Liam's Invented I-Do

by Liz Isaacson

  Liam found the glinting gem on his fiancée’s finger, and he couldn’t help the grin that covered his whole face.

  “Yes,” Callie whispered. “I’m wearing the ring.” She glanced around as if the police would jump out from behind the nearest car and arrest her for doing so.

  “Looks nice on your finger,” he said, his voice a bit on the throaty side.

  “All right,” she said. “Let’s go. I already feel like everyone is staring at us.”

  Liam glanced around, but he didn’t notice that anyone was looking at them for longer than usual. Inside the building, he led her through the foyer and into the chapel, immediately scanning for someone he knew. He realized he didn’t need someone he knew—he was with someone he knew.

  The only person he wanted to sit by.

  “There’s Tripp,” Callie said. “Should we sit by them?”

  “Sure,” Liam said, though his pulse rippled now. He hadn’t said anything to Tripp about his proposal to Callie, as his brother had been dealing with a lot of his own personal things the past week or so. He’d bought a house, moved into it, and celebrated Christmas with his wife and stepson.

  Liam missed Tripp, that was for sure. So when he appeared at the end of the row where his brother sat, his arm around Ivory, he sure was glad to see Tripp’s face.

  “Liam,” he said, rising. “You want to sit by us?”

  “Yeah. There’s room for two, right?”

  Tripp’s gaze moved to Callie, and that same grin that had exploded onto Liam’s face now appeared on Tripp’s. “There sure is.” He waited for Oliver and Ivory to move down, making room for Liam and Callie.

  “Can I sit by you?” Ollie asked, climbing right onto Liam’s lap before he even answered.

  “’Course you can, bud.” He held the boy easily on his lap, ignored his brother’s interested stare, and glanced at Callie. “Everyone’s staring, aren’t they?”

  “Bet your life on it,” she whispered, and Liam chuckled quietly though he felt like he was sitting on nails. He wasn’t used to being the center of attention, and he didn’t want people talking about him over their Sunday lunches.

  People continued to come in, and Liam finally settled enough to feel the peace that always came from attending church. He closed his eyes and listened, feeling like everything he’d done in the past couple of days was the right thing.

  So he reached over and took Callie’s hand in his, squeezing to let her know how much he liked sitting on this bench with her, ready to worship. At least that was the message he hoped she got, and he sure liked it when she squeezed his hand back.

  Now, if they could survive the meet-and-greet after the sermon, that would be a miracle.

  Chapter Nine

  Callie adored the way Liam held Oliver on his lap. He whispered things to him throughout the meeting, and once, he reached over to Tripp and took a graham cracker and held it for the boy until he was ready to eat it.

  He was kind, and gentle, and he’d make a great father. Her nerves rioted, because she couldn’t give him that opportunity. Callie had thought she’d dealt with her feelings of loss, but she struggled against the rising feelings of inferiority. She hated them, and she didn’t like that Liam was marrying her when he could find someone he could really love, who could give him more than a broken-down ranch and a broken-down body.

  His hand landed on her knee, and she glanced over at him. He leaned closer to her, and she definitely enjoyed the scent of his cologne and the minty freshness of his breath. Her desire for him skyrocketed, and she tipped her head toward his mouth as he whispered, “Do you think he’s right?”

  “Who?” she whispered back.

  He grinned at her and tipped his cowboy hat toward the front, where Pastor Daniels stood at the microphone. She honestly hadn’t heard a word he’d said, and her pulse bounced in her chest. Up and down. Up and down.

  “You weren’t listening.” Liam shifted on the bench beside her, moving closer to her as he brought his arm around her shoulders.

  “I’m distracted,” she whispered back to him, really enjoying the extra warmth from his body.

  “I can see that, sweetheart.”

  “It’s your fault.” Callie hadn’t flirted with a man in a long time—and never in church. Maybe she and Liam had come to be sitting together on this bench in an unconventional way, but the fact was, they were still here.

  “My fault?” His deep, throaty cowboy chuckle set all of her cells to vibrating, and she laughed quietly with him.

  His brother nudged him on his left side, and Liam straightened up. Good thing too, because Callie was pretty sure old Jean Hillstone behind them was about to shush them, and Callie didn’t need to be reprimanded at age forty-three.

  Callie tuned into the pastor’s words after that, and she learned that he was talking about second and third and fourth chances when it came to the Lord. “In fact,” Scott Daniels said. “There will always be another chance with God.”

  Callie really wished God worked at the bank where her loan was still being considered for foreclosure. Or that she could see Lois in the congregation—not that she knew who her loan officer was.

  But the pastor’s words did stir her faith, and she leaned over and whispered in Liam’s ear, “Yeah, I think he’s right.” After all, she was going to get a second chance to make the Shining Star back into what it should’ve been all these years.

  Later that afternoon, Callie woke when someone opened her bedroom door. She expected it to be Simone, so when her sister crawled into bed with her and hugged her from behind, Callie smiled.

  “I slept too long, didn’t I?”

  “Almost,” Simone said. “Evelyn just called to see if we were coming, and she said Jeremiah says lunch is at least twenty minutes out.”

  Callie stayed still, enjoying the comfort in her sister’s embrace. She was going to miss simple Sunday afternoons with Simone, as they’d both mourned the loss of Evelyn over the past year. Callie was happy for Evelyn, of course. She didn’t want her to be stuck here, at a ranch that was falling apart, her business failing and her heart broken.

  But she sure did miss her. She kept a cute little house on Quail Creek Road, and Callie wanted to go over and help her sister get the nursery ready for her new baby that was coming this summer.

  “Knock, knock,” Evelyn called, but neither Simone nor Callie moved.

  “We don’t have to go to lunch if it’s too much,” Simone said.

  “I don’t know if it’s too much or not,” Callie said just before Evelyn came into the room.

  “Oh, I see what’s happening here.”

  Callie rolled over and pushed herself up, leaning back against the headboard. Evelyn came around to her side of the bed and peered down at her. She reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear. “You okay?”

  “I’m good,” Callie said.

  “You and Liam are engaged?”

  “Yes,” Callie said, looking into Evelyn’s eyes. “It’s not…we’re calling it an invented I-do.” She glanced over at Simone. “Did you tell her?”

  “No.” Simone shook her head and smiled. Callie hadn’t explained much more to Simone after running out of the house on Friday. She and Liam had gone to the bank. They’d gone grocery shopping and to dinner, and she’d gotten home late.

  She’d worked around the ranch as much as she could on Saturday while Liam spent the day with his parents, who were flying back to Grand Cayman just after the New Year. They hadn’t talked about asking his parents to stay for the wedding, as they didn’t have a date for the nuptials. He’d said he’d handle his parents, and Callie didn’t argue. She didn’t want anyone at the wedding, and they hadn’t talked about it much. They’d mostly been setting ground rules and going out together.

  “Callie?” Evelyn asked, and she pulled herself back to the moment.

  “I do like Liam a whole lot,” Callie said. “We get along for the most part, and he’s going to help us keep and fix up the ranch.” She smil
ed, but it wobbled on her face. “I was so far behind on the mortgage, the property went into foreclosure. We would’ve lost everything this upcoming Friday.”

  Evelyn sat down on the bed, a shocked look on her face.

  “I love this place so much,” Callie said. “But I can’t keep it up myself. I know it’s almost in ruins, and walking around with Liam on Friday, showing him the ranch and talking about everything that needed to be done…it was torture.” She looked at both of her sisters. “But he has a lot of money, and he’s going to help me get it all fixed up.” She ducked her head, shame moving through her. “I’m sorry, guys. I really am.” Helplessness filled her. “Maybe I should’ve sold this place years ago. I just…couldn’t let it go.”

  “I wouldn’t have been able to either,” Simone said. “I’m sorry I haven’t helped out as much.”

  “You didn’t know,” Callie said. “I made sure of that. It’s my fault, and well, I’m going to try to fix it.” She’d been thinking a lot about what role she wanted to have on the ranch, and it wasn’t the CEO. Nor the one who got up and did all the chores. The fence-fixer, or the horse trainer, or the agriculture specialist. She couldn’t be a veterinarian, and she couldn’t wrangle all the cattle.

  She wanted to take care of the paperwork and oversee the cowboys. She wanted to feed them and make sure they had someone who cared about them. She wanted to find a place to keep bees and collect honey, which she could bottle and take to her friends in this town where she’d grown up and which she still loved.

  And with Liam, she could do all of that. The ranch would be as beautiful as Seven Sons next door, and she’d open her heart and her mind to the cowboy who could make it all possible.

  “Can you guys forgive me?” Callie asked.

  “Nothing to forgive,” Simone said. “And you’re not the only one who’s been responsible for the ranch.” She looked at Evelyn and back to Callie. “I could’ve done more. It was just easier to go out to my shed and put my head down.”

  “Rhett’s offered to help,” Evelyn said gently, and Callie’s eyes darted over to her.

  “He has helped,” Callie said. “He’s been working out here without pay for over a year.”

  “We would’ve done more,” Evelyn said. “I…somehow, I thought you were doing okay. I didn’t know.”

  “And that’s because I didn’t tell you.” Callie reached for her sisters and drew them into a three-way hug. “Now, if we’re eating with those boys, we better get going. You know how Miah gets if someone’s late to dinner.” She wiped at her eyes, realizing she was a little teary. “I love you guys. You know that, right?”

  “Of course. We love you too,” Evelyn said, leaning away. “I wanted to ask you guys one more thing.” She looked at her hands and then her sisters again, and Callie felt a nervous tremor move through her.

  “Go ahead,” Simone said when Evelyn remained quiet.

  “If the baby is a girl,” she said. “Rhett and I have already talked about naming her after Momma.”

  Callie’s emotion reared up in her throat, and she nodded. “That’s perfect,” she squeaked, because it was.

  “Do you know if it’s a boy or girl?” Simone asked.

  “Not yet.” Evelyn smiled down at her stomach. “We don’t have any boy names yet.”

  “Well, you’re not due until June,” Callie said. “So I think you have time.” She smiled at her sister and nudged her so she’d get off the bed. “Look out. I have to get up and get dressed. Do something with my hair.” They were definitely going to be late for lunch.

  Evelyn got up and drew Callie into a hug when she got out of bed too. “Are you okay? I mean, I don’t have to talk about the baby.”

  “I’m…it’s okay.” Callie held onto her sister tight, tight. “I struggle sometimes, but I’m so happy for you. You know that right?” She drew back and held her sister at arm’s length. “And I’m going to spoil that baby like crazy, so I hope you’re ready for that.” She gave a light laugh, her phone buzzing as her alarm went off.

  Evelyn giggled and nodded. “I actually can’t wait for that.” Her phone rang, and her husband’s name sat on the screen. “Oh, boy. I’ll handle this. You get ready.”

  Simone slid off the bed too, saying, “I’ll head over now and let them know you’re coming.” She and Evelyn left the room as Evelyn answered the phone with a falsely bright voice.

  Callie went into the bathroom and looked into her eyes. She’d never liked them all that much, as they weren’t a deep, rich brown and they weren’t light either. They were just like her hair—an in-between color that had no name.

  She sighed and reached for a washcloth, turning the water on hot. She brushed her teeth and washed the sleep and weariness from her face. She wet her hands and smoothed her hair back, noticing how thin it was. She’d curled it in anticipation of sitting beside Liam at church, and she thought her high, curly ponytail was actually pretty cute.

  She changed out of her yoga pants and random T-shirt, and by the time she stepped back into her bedroom to get her phone, it was flashing with three different colored lights. Texts, social media messages, and a missed call.

  “Liam,” she whispered when she saw that last one.

  She read his texts first, his last one saying, I’m out front. Come out when you’re ready.

  She quickly turned and headed for the front door, more excited to see him than she wanted to admit. He sat at the bottom of her front steps, turning when he heard her come outside. “Your Internet is really bad. I can’t even check my email here.”

  “You’re going to call on that tomorrow, right?” she asked.

  “First thing,” he said. “What time did you want to head up to get the marriage license?”

  Callie thought through her morning routine. “I can get all the animals fed by about ten,” she said. “Shower, and we can go?”

  “So ten-thirty?”

  “You think it only takes me thirty minutes to get ready?” She reached for his hand and acted like she could help him stand. She stepped into his arms while he chuckled.

  “We’re late already,” he murmured. “And Jeremiah’s in a snit as it is.”

  “He can start lunch without us,” Callie said. “He won’t die.” She liked holding onto Liam, and she liked finding him on her steps, and she wanted to spend the day with him tomorrow. “I sure do like you, Liam.” She looked right into his eyes. “You know that, right?”

  “Yeah, Cal,” he said. “I know that.” He touched his lips to hers then, and Callie got the kiss she wanted.

  Chapter Ten

  Liam woke way earlier than he needed to, his mind moving through the dozens of tasks he needed to accomplish that day. The Internet company wasn’t open, and he couldn’t go get a marriage license at five in the morning. Pretty much the only thing he could do was hit the gym, so he did that, unsurprised to see Tripp there.

  “Hey, brother,” he said, joining his twin near the free weights.

  “What are you doin’ here?” Tripp asked, setting the handheld weight back in the rack. He grabbed Liam and hugged him, clapping him on the back.

  “I should be asking you that,” Liam said. “You only come to the gym when you’re avoiding something else.”

  Tripp laughed, and he was happier than Liam had seen him in a long time. Only a handful of weeks ago, he’d been at the lowest point Liam had ever seen him. But now that he had Ivory and Oliver back, everything in Tripp had changed.

  To Liam, that was a testimony that love could heal even the hardest of hearts, and shine light into the darkest of places. He thought of Jeremiah, who’d been suffering for years after his fiancée had left him standing at the altar.

  Liam could still remember keenly how he and Tripp had jumped up and stood shoulder to shoulder while Rhett had helped Jeremiah down the few steps where the altar had been and away from all the eyes of their friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors.

  Jeremiah had never been the same, and Liam hoped he’d
get another chance for happiness in his life. He thought about what Pastor Daniels had said at church yesterday, and he believed that there were unlimited chances with God too.

  “So you and Callie,” Tripp said, glancing at him. “I need all the dirt. I hate not being at the ranch.”

  “You do not,” Liam said. “You love your new house and your wife and your stepson.”

  “Yeah.” Tripp grinned. “Yeah, okay. I love those things too.” He nodded to the bench press. “Spot me?”

  “Best kind of workout,” Liam said, because he could stand there and not do much.

  “Yeah, you get to talk,” Tripp said, putting the weights on the bar and then situating himself on the bench beneath it.

  “Yeah, so Callie and I have had a rough year,” Liam said, though Tripp knew this. “She warmed a little after you barked at her about how much I liked her.”

  “Hey, I asked if I should apologize for that.” Tripp adjusted his grip on the bar and lifted it off the support.

  “I’m not complaining,” Liam said. “She started talking to me a lot more, and she told me some things about the ranch.” He shrugged, but Tripp was focused on his workout. “And when she finally told me the ranch was in foreclosure, I drove to the jewelers, and I bought her a ring, and I asked her to marry me.”

  “When did that all happen?” Tripp asked, grunting as he pushed the weight up again.

  “A week before Christmas,” he said. “She said she needed time to think about it. She said yes on Christmas Day, after dinner.”

  “So you’re marrying her.”

  “Yes,” Liam said.

  Tripp settled the bar back in the supports and sat up. He stood and looked at Liam, his eyes sharp and already gleaming. “It’s real?”

  “It will be,” Liam said, not wanting to admit outright that they had rules and he wouldn’t be sharing a bed with his wife.