Page 43 of Falling for Love

As I ladled the warm tomato soup into it, I couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of contentment.

For someone who claimed to prefer solitude, Liam Harper sure made me feel right at home in his presence.

And as I handed him the bowl and watched his face light up, I knew I’d made the right choice coming here.

But I still had one more surprise up my sleeve—and I couldn’t wait to see his reaction.

Liam sat on a stool along the counter, his bowl of soup cradled in his hands. He looked every bit like a man trying to act casual while secretly reveling in the attention.

The blanket draped over his shoulders didn’t exactly scream “suave,” but somehow, it worked on him.

“Incredible soup,” he said, taking another careful sip. “Almost as good as canned.”

I shot him a look, my lips twitching into a smile.

“Careful, Harper. Insults like that might get you banned from my cooking.”

He chuckled. “In all seriousness, this soup is incredible.”

“Thanks.” I smiled and took a seat next to him.

Liam tugged on his blanket.

I eyed him. “You look like a sexy burrito.”

“A sexy burrito?” He grinned, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “Is that a good thing?”

“Very.”

Liam’s laughter filled the space, and he shook his head. “It’s a look. You can’t deny it.”

“Sure, if you’re going for ‘world’s most stylish invalid,’” I teased, leaning back against the opposite counter.

“Hey, I’m sick,” he said, feigning offense. “You’re supposed to be sympathetic.”

“I brought soup. That’s about all I got,” I teased.

“I’ve gotta say, you’re surprisingly good at this whole nurse thing.”

“Nurse thing?” I asked, laughing. “It’s soup and cookies, Liam. Not stitches.”

“Still,” he said, his tone lighter now, “it’s nice. Having you here, I mean.”

The words were simple, but the way he said them sent a warm flutter through my chest.

“Don’t get used to it. You’re only getting the VIP treatment because you helped with Hayden.”

“Right,” he said, setting his bowl down with a soft clink. “So, if I hadn’t brought over soup and snacks, I’d just be suffering alone?”

“Exactly,” I said, smirking at him. “You’d be alone with your canned soup and sad blanket.”

He laughed and took a bite of cracker. “I better keep at it.

“You’re lucky you earned enough points to cash in on this.” I shimmied my hands through the air, and he smiled.

“Points, huh?” He leaned in slightly, his eyes narrowing playfully. “And how do I earn more of these points? And what exactly am I cashing in for? What’s the grand prize?”

“By behaving,” I replied, trying to keep a straight face. “And time will tell what the grand prize is. You have to work up to it.”

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