Page 31 of Falling for Love

I didn’t want to ruin our lightheartedness with stories of my chaotic childhood. My mom did her best under the circumstances, but I didn’t know half the time whether I was coming or going. I wanted something different for Hayden. It was why I loved living in Buttercup Lake so much.

“Anyway,” I said quickly, glancing at him with a smile, “it helps. Keeps me sane.”

He nodded, sensing the shift, and didn’t push. “I get that. My family’s big on routine too. Growing up, my mom had a rule about Sunday dinners—no matter what, we all had to be there. It didn’t matter if you had homework, a date, or a hangover. You showed up.”

I laughed. “Sounds like your mom knew how to keep everyone in line.”

“She did,” he said, grinning. “Still does, actually. Even now, if I’m home on a Sunday, I know better than to skip dinner.”

“Well, she sounds like my kind of woman,” I said, smiling. “I like someone who knows how to run a tight ship.”

Liam leaned forward again, his voice dropping slightly. “I think you’d get along. She’s definitely made the lodge what it has become. She and my dad, actually.”

The sound of Hayden’s footsteps padding down the hall broke the moment. He appeared in the doorway, clutching his favorite blanket in one hand and rubbing his eyes with the other. His face was still pale, but there was a small smile tugging at his lips.

“Mom, Lance wants to go outside,” he mumbled, his voice slightly hoarse.

I walked over and placed a hand on his forehead, relieved to feel that his fever had gone down.

“Lance can wait a bit, honey. You should stay in and rest. How about I let him out in a minute?”

Hayden nodded, too tired to argue, and shuffled back to the couch. Lance followed him loyally, settling beside him like the world’s fluffiest bodyguard.

“I guess I’m on dog duty,” I said, glancing at Liam with a grin.

“I’ll take care of it,” he offered immediately, stepping toward the back door. “I’ve got plenty of energy left, unlike some people in this house.”

I laughed softly, shaking my head. “You don’t have to do that.”

“Hey, I’m just trying to earn my coffee date,” he said, his tone teasing as he grabbed Lance’s leash and clipped it on. “I don’t want to get ghosted.”

Lance perked up at the sound, his tail wagging enthusiastically as Liam led him to the door.

“That is extremely unlikely,” I assured him.

“We’ll be back in a few,” Liam said, flashing me a grin before heading out into the chilly backyard with Lance trotting beside him.

I turned back to Hayden, who had already snuggled back into the couch, his eyelids drooping. “You doing okay?”

He nodded sleepily, his voice muffled by the blanket. “Yeah. Liam’s nice.”

I smiled at that, my heart warming. “Yeah, he is.”

As I waited for Liam to return, I wandered into the kitchen and leaned against the counter, letting my thoughts wander.

The way Liam had fit so seamlessly into our day, from making Hayden laugh to offering to walk the dog, felt… natural. Easy in a way I hadn’t experienced in a long time.

Who was I kidding?

I’d never felt that.

But this felt nice.

At the same time, it scared me. Letting someone in—letting someone into Hayden’s life—wasn’t something I took lightly.

The back door opened, and Liam stepped inside, rubbing his hands together to warm them.

“Lance handled his business like a pro,” he said, unclipping the leash and giving the dog a pat on the head.

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