Page 75 of This Heart
With my hands on my hips, I glared at my great-aunt and sister. “I do not need a vacation. What I do need is for the two of you to get back to work.”
Lou huffed. “Oh, so you can play with a kitten, but we’re expected to work?”
“I pay you to work, Lou. I own the bookstore, and if I want to sit on the floor and play with a kitten all day, I will.”
Before my sister turned and headed to the back, she looked at Liam. “See what I mean? She needs a vacation and also needs a good fu—”
“Go, Lou!” I said, pointing toward the back and cutting off what she was about to say.
She held up her hands as she walked backward. “I’m going! I’m going.”
When I looked at Granny, she stared me down. “I’m not going anywhere.”
I exhaled a frustrated breath before I turned back to see that Liam was standing, and Winnie was holding the kitten.
“I take her home, Rora.”
I bent down. “But she’s my kitty, Winnie. She’s the bookstore kitty.”
“Will she wive here?” Winnie asked.
“No, she’s going to live with me upstairs, but she’ll come to work with me and have her own spot to sleep and play here in the bookstore.”
“I wanna puppy!” Winnie declared as she handed me the kitten and turned and looked up at her dad. “A white puppy!”
Liam winked at his daughter. “Maybe Santa will bring you one.”
Winnie gasped and then jumped in excitement.
Liam glanced back at me. “So, are you free for dinner tonight?”
I chewed nervously on my lower lip before dropping it. My brain told me to tell him I was busy, but my heart won out. “I’m free. Would you like me to bring something?”
A brilliant smile spread over Liam’s face. I didn’t want to read too much into it, but something felt different between us. Something good.
“Just you.”
“And da kitten!” Winnie added.
Laughing, I nodded. “And the kitten!”
I pulled into Liam’s driveway and drew in a long, deep breath. I had no idea why he invited me over for dinner tonight, and a part of me didn’t want to know why. The other part of me was curious as hell. I mean, it wasn’t the first time he had invited me to dinner, but something felt different between us. Maybe tonight was the night I would tell him about my feelings. Yes. Tonight, I was going to be honest with him and myself and tell him how I felt.
After grabbing my phone, I sent Harper a text.
Me: Liam asked me over for dinner, and I’m going to tell him how I feel.
Her response was almost immediate.
Harper: OMGEEEEEEEE!
Me: You think I should, right?
The bubbles began to move, stopped, and then started moving again.
Harper: HELL YES. Like a month ago.
I laughed, then realized she couldn’t hear my laugh, so I typed it out.
