“Don’t apologize for being real. I’m enjoying getting to know this side of you, Mia. Something tells me that not too many people see it. You said that she could regain the abilities, what happened?” Liam asks.
“Epilepsy, and we recently found out that there’s still a slight progression of demyelination on her brain,” I explain somberly.
“You mean that it’s still doing damage despite the fact that she was transplanted?”
“It’s so slight that the doctors say that unless you measure it, you can’t see it or notice it.”
“Still, she is only seven.”
“She was two when this all started,” I tell him.
“Two?” He must notice the look of sincerity upon my face, and says, “Wow, she’s been through hell.”
“And yet every day, she finds something to smile about,” I explain with a sad smile.
“Okay, so that’s Arianna. Your son’s name is Garrett, and you said he has oppositional defiant disorder? What is that like for you?”
“I’d imagine it ranks up there with having an out-of-control teenager. Everything is an argument. He becomes mean and spiteful, seeks revenge, and has out-of-control anger issues.”
“Being a single parent even with the amazing support system that I have is hard. I can’t even begin to imagine what you go through doing all this solo.”
“Believe me, without my dad, Danielle, and my brothers, I wouldn’t be able to do this solo.”
“Cal and Carter are really good friends of mine. They speak very highly of their niece and nephew.”
“I bet they do. They are very close with Ari and Garrett. How did you say you met them?” I ask.
“They work for me.”
“Work for you?” I raise my eyebrow in question.
“My family owns the lodge. Carter’s my legal counsel, and Cal’s my advertising and marketing manager.”
“Of course, they are,” I mumble under my breath. Now I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this isn’t allowed to go anywhere. Why hadn’t I figured out who he was before, dammit? More importantly, why does he have to be so damn sexy? Strike one, he’s my brothers’ best friend. Strike two, he’s a businessman, which means he’s a workaholic. If those aren’t good enough reasons as to why this could never work, as of Monday, he’s going to be my new boss and that is strike three. “You would be,” I blurt out loud. I didn’t mean to, but by the confused and puzzled look on his face I know I did.
“I’m sorry. I would be what?” he asks.
“Carter and Cal set up an interview for me with Antonio and Vincenzo, and I got hired for the position. I just realized who you are. Technically, you’re my boss.”
“You’re the new event coordinator.”
“I am.”
“You know there aren’t any rules about dating coworkers,” he explains.
“This is a date?”
Liam flashes me a huge smile on his full kissable lips. “No. Trust me, Mia, if this were a date, you’d know it.”
“This can’t happen. You’re my boss, not to mention my brothers’ best friend. Besides, you probably work more than you’re at home.”
Liam starts laughing. “I’m not laughing at you. I just think that you were a little quick to judge me. I work nine to five. My boys come to the lodge after school and do their homework in my office while I close out my day. During the rare weekend that I do work, the boys help us out in the daycare area. The lodge offers daycare to all our employees and the guests. Our daycare staff are highly trained and skilled professionals. They’re monitored at all times.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“No. No. I don’t talk shop outside of work. I’ll explain all of that to you on Monday morning. My job is fun, and it’s how I pay my bills, but it’s not who I am. It’s part of what I am, but it doesn’t define me,” Liam explains.
“So, if you’re so close with Cal and Carter, why don’t I ever see you at Audrey and Payton’s birthday parties?” My nieces are twins and they are nine years old.
“We met the Monday after their last birthday party.”
“You guys became best friends in almost a year?” I ask inquisitively.
“My brothers have known Cal and Carter forever it seems,” Liam replies honestly. “Anytime they were around there was always something going on that prevented me from being able to hangout and officially meet them. The boys keep me extremely busy with all the activities they are into. I was building this house, on top of working and all the renovations in the lodge. By the time I would be able to get away to meet up with my brothers, they would already have left. Finally, about a year ago, things finally calmed enough. It says a lot though; I don’t make friends easily, but when my brothers announced they were getting married, I figured getting to know their friends might be a good idea. Besides, making time for guys’ night on Monday’s was the best move I ever made. I don’t know too many single parents that wouldn’t want a night to themselves once a week.”
“Cal and Carter go back a few years with your brothers,” Mia says.
“Yes, Carter helped Xander with all the legal stuff with his restaurant, and then he recommended Cal for help with advertising. Carter also helped Kimberly legally adopt Jasmine and Calla.”
“I have to ask, what’s up with Python’s? How did he come up with that idea?”
Liam lets out a bark of laughter. “He was talking with some woman who came into the lodge with a bachelorette party. All four of us were manning the bar that night, doing our thing. This group was trying so hard to get us to shed our clothes. Xander finally said, he couldn’t, his dad was the boss, and he’d be pretty mad. She started spouting off about how unfair it was that men had Hooters, and all kinds of other sports bars where women were eye fucked. But women didn’t have anything like that unless Dreamboys, Thunder from Down Under, or something like that was in town. After that, Xander started thinking about it more and more. Next thing we know, he’s breaking ground on Python’s. He has three locations now.”
“You got roped into working tonight,” I say.
“I did. I couldn’t make guys’ night on Monday because of a school concert, so we rain checked for tonight. Well, Xander got a call about one of his guys calling out for the third weekend in a row. He had already given a couple of his other guys the night off and wouldn’t dream of making them break their plans. So, he called me knowing that I didn’t have the boys. Can’t complain. I mean, I made something like five hundred dollars just in tips tonight for letting women drool near me.”
I laughed. “You don’t sound conceited at all.”
“Have you seen these abs?” Liam jokes.
“You must have a lot of time on your hands to keep abs like that,” I say as I let my eyes drift down to the hard muscles of his stomach. It’s a shame that he covered them back up.
“Not really. I just make sure that the boys can work out with me. My brother, Jaxson, owns our childhood home that has an indoor pool. I also tend to spend my lunch hour in the gym at the lodge too. I fit it in where I can.”