Liam shook his head and returned her smile. “I would say anytime, but no more driving when you’re that tired, and definitely no sleeping in your car. If you come by again, even if you think I have company, ring the doorbell.”
She nodded. “I’ll remember that. Now that I know I drive you crazy—”
“I’m already sorry I ever told you that.” Liam opened the door and leaned his shoulder against it.
“I’m not. As a matter of fact, instead of heading home and getting ready for a new work week, I should stick around and see how much crazier I can make you.” She strolled out the door. “Maybe another day?”
Liam laughed. “Yeah, sure, why not? Until then.”
She smiled and gave a small wave. “Until then.”
*
Humming along with the song flowing through her computer speakers, Charlee signed the documents that had been left on her desk. Rarely did she use her personal days, but after her eventful weekend, she had taken Monday and Tuesday off. She couldn’t stop thinking about Liam. Listening to him Saturday, she understood better just how much she had hurt him.
Charlee tossed her pen down and leaned back against her chair.
“What am I going to do? I want him back,” she mumbled, wishing he’d give them another chance. He’d had every right to break off their engagement. Liam loved hard, and like with everything, he gave one-hundred percent to their relationship. Getting married and having a family of his own was what he wanted. He’d made that clear early on and she had wanted that, too.
Then what happened? Why couldn’t she get it right?
If only he would’ve given her time to figure out how to juggle him and her crazy schedule back then. No matter how she tried to assure him that he meant everything to her, it hadn’t been enough. According to him, those had been just words. Her actions spoke louder.
If given another chance, she would definitely do things differently. Her work didn’t keep her warm at night or fill that lonely void in her heart. If only she had known that back then.
When you know better, you do better, she thought, placing the signed documents in her outgoing tray for her assistant. All she needed was a chance to show him that she wasn’t the same person.
Charlee placed her hands palms down on her desk, determined to focus on work. “Okay. I need to get something done today.”
She glanced at her schedule and zoned in on the word presentation written in big, bold letters. Her trip to New York to present to the Richardson group was coming up quick and there was so much riding on her proposal. She had to bring home a win.
She pressed the intercom button.
“Yes?” her assistant said.
“Emery, can you hold my calls?”
“Of course.”
“Thank you.”
For the next hour, Charlee made changes to her PowerPoint presentation. Trying to convince the Richardson group to use Fenlon as their exclusive vendor wasn’t going to be easy, but she had a deal for them they wouldn’t be able to resist.
Her cell phone chimed, signaling a text message. She pulled the device from the side pocket of her handbag and glanced at the message.
Liam: Hi
Charlee couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across her face as giddiness blossomed inside of her. Surprised to hear from him, she couldn’t type her reply fast enough.
Charlee: Hi yourself!
When seconds ticked by and he didn’t respond, she typed another message.
Charlee: WYD?
She hit send, but then thought about who she was talking to. Would Liam know that WYD meant—What you doing? He barely talked on the phone. She doubted he texted often. Seconds ticked by before he responded.
Liam: Nothing
Charlee shook her head. Why’d he text her if he didn’t have anything to say? Then again, giving her a shout out was a sweet gesture and meant a lot coming from him.
Charlee: How’s your day going?
Liam: Fine
Charlee: We really need to work on you talking more. Or in this case, responding with more than one-word answers.
Liam: Okay
Charlee burst out laughing.
Charlee: That’s it? That’s all you have to say?
Liam: Yes
Charlee: LOL. Now you’re just messing with me.
Liam: Maybe.
Charlee: SMH. Well, it’s good hearing from you.
Again, seconds ticked by without a response. Charlee tried not to read too much into the delay, but she had to tread lightly with Liam. He might’ve agreed to the truce, but that didn’t mean that he wanted to reunite.
Liam: Dinner. You and me. Soon
She stared at the screen in shock. Dinner? This was huge. She didn’t want to sound anxious, but her first thought was to type—HECK YEAH. SAY WHEN! Instead, she went with something a little less desperate.
Charlee: That would be nice.
She started to tell him that she’d be out of town for a few days, but thought better of it. No sense in reminding him of the past. Back then, she was out of town more than she’d been in town. He might not believe that she didn’t travel for work as much anymore. Given the chance, she’d show him that her priorities had shifted.
Charlee: How about next week sometime?
Liam: Okay. Bye
Grinning, Charlee returned the phone to her handbag. A text message and a dinner invite were more than she had expected, but she couldn’t help but be hopeful. Who knew, maybe they’d find their way back to each other as more than just friends.
A knock sounded on her office door before it slid open.
“Hey, sweetheart. I see you made it in today.” Her father walked further into the office, looking like the successful businessman he was in his tailored three-piece suit.
She stood, and walked around her desk and hugged him. “Hey, Dad. Yup, I’m here.”
“You doing okay? I was surprised to find out you took a couple of days off. Since you didn’t return my call last night, I was starting to get concerned.”
“Oh, I’m fine. I was just…” Telling him that she needed a few days to lick her wounds and time to come up with a plan to win Liam back, wouldn’t be a good idea. Instead, she said, “I just needed a little break.”
He nodded. His keen eyes studied her in a way that made it seem that he wasn’t buying her reason. It wasn’t a total lie. She had needed the rest. Falling asleep in her car Saturday night was unacceptable, as well as dangerous. She was a little surprised, but relieved, that Liam hadn’t given her a harder time. It wouldn’t have been the first time that he accused her of being reckless with her safety.
She reclaimed her seat, and Kingslee sat in one of the guest chairs in front of her desk. “Well, you look rested. When was the last time you took an actual vacation?”
She preferred not admitting that it had been over a year.
“I’ll probably plan something soon. Right now, I’m putting the finishing touches on my presentation for the Richardson group. I’m feeling good about the meeting with them later this week.”
“That’s actually what I came in here for. I’m sending Bradley on the trip with you.”
“What? Dad, this is my project. How are you going to just assign someone else to it?”
“Technically, this is still my company. I can do whatever I see fit.”
Charlee growled under her breath and disappointment lodged in her chest. “Does that mean that you don’t think I’m capable of closing the deal? Have you forgotten about the millions of dollars in contracts that I have secured for your company?” she spat out, anger quickly replacing the disappointment.
What the heck was she going to have to do for him to see her as capable?
“Of course, I haven’t forgotten what you’ve done for this company,” he said calmly, only irritating her more. “But I know Edward. He’s old school and so is their general manager. I’m sending Bradley with you just as a face…a support, but the presentation and winning this contr
act will all be on you. Besides, I don’t like the idea of you in New York by yourself.”
Charlee tapped her pen against the top of her desk. The part about her traveling alone was nonsense. Most of her business trips over the years were done alone, but he had a point about Edward Richardson. The man was still a member of the old boy’s club and a male chauvinist. She’d dealt with him in the past, each time he pacified her with a virtual pat on the head and a small equipment purchase.
Charlee laid the pen down and sat back in her chair. Having Bradley Handler there might not be a bad idea. They worked good together, and he brought a different set of skills to the table. He could be persuasive without being pushy, a skill she was still trying to master. He also wouldn’t try to take over.
“Fine, he can come. As long as he understands that this is my deal.”
Chapter Thirteen
“Okay, Liam. How does this outfit look on PJ?” his sister asked, forcing him to pull his attention away from SportsCenter that he was watching on television.
“It looks just like the last three outfits.”
He, his sister, Jada, and her family had flown to New York together three days ago to visit their cousin Peyton Jenkins-Cutter who lived in Brooklyn. It had been fun hanging out and catching up for the first couple of days, but now Liam was about ready to ditch them all.
He had expected his brother-in-law and Peyton’s husband to be there when he returned from having breakfast with one of his old college buddies, but they had taken their sons to a nearby park. Now Liam was stuck there with the women.
“Where’s Michaela?” he asked of Peyton’s pre-teen daughter. Even at her age, she could give them her opinion since she loved clothes and shoes.
“She’s at a birthday party,” Peyton supplied. “Now, back to the outfit. How’s it look? Jada designed it, and I’m thinking about modeling it in her fashion show this fall.”
Liam shrugged, then returned his attention back to the TV. “It looks fine.”
“Dang, Liam. Quit acting like such a guy. How does it look on her?” his sister yelled.
He laughed. “I am a guy, and for real, the shorts or skirt or whatever those are,” he waved his hand dismissively, “does look the same as the thing she had on before, just a different color.”
Jada threw a pillow at him. “This suit looks nothing like the other outfits, you moron.”
“Fine. It looks fine, all right? And why are you torturing me with this mini-fashion show? You know I don’t know anything about fashion.”
“Maybe not, but you either like the outfit or you don’t,” Peyton said.
“Yeah, so quit being such a knucklehead and look at the outfit,” Jada griped. “Besides, you don’t have to know anything about clothes, but I’m sure you know what you like to see on women.”
“But she’s not a woman. I mean she’s a woman, but she’s my cousin. I can’t—”
“Oh, good grief.” Jada threw up her hands. “And you’re supposed to be my smart, in touch brother. I might as well have Adam here if I wanted someone who could care less about anything,” she said of their older brother. “Don’t look at PJ like your cousin. Imagine this outfit on your woman…if you had a woman.”
Liam’s thoughts immediately went to Charlee.
Damn. He’d been doing so good at only thinking about her every few hours. Which was better than every minute like he’d been doing after texting her a couple of days ago. He had reached out on a whim, not really wanting to talk, but wanting some interaction with her and had opted for texting. She might not officially be his woman, but she was the one who held his heart.
Liam reevaluated the outfit that Peyton was wearing. Though Charlee was thinner and a little shorter, she could definitely rock the silky, gold pants suit. Well, actually, it was a shorts suit, and the shorts barely extended past the hem of the jacket. Either way, the color would look nice against Charlee’s brown skin, and the shorts would show off her gorgeous legs.
Yeah, she would look hella good in the outfit.
“Okay, I like it. A lot. It’s hot.”
Both women stood in stunned silence, looking at him as if they didn’t recognize him.
“What? I said I like it.”
“Are you dating someone?” Peyton asked, folding her arms across her chest and tapping her foot, the pointy high heels making a clicking sound against the hardwood. Her stance reminded him of when she used to run Jenkins & Sons Construction. She was an electrician by trade but had managed the company like a badass boss.
But Liam had no idea why she was regarding him through narrowed eyes, and his sister looked as if she was about to explode from excitement.
“Okay, you guys lost me. No, I’m not dating anyone, and what does that have to do with anything?”
“Oh my, God. He is dating!” Jada screeched and dropped onto the sofa, throwing her arms around his neck. “It’s about time. I was starting to lose hope, thinking you were going to grow old all by yourself.”
“Whatever. Move.” He tried shaking her off, but she hung on.
“Who is she? Where’d you meet? How come I haven’t met her yet?”
“JJ, I’m not playin’ with you. Get off of me, crazy woman. I said I wasn’t dating anyone.” He shook out of her hold and bolted off the sofa.
Peyton stood next to him grinning. “You were looking at the outfit as if you were picturing someone in it. Besides, you’re a horrible liar. The truth is written all over your face. There’s a woman in your life.”
“I wonder if MJ knows,” Jada said of their cousin Martina.
“I doubt it. Otherwise, the whole family would know.”
Jada nodded. “True.”
Liam kept quiet, preferring not to encourage the conversation. He couldn’t help but wonder if they really did see something on his face. He wasn’t lying about not dating, but thoughts of Charlee were never far from his mind. They needed to talk. They needed to figure out if there was anything left between them. He already knew his answer. She was the one. He just needed to know if she wanted him as much as he wanted her.
“I’m going to change clothes,” Peyton announced, heading to the stairs that would take her to the second floor of their brownstone. “But when I come back, I want to hear all about her.”
“Well, it’s going to be a very short conversation. I’m not dating and there’s nothing to tell.” Liam grabbed the television remote and dropped down in an overstuffed chair.
“If you were dating, would you tell me?” Jada asked, still sitting on the sofa.
She crossed one leg over the other, swinging her foot that was encased in a four-inch heel yellow sandal, back and forth. He might not know anything about her yellow and white sundress or the latest fashion, but even he knew those red bottom shoes probably cost a small fortune.
Growing up the youngest of three and the only girl, Jada had been a spoiled brat. Everyone in the family indulged her love for the finer things in life, especially shoes and clothes. It was a good thing she married a wealthy man to support her champagne taste. There wasn’t anything Zack wouldn’t do for her. He worshiped the ground she walked on.
“So…would you have told me?” Jada asked again.
“Told you what?”
She pursed her lips and scowled. Liam loved messing with her and had no intention of telling her anything. Actually, what could he say—I’m in love with a woman, but I’m afraid to trust her again with my heart? Or I’m seriously thinking about going all in to have Charlee Fenlon in my life again even if it means being second to her career.
Nah, it was best he kept his feelings for her close to his chest for now.
“Well, if there is a special someone in your life and I’m sensing there is, give her a chance, Liam. Don’t expect her to be perfect.”
Liam opened his mouth to ask what that was supposed to mean, but Jada lifted her hand.
“I’m not done. I love you and all, but you can be kind of rigid with your holier-than-thou attitude. Y
ou’re too hard on folks and sometimes your expectations aren’t reasonable.”
“Excuse me? Are you talking about me or you?” he asked, irritation needling its way through his body. “Because I seem to remember a time when you wanted what you wanted, and everybody else be damned.”
“I’ve grown since then, and we’re not talking about me, we’re talking about you,” she said haughtily. “All I’m trying to do is remind you that everyone isn’t perfect. Not even you. Love is about accepting people the way they are, meeting them halfway. Sometimes it requires compromise, especially if you truly love that person.”
Liam let her words sink in. He had seen her behavior and attitude transform, in a good way, over the years since marrying Zack. She was clearly speaking from experience.
“Anything else?” he asked dryly. Everything she said about him was true. He already knew his shortcomings even if they were hard to accept, and more than that, hard to hear. How to fix them was a whole other thing.
“Yes, that’s it.” She ran a hand down the skirt of her dress, smoothing it out in that prissy way that was so her. “Sooo, is there a special—”
Before Jada could say anything else, the front door banged open and the two boys ran in.
“Mommy?” Zack Jr. called out before he spotted Liam. “Hey, Uncle Liam!” he ran into the living room followed by Michael Jr. and they both pulled up short at the sight of Jada.
“Oh my, God! What happened to you?” she shrieked, her eyes huge and the look of horror on her face as she took in little Zack’s appearance was almost comical.
The kid grinned and Liam couldn’t help but chuckle under his breath.
“We were playing,” Mike Jr. provided. He was a year older than Zack, who was moving toward his mom.
“Daddy, let me play football. I got a little dirty.”
“A little?” Jada screeched again, keeping her distance from him. “You’re…you’re so…”
Zack Sr. strolled in at that moment, and Jada glared at her husband.
“He’s filthy! I thought we agreed that he wasn’t going to play football. He’s just a baby.”
Unplanned Love Page 10
