I parked along the curb on Westminster Street in front of a row of restaurants. “We’re here,” I sang out and exited my car. When I reached the sidewalk, Liam was already outside spinning slowly on his heels and taking in the sights.
I was aware of the pleasing aesthetics the bustling cityscape held. Set upon the walkable riverfront at Waterplace Park, historic landmarks, and flourishing greenery, my city was as beautiful as it got in the US, and Liam appeared to recognize that.
“You okay there, buddy?” I teased as his gaze wandered over the dome-shaped architecture of the state capitol building.
He turned his head toward me, his brows bunching in the middle. “Yeah, why?”
I bit the inside of my lip. “You look like Ariel from The Little Mermaid when she poked her head out from under the sea.”
He shook his head as if to say he didn’t understand the reference.
My jaw dropped. “You’ve never seen The Little Mermaid? The story of the mermaid who made a deal with the sea witch to give up her voice so she could turn into a human and fall in love with the hunky prince?” I laughed at my description of my favorite Disney movie. When Liam still looked confused, I shook my head and placed my hands on my hips. “Well, that’s disappointing.”
“If this movie is anything like your book collection, I’m happy to try it out.” His crooked smile broadened, creating a flurry of activity in my chest.
With a roll of my eyes, I placed a palm at his back and nudged him forward. “Forget I said anything.”
We walked while I pointed out each restaurant and gave him an idea of what he would find on the menu, but he shook his head at everything until we arrived at a coal-fired pizza joint on Westminster Street.
“Good choice.” I smiled and walked through the door he held open for me.
I was in heaven the second he opened the door. The corner building was brightly lit and spacious, with fresh Italian seasonings scenting the air. It was one of my favorite places in all of Providence to go for lunch. So much so that I used to bring my homework and request a quiet spot in the corner where I would sit for hours.
“How about a booth over there?” I suggested to Liam.
He just nodded casually, and I turned to smile at the woman standing at the host stand. The woman nodded to my request and showed us to our table.
Liam ordered a beer, and I asked for their house pinot grigio. Once our waitress was gone, I started to worry Liam and I wouldn’t have anything to talk about. It wasn’t like me to invite strangers to lunch. Especially mysterious strangers from foreign countries. And I hoped he wouldn’t assume there was more behind my invitation.
“So, Chelsea...” He hesitated, and I assumed he was reaching for my last name.
“Banks.”
The corner of his mouth tipped up in a smile. “Cute.”
My cheeks heated, and I didn’t know why. Clearly, Liam was a flirt. I also got the impression that he was trouble, and I didn’t just get that impression from his ink-covered arms and that cocky smile he loved to use. The fact that he’d come to stay at Simon and Bridget’s without them being home said a lot. It said that he’d been in a hurry and couldn’t wait another week for them to arrive. But why? Had he done something? Was someone trying to hurt him? Crazy thoughts raced through my mind until he spoke again.
“So, Chelsea Banks, certainly nannying doesn’t take up all your time. Are you in school?”
“I was.” I debated how much I should tell him in those next few moments of silence then realized I had nothing to lose telling a stranger the truth. He wouldn’t be sticking around much longer, and it would feel nice to just talk about it for once. “I was in the middle of obtaining my doctorate when I dropped out a couple months ago.”
Liam’s brows ticked up with curiosity. “This sounds like an interesting story.”
I felt my cheeks heat again. “It’s not that interesting. I was good at school, and I kept at it because I thought eventually I’d figure out what I wanted to do with my degrees. Since I was a little girl, I’ve wanted to work with kids as an educator in some fashion. But when I started taking the classes, I realized I didn’t want to be stuck in a classroom all day. So I kept trying to figure out what direction I should take until I realized education wasn’t what I wanted to do at all.”
“But you still want to nanny?”
I nodded without an ounce of hesitation. The one thing I knew I was doing right with my time was caring for the Hogues’ kids. “Yes, definitely. It’s one of those jobs that doesn’t feel like work to me at all. I’ve gotten quite attached to those kids in just a couple of months, and it leaves me time to work on other things.”
“Like?”
I didn’t mind telling Liam about dropping out of school, but I felt a little queasy at the thought of confessing my passion for writing. “I dabble in the arts. In, um, writing.”
“What do you write?”
His question was so simple, yet it only pulled me deeper into the dark bubble I’d holed up in ever since I’d drafted my first book. I was days away from sending it to my editor. With zero books published and a new idea for a story currently running rampant in my mind, it all just felt like a silly dream, one I had no idea on earth how to make come true.
“You know what? It’s all very new, and I’m not ready to talk about it, if that’s okay.”
He didn’t pry. He didn’t make me feel bad about objecting to sharing. He simply shrugged and leaned back in his seat before grabbing the menu and checking out the options. I let out a long, slow breath, feeling grateful for the reprieve, knowing I couldn’t go my entire life avoiding the conversation. Not only did I fear my own dreams, but I feared what would happen if I continued to keep silent.
“So, you’re the best friend’s little brother?” I asked with a smile, trying desperately to find a new topic of conversation.
Liam lifted his eyes from the menu and nodded. “That’s me. Simon and my brother, Blake, were very close.”
Confusion twisted my features. “Were? Is that not the case anymore?” I hoped I didn’t sound like I was prying.
Liam set down his menu, his eyes softening. “Blake died in a horrible boating accident years ago. Simon was with him when it happened. I was fourteen.”
Dread sank into my gut. “I’m so sorry to hear that. I didn’t know.”
“Of course you didn’t.” Liam picked up his menu again and returned to scanning it.
Once again, I was at a loss for conversation, but my eyes were still curious as they traveled the length of his arm. The intricate designs seemed to blend together, but the closer I looked, the more I understood where one tattoo ended and another began. Suddenly, I wished I could go back in time and get another glimpse of Liam’s bare skin. I would pay more attention to the art, to what each piece looked like. Maybe I would learn a bit more about the mystery that was Liam, whose last name I still did not know. Then my eyes caught on his brother’s name written in script font on his bicep.
“Who designed your tattoos?”
Liam’s sideways grin appeared again, allowing me to breathe a bit easier. I was back in safe conversation territory. “Me. I dabble in the arts too.”