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Well, Claire wouldn’t allow Liam to have the first word in this situation—or the last.
“Yeah, that would’ve been nice to have some help for sure,” she said, speaking loud enough for Liam to hear her perfectly. “I really could have used it after some jerk accused me of stealing his luggage.”
Oops. Maybe she was the vindictive type after all.
The car silenced. Melody and Tasha’s eyes fell on Claire at the same time.
“Wait, what happened?” Melody asked.
“You never mentioned anything about that,” Tasha added.
Liam was radio silent.
Claire looked at each of them innocently. Instead of hiding behind the seat, she shifted her body to be visible in the rearview mirror, spotting Liam’s temples at once in the reflection.
She knew he would be able to see her if he adjusted a fraction.
Look at me, Liam. You little coward.
“Yeah,” Claire continued, maintaining her focus on the mirror, “I had accidentally been handed his carry-on by another passenger on the flight. Later on near the baggage claim, this frail, string-bean-looking guy came up to me, shouting and being super rude.”
“No,” Tasha breathed. “I can’t believe anyone could be so terrible. Especially to a stranger.”
“Seriously, what a total jerk,” Melody agreed.
“I know.” Claire nodded.
Finally, Liam’s eyes met hers. She had to admit, the string bean comment was a little much—and absolutely false—but she still had to bite the inside of her cheek to ward off a smile. His scowl would have withered her away like a dried pine branch had she not enjoyed it so much.
She really should have ended the conversation right there. But then, she was only giving the guy a taste of his own medicine. “I wish I could say things ended there, but he ended up accusing me of stealing, then he criticized me for being from the States.”
Tasha released another puff of air in dismay.
Melody screwed up her nose. “I wish I would’ve been there. I could’ve shown the guy a real American greeting.”
“Can you believe that, Liam?” Tasha asked.
Claire focused again on the mirror. Liam’s eyes darted to hers, then back away. “No, that’s, uh…that’s unbelievable.”
Claire bit her lip again in order to stop her smile.
“Did you say anything back to him?” Melody asked.
“Well, I could have said a lot,” Claire responded. “I defended myself, of course, but I took a more dignified approach. I figured he was just one of those spoiled rich boys who had a bad day, you know? Maybe his butler was late to pick him up.”
Tasha and Melody laughed, and Claire was finally able to release her smile. Liam shot her another look, his sharp gaze ricocheting off the mirror to hit her squarely in the chest, but she merely grinned in response.
Hmm. Maybe today would be a great day after all.
SIX
Apparently, Liam had finally been scared away from Claire. He spent the rest of the car ride in silence and didn’t say another word to her—teasing or otherwise.
Claire wasn’t about to complain. She had finally given him a run for his money and was now reveling in her successes as she lived out her best life at Kew Gardens.
The grounds of the botanic center were vast and stunning, even in the seemingly dormant state of winter. A frost had found its place on the ground the night before and now clung to each blade of grass and every bare tree branch in small, crystal blankets. The shimmering white ice provided the perfect contrast to the vibrant red dogwoods and chocolate brown trees scattered around the gardens.
Claire and the others explored the area for hours, spotting stunning Kingfishers swooping overhead and silent roe deer grazing on grass near the lake. Before long, they had visited the Japanese gardens, the Rock Garden and the Grass Garden, the arboretum, the Queen’s Garden, and eventually the Palm House before catching a late lunch at the café. Once their bellies were filled and their bodies were warmed, they finally moved to the Temperate House—where Claire had been looking forward to going all day. Not even Liam’s continual glances in her direction could put a damper on her mood as she entered the remarkable building.
