I barked a laugh.“Didn’t I tell you not to hold your breath?”
“You did, but I’ve decided you didn’t mean it.Focusing on what I want to hear is one of my special skills.”Crinkles appeared at the corners of Liam’s eyes when he grinned, and I smiled back before I could stop myself.He rapped his knuckles on the counter and straightened.“Well, I guess I’ll leave you to it for now.”He winked and turned to the door, giving me a clear view of his perfect ass.
It really was an exceptional butt.
Get it together, Maya.Quit staring at his butt.
I made quick work of closing out the till and shutting off the lights.Thanks to Liam’s help, I now had plenty of time to pop over to the bakery to grab some dessert for after dinner.
When Nana’s memory issues first appeared, I had spent hours researching ways to help her and learned that sticking to a routine was super important.But even having a routine wouldn’t stop time.Her memory would fade more as she aged.She’d had her slips, but thankfully hadn’t experienced confusion or mood swings yet.
Sometimes I wondered whether it was wise for Dr.Madison to say the word dementia when she hadn’t been considering it as a diagnosis.It seemed premature to me, but Nana trusted her, so as soon as the doctor had mentioned it was something to watch for, she’d started looking into the assisted living facility.Thankfully, we weren’t there yet—and we wouldn’t ever be, if I could help it.I planned to take care of her here at home because that’s what family did for each other.
What I really wanted to know was why Nana had never told Liam.As much as I disliked the guy for never visiting, I had to give him credit for talking to her on the phone regularly.I didn’t know many men who would want to gossip with their grandmothers when they could be out dating half the women in the city.
I smiled as I recalled how Nana’s laughter would ring through the walls when they spoke.They would talk for hours, like a couple of teenage girlfriends giggling about their latest crushes.Even I had to admit it was adorable.
He’s still a jerk, though.Mostly.Maybe.
I heaved a frustrated sigh.I didn’t know what to think about Liam anymore.Since meeting him in person, he’d been a great grandson, and, okay, he even came back this time like Nana said he would.Not to mention, he’d been helpful to me personally, which of course made it harder to hate him.Not that it mattered.It wasn’t like he was moving here or anything.Eventually, he would leave, and things would go back to normal.But maybe this time he’d visit more often.
For Nana’s sake, obviously.
I grabbed my coat and left through the front door.I was debating whether to get the bakery’s famous lemon blueberry crunch cake or the caramel walnut apple pie when a sharp whistle captured my attention.
“Hey, Maya.Wait up,” Sierra jogged across the street.“Did Liam just leave?He’s been here all day?What were you two doing during that time, I wonder?”She waggled her eyebrows and giggled.“Did you do any work, or did you get lost in those amazing azure eyes of his?”
“Azure?”I huffed a laugh.“Let’s not get carried away.They’re just blue, and they’re not that amazing,” I said, lying to myself more than anything.They really were that amazing.“And I think they’re more cerulean than azure.Besides, they’re not that special.Plenty of people have blue eyes.”But not like Liam’s, I thought.Liam’s eyes were electric.
“I still think they might be contacts,” she said, politely disregarding the lie I told about his eyes not being amazing.“Maybe his glasses don’t have prescription lenses.Like he wears them as a fashion accessory?What do you think?You’re the one who has a thing for guys who wear slutty little glasses, so you ought to know whether or not they’re real.”She waggled her eyebrows again.“Funny that Liam wears them, isn’t it?”
“Ha ha.”You tell a girl you prefer Clark Kent to Superman one time…“I’m pretty sure they’re real.”
Liam didn’t strike me as the sort of person who would bother to wear fake glasses, no matter how sexy he looked in them.He dressed reasonably well, but his clothing choices were practical and well-made, not overtly flashy or fancy.
Then again, what did I know?I wasn’t exactly a fashion icon.I’d been wearing the same jeans, leggings, and t-shirts since high school.
“Hey, are you listening?Or are you thinking about Alan Rickman again?”Sierra dragged me from my thoughts and shot me a knowing look, the amusement in her eyes making my cheeks burn.Imagine how surprised she’d be to learn Alan Rickman wasn’t the only one who’d been occupying my thoughts lately.
“You caught me.I was thinking about Alan Rickman,” I lied, forcing a laugh.“Walk with me?I’m picking up dessert, then heading upstairs to cook for Nana.”I almost wished I didn’t have to.Seeing Liam again so soon after spending the entire day with him felt like too much.But keeping Nana’s routine consistent was important, so I would put up with him.For Nana.
Not because I wanted to get close to Liam.And absolutely not to figure out if his eyes were really that blue.
eleven
the spice of life
Liam
“Nana,Ibroughtdinner.”
I found Nana on her favourite love seat in front of the enormous window overlooking Main Street.I’d overheard her telling Maya something about it being the best spot to ogle sexy men as they walked down the street, but after the book club fiasco, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what that meant.“I can’t believe Tony still calls it Pizza Place.Why doesn’t he give it a real name already?”
“Why mess with a good thing?”Nana asked, finally marking her place in her book and setting it aside.“Who cares what it’s called when it has such amazing pizza behind its doors.”
Despite its uninspired name, Pizza Place made the best pizza I’d ever had.Sharing it with Nana felt like old times.
She walked to the table and opened both boxes, her eyes lighting up when she spotted her favourite Hawaiian pizza.I mentally patted myself on the back for thinking of such an excellent idea.I’m sure whatever Nana and Maya had been planning to eat for dinner would have been great, but I knew sharing a pizza with me would be a welcome change.Variety was the spice of life, right?
