Continuing to follow him upstairs into a wide hallway, he ushered them into one of the doors on the right. It opened into a beautifully appointed guest bedroom—queen-size oak bed with a pale blue comforter, an oak dresser and matching mirror, and a comfortable chair with a reading lamp in the corner.
He set the suitcases down and stood with his hands shoved into his pockets. Inclining his head toward the door on the side of the room, he said, “There’s a bathroom through there. It connects on the other side to the other guest bedroom. Towels are already in there, but I’m not sure what else I have. To be honest, since my family lives close by, I never have overnight guests.”
“We have everything we need. I’ll take a bath with her, and we’ll be fine. Thank you.”
His mouth opened, then snapped closed quickly. After a few seconds, he cleared his throat. “Once you’re ready, come downstairs, and we’ll get something to eat.”
Rosie slid behind Amy’s legs and whispered, “I’m hungry.”
His lips quirked upward just as he turned to leave, making him appear even more handsome. The door closed behind him, and she blew out a breath before turning her attention to Rosie, who was still looking around. “Come on, let’s have a warm bath.”
Rosie giggled and nodded. She turned on the bathwater, checked the temperature, then pulled Rosie’s top and pants off. “Let’s take off your big girl panties.” Once Rosie was undressed, she placed her into the tub and scrubbed her body, then added suds to her hair, making her giggle again.
Stripping, she climbed into the tub carefully, and without taking the time to luxuriate in the warm water, she rinsed off quickly.
She stepped out of the tub and dried off, noting the plush towels. Tucking an extra-long towel around her girth, she looked down. “Are you ready to get out? Mommy needs to get into some dry clothes and then we can find something to eat.”
“I’m ready,” Rosie said, her eyes bright as she held her arms up.
Lifting her over the edge of the tub, Amy quickly rubbed her daughter’s little body with a thick, fluffy towel and slipped her into her pink pajamas. “Okay, sit here with Bubbie while Mommy gets ready.” She grabbed her damp clothes and hung them over the towel bar, thinking of how soaked Liam had gotten while keeping them from taking the brunt of the rain. Digging into her suitcase, she pulled out stretchy pants and a big top, settling it over her stomach. Looking into the mirror, her hands moved to cup underneath her pregnant tummy, and she sighed. “What a story I’ll have to tell you, Peanut.” A puff of air slipped out, and she shook her head. “Along with all the other stories I’ll have to tell.”
“Mommy, I'm hungry.”
Looking down, she smiled. “Well, then let’s get the Rosie girl something to fill her belly.” She held Rosie’s hand as they walked out of the bedroom and down the wide staircase. Now that her mind was more focused on her surroundings and less on getting to safety, she was impressed with Liam’s home. Beautifully decorated, it certainly didn’t seem like a bachelor’s residence. She jerked to a halt. He’s married! Oh, my goodness! He brought home a stranger, and his wife is probably fussing at him right now! She continued to hold Rosie’s hand, her daughter jumping down the last step, and heard his voice coming from the kitchen. Closing her eyes for a second, she let out a breath, preparing to meet an indignant wife who was now saddled with unexpected house guests.
Rosie stayed right with her, shy as usual. Walking into the kitchen, the scent of bacon sizzling greeting her, she was surprised to see Liam alone, his phone to his ear. He was in dry jeans and a T-shirt, his wet hair combed.
“Yeah, Mom, I’ve got her and her daughter here. We’re in and fine, but how are you holding up? Okay, but call Corby, Lenny, or Harold if you need anything. Yeah, love you, too. Bye, Mom.”
Before she could move, he’d tossed the phone to the counter and turned, his gaze moving over her before dropping to Rosie, hiding behind her legs. He lifted his gaze back to her and smiled. “You guys hungry? I’ve got bacon and scrambled eggs. I thought breakfast food sounded good.”
“Oh, my, yes,” she gushed. “After the time we’ve just had, comfort food sounds amazing.” Stepping forward, she looked around. “What can I help with?”
“Nothing, I’ve got it. You and Rosie can sit down, and I’ll get it plated in just a moment.”
She looked over at the table, surprised to see a booster seat already in one of the chairs. Swinging her head around, she asked, “You have a booster seat?”
He chuckled. “Yeah, I’ve got nieces and nephews. They’re not here often because I work so much, and when we get together, I tend to go to their houses or meet at my mom’s, but a few things got left over the years. I remembered I had it and thought it might make things easier.”
Smiling, she nodded and lifted Rosie into the seat. “Put Bubbie in the chair next to you.”
Her daughter’s eyes were wide as she leaned over to keep a watch on Liam. She whispered, “But Bubbie is hungry, too.”
“I know, but Bubbie doesn’t need to be on the table,” she whispered in return. Once she had her daughter settled, Liam brought over the plates.
He set an empty one near hers. “I thought you could fix Rosie’s the way you know she’ll like it.”
“This is lovely, thank you.” She spooned some scrambled egg and a piece of bacon onto Rosie’s plate and added a piece of buttered toast. Seeing that Liam had placed strawberry jam onto the table as well, she added a bit to Rosie’s bread. “Okay, eat, munchkin.” Kissing the top of her head, she sat down next to Rosie.
Sitting at a stranger’s table after they’d rescued her, opened their home to her, and was now feeding her, she felt self-conscious. Chewing slowly, she then dabbed her mouth with the napkin. “Um… I really feel bad about intruding on your… um… family…”
“It’s just me.” Liam looked up from his plate. “I live alone. So, how do you know Tori?”
Smiling at having a familiar topic to share, she relaxed. “We met in college years ago. Jillian Evans, too. Well, I guess she’s Jillian Wilder now that she’s married. I know she runs a coffee shop in Baytown.”
“Yes, I know Jillian and Grant Wilder, also. He’s a police officer in Baytown with Mitch.”
“Oh.” She sighed. “I haven’t been good about keeping up with them as often as I should, but when Tori heard I’d had some… um… difficulties, she called, and we’ve talked much more often in the last couple of months.”
His eyes dropped to her hand where her wedding band gleamed. “Do you need to let your husband know where you are?”
She twisted the band slightly, the metal familiar, and yet, not comforting. Glancing down at Rosie, who was busy pretending to feed Bubbie, she shook her head. “I’m a widow.”
His eyes widened for a second, and she felt sure her reply was not what he expected. “I’m sorry, Amy.” His gaze dropped to Rosie before turning back to his food, and they finished eating in silence.
The quiet in the room was broken only by Rosie’s soft babbling as she talked to Bubbie. As soon as her daughter was finished, she wiped Rosie’s mouth and stood to carry their plates to the sink.