“Why can’t I ask you if we can take him to do something like that?”
“He can’t handle people asking him to do stuff like that, then not doing it.”
“Whoa, seriously, I would never ask anyone to go do something with me if I wasn’t serious about actually doing it.”
“He can be a handful. He starts yelling. He can start throwing things. Garrett has even gone as far as putting holes in the walls, all because he gets in one of his moods when he doesn’t get his way.”
Liam interrupts me by saying, “I know how oppositional defiant disorder works.”
“How could you possibly know something like that?”
“My nephew over there, Reed? He had ODD heavily back in elementary school. He learned to control it and is now going to school to be a therapist to help other kids that are going through what he went through. My nephew, Kale, he’s in college to be a teacher for kids like that.”
“That’s a thing? They can learn to control it?”
Liam laughs. “Yes. Have you met Reed or Kale yet?”
“No… not yet. I haven’t really seen anyone yet. I wanted to find Garrett as soon as I got here. Make sure he was okay.”
Liam and I start walking toward the tent where the party is in full swing. We get close to the tent and a kid who’s about eighteen comes up to us.
“Zio, who’s your friend?”
“This is Mia. Mia, this is my oldest nephew, Kale.”
Kale holds out his hand and shakes mine. “Any friend of Zio’s is a friend of mine. I’m single by the way, and you’re very beautiful.”
I smile trying to stifle a laugh. “Could you not flirt with her please?” Liam says in warning.
“Why not? Wait is ‘friend’ the new term for girlfriend?”
“What if she is? Shouldn’t you hit on women your own age?” Liam challenges.
“My apologies, Zio. I didn’t know you were with her like that. Nobody has said anything about you having a girlfriend.”
I smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Liam was just telling me that you’re in college.” I’m not sure why I didn’t correct him when he made the comment about Liam having a girlfriend. I think a part of me just loves the attention from this man.
Kale starts talking about college and how awesome it is. He loves working with kids, especially those with special needs like ADHD, ODD and other behavioral difficulties. I find my thoughts wandering off to the man standing next to me. Wondering if this is what it would be like to be his real girlfriend. If he’s really this attentive to the women he dates.
“I think I lost you,” Kale says, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“I’m sorry, I was looking around for Garrett. I couldn’t see him. He can be a handful at times,” I explain, trying to hide the real reason I wasn’t paying attention.
“Kale! Come on! It’s time to pin the tail on the horse!” Cooper says, pulling him back toward everyone else.
“I must go! I look forward to talking with you more, Mia,” Kale says as he is being dragged away.
We share a laugh and Liam and I stand there for a while just watching the kids pin the tail on the horse. I watch as one of the older girls picks up Arianna and another girl hands her a tail to place on the horse. This is the first time I am meeting all of them, but my brothers have known them awhile. It means so much to me that they are including Ari in the festivities instead of singling her out.
“I would love it if Garrett could join us for the baseball game tomorrow.”
I look at Liam. “I just met you. Letting you take my son to a game… I don’t know—”
Just then, Brie chimes in, “I’ve known him for a year, and he’s awesome. He’s smart, funny, and he puts family first no matter what. He’ll cancel plans if you need him to. Liam doesn’t care if you call him in the middle of the night. He’s an amazing dad to his two and he helped raise his brothers’ twins.”
Ella interjects, “I’ve known him for eight years. Liam has always been there for me—for anyone he calls a friend.”
“I’ve been in the family for a while too. He is a great guy who would rather die than to bring harm to anyone in this family,” Kimberly adds.
“I think you know enough people to know that I would die if anything happened to him when he’s with me.” Liam states his case.
“Why don’t you just go with them, Mia?” Ella questions.
“I have Arianna, and her mobile stander can’t go that many places.”
“I can watch her,” Ella offers.
“I’ve been away from them for most of the weekend. I really don’t want to be away anymore,” I say, trying to find an out.
“So, could Arianna come with us?” Liam questions.
“Like I said before, the mobile stander doesn’t go easily in many places. It barely fits in the back of my SUV.”
“I could carry her; besides, it’d be my honor to have such a beautiful princess in my arms at the game tomorrow.”
“How can you get tickets like that, at the last minute?” I try once more to find an out.
“Our family sponsors the team. We have a section for us anytime we want it.”
“Face it, you’re out of excuses, Mia!” Brie exclaims.
“Okay, let’s go to the ballgame.” I cave. Who am I kidding? I think I want to go with him. Who knows if he even really wants me to go? He originally just asked if Garrett could. This is a bad idea. I need to—
“I am so glad you and the kids are coming with us tomorrow,” Liam nearly whispers to me, pulling me out of my negative thoughts.
After the party winds down, I watch as Liam helps Carter load up Payton and Audrey’s birthday gifts. It doesn’t take long for his eyes to catch me watching him and when he spots me by my SUV putting Arianna into her seat, he jogs over to us. “So, is it okay if the boys and I pick you guys up at noon tomorrow?” Liam asks as I hand Arianna her favorite plush brown bunny.
“Um…” I look at the medical equipment in the cargo area, and her car seat. Then I look to Liam again.
Liam glances into the car and he must notice what I am thinking. “Would it be easier if you drove? That way you don’t have to move her seat?” It’s scary how this man can read me like a book. It seems like he can read my thoughts. I’ve never had this sort of connection with anybody. Ever! Let alone someone I just met.
“That would probably be easier,” I concur.
“Do you remember how to get to my place?”
“I wasn’t really paying attention the other night. I’m sorry.” I wince, feeling bad.
“I’ll text you my address?” Liam questions with a sexy smile. I smile back at him as I reach for my phone and send him a quick message after he rattles off his number.
His phone rings and he smiles. “Got it.”
Later that night after I tuck the kids into bed, I settle into mine. Thoughts are racing with the events that have unfolded in the last twenty-four hours. My thoughts trail to the baseball game. I check the weather for tomorrow, making sure that I know how to dress Arianna so that she is comfortable. Her teeth have been known to chatter in anything colder than seventy-two degrees with all the complications she has. My phone pings with an incoming text.