Page 12 of Not Exactly Mr. Darcy
“Liam!” Marge’s voice. “What are you doing keeping Liv out in the rain?”
Liv.Like the elf actress fromLord of the Rings.The name suited her. She had that whole otherworldly thing going on.
“Well?”
He dragged his gaze away and peered over Liv’s shoulder to where Marge studied him, arms folded, bemused. Behind her, standing on the church steps, were Joe and Tobias, among others. No. He had zero desire to be the focus of the village. Especially in relation to this girl. A girl who’d be sure to leave anyway, even if his heart was free to chase the tendrils of awareness her smile stirred.
“I’m leaving.” He nodded to Liv.Liv.“Have a good trip home.”
Her forehead creased, but he didn’t have time for more chitchat. He needed to be elsewhere. Anywhere. Anywhere but near the woman who reminded him so much of the one who had destroyed his world.
Chapter 4
The light rain shower outside the church had swelled to fierce intensity by the time Liv arrived in Birmingham. She parked the car, exhaled as she realized she lacked an umbrella, then collected her belongings and slammed the door shut. A sprint across the hospital’s sodden car-parking area, and she soon joined a few wary hospital visitors, huddled under a narrow covered area as they gloomily faced the downpour, as if wondering whether to risk running to their cars.
She pushed sopping hair strands from her face. “It’s not too bad.”
“If you’re a duck, mebbe,” an old man grouched.
She laughed, hoisted her handbag and Gran’s gifts a little higher, then pushed her shoulders back. She needed to look visitor worthy, not like a half-drowned delinquent. A quick stop inside at the ladies’ bathroom gave time to drag the worst of her hair into a semblance of order, and then she walked up the stairs to Gran’s room.
“Knock knock.”
Gran glanced across from the TV and then used the remote control to switch offHymns of Praise, her face lightening into an almost smile. “You came.”
“Of course I did. I said I would, didn’t I?”
“I thought with this nasty weather you might’ve reconsidered.”
“Reconsider visiting my favourite grandmother in the world? Never.”
“Your only grandmother in the world.”
Considering Dad’s mother had died while Katie was a baby, that was “True. But you can still be my favourite.”
Gran wheezed out a raspy chuckle, and Liv handed the offerings. A wrapped pork pie from Joe at the grocer’s. A pink leather devotional book from Tobias.
“You were prayed for during the church service today.”
“Hmph.”
“And Marge and Tobias both said they’d give you a call this afternoon.”
“A call? About what?”
“I don’t know. But the last time I was here you asked me to tell them you wanted a word, so I did.”
Her grandmother’s brow wrinkled, like she was trying to remember, and Liv busied herself by straightening the cards on the windowsill. Her gaze lifted to outside, where the rain beat down mercilessly.Lord, be with anyone having to work outside in this weather.
“Oh, I remember now.” Her grandmother’s voice tugged Liv’s attention from the window. “Was anyone else at church?”
“A few people. It seemed quite full, actually.”
She wouldn’t mention the man she’d spoken to after the service. If she didn’t speak his name aloud, then maybe her brain would get the memo to ignore him, and the consternation provoked by thoughts of him would ease. “Is there anything I can get for you? Or are you ready to start the Zoom call? It’s getting close to nine o’clock back home.”
“Yes, we should do that, I suppose.”
Liv set up her laptop and started the video call. Her family’s faces popped up, square by square, smiling, waving.
