Where the Heart Lies

by Michelle Garren Flye

  Liam came up sputtering. “Good one.” He winked at her as he climbed up onto the bench, then leaned out to give her a high five. Alicia shrugged and took a bow while the crowd applauded.

  As she turned away, she caught a glimpse of Sandra looking furious and mopping herself off with an already sopping towel. Alicia shook her head and tsked. “Oh my, I hope your blouse isn’t silk.” With a farewell wave, she tossed a couple of dollars into the attendant’s hat and took Jason’s stroller from a laughing Lulu.

  The excitement had convinced her it was time to go, however. Gemma’s bedtime had come and gone at least an hour before and Alicia knew from past experience that if she waited too long, she’d just have to wait for Gemma to wear herself totally out—which usually happened around eleven o’clock.

  The crowd in the hall had thinned and as she wondered which way to turn, Penny came up behind her. “That was awesome. I haven’t laughed that hard in weeks.”

  Alicia smiled. “Yeah, I guess it was kind of a double whammy, huh?”

  “So you did know Sandra was back there. Did she piss you off that much?”

  “You don’t know the half of it. I’ll tell you later, but for right now, do you have any idea where our daughters have gotten off to?”

  “I would bet they’re back at the raffle table. Amy wanted to be there to help distribute the items to the winners. She’s probably got Gemma settled with some cotton candy.”

  “Great.” Alicia shrugged, thinking of sugar highs. “Oh well, no reason not to do it right, huh?”

  They found Gemma seated behind the raffle table near Amy. Gemma clutched a box of popcorn and drew tickets from fishbowls, handing them to Amy, who announced the name of the winner over a microphone before passing the ticket and item to a waiting helper. Alicia waved to Gemma, who blew her a kiss.

  “Want me to get her?” Penny asked.

  “No, let her finish up. She’ll be fine, although it might be a late bedtime. At least it’s popcorn and not cotton candy.”

  “Okay, I’ll be right back. I’m just going to check on the kitchen and make sure the cleanup’s going okay.”

  Alicia waved her friend away and bent to check on Jason, who had long since finished his bottle. Finding him asleep, she adjusted the stroller to a reclining position.

  “I owe you and your buddy a dunking.”

  Alicia looked up to find Liam, a dry towel around his shoulders, his arms crossed over his chest and a mock severe expression on his face. “Oh, you don’t owe me anything for that. It was my pleasure.”

  He stared at her, then threw his head back and laughed. “Okay, but you’ve got to let me in on what Sandra Benning did to rate that.”

  Alicia shrugged. “Just the wrong place at the wrong time, really.” She lowered her voice. “Did we get her pretty good?”

  “I’d say so. Last I saw of her she was heading home, wringing water out of her blouse. Probably won’t see her again tonight.” He nodded at the sleeping baby. “Little guy’s had it, huh?”

  “He has.” Alicia scanned the nearly depleted raffle table. “As soon as I can pry Gemma away from her new job, I’ll get us out of here.”

  As if on cue, Gemma pulled a ticket from a bowl and handed it to Amy, who read it, did a double take, then leaned over to whisper something in Gemma’s ear. Gemma’s eyes got big and she leaned forward as Amy held the microphone close to her. “Mommy, you won a prize!”

  Amy motioned her forward. Alicia hesitated, glancing down at Jason. “Go ahead.” Liam gave her a little push. “I’ll stay with him.”

  Alicia walked forward, a little puzzled when she saw Amy had a gift certificate in her hand. She’d stuffed raffle tickets into several of the fishbowls, but she thought they’d all been for toys, or at least kid-related. She took the certificate with a bemused expression. Gemma ran around the table and clung to Alicia’s hand as they walked back to where Liam stood with Jason.

  “What did you win, Mommy?” Gemma tried to jump up to see the certificate.

  “Hush, baby.” Alicia took the certificate out of the envelope and read, “A Night on the Town. Dinner for two at the Colonial Inn and dancing lessons at the Hillsborough Ballroom.” She stopped reading, a lump starting in her throat. She cleared it away impatiently. “I, um, didn’t register for this.” She looked up, her eyes bright, to meet Liam’s concerned gaze.

  “Hey, it’s okay.” He reached out to take the certificate. “This happens all the time. Those fishbowls are so close together you can’t tell what you’re putting your ticket in for half the time. The Colonial Inn’s a nice place, though. You should enjoy it. It just reopened last summer after being closed for several years.”

  “Oh.” Alicia started to turn. “I should take this back. Amy can still pull another ticket, can’t she?”

  “Too late.” Liam pointed as Amy emptied a bowl into a large bucket. “They save the tickets and count them at the end of the night. You should just keep it, go out and have a good time.”

  “No.” She shook her head decisively, blinking against the tears that threatened to surge up. “It’s obviously meant for a couple. I wouldn’t know what to do with it. Why don’t you take it?”

  “Are you kidding me?” Liam handed the certificate back quickly. “If word got out I had that, Sandra would never let me rest. I’d end up taking her out and I really don’t want to go that route again.”

  “Fine, I’ll just give it to Mark and Penny.” The idea brought a wave of relief.

  “Why don’t you and Mr. Liam go together?” Gemma piped up so suddenly both adults jumped in surprise.

  Alicia looked down at her daughter’s earnest face and wanted to cry. She cleared her throat again, pushing her daughter’s too-long hair out of her face. “You need a haircut.”

  “But Mommy, why don’t you? Amy will babysit, I know she will.”

  “Well, if you’ve got the babysitter all lined up.” Liam’s voice was light. “Why not?”

  Alicia looked up. “Liam, really, you don’t have to—”

  “Hey, I could use a night out with a woman who isn’t looking to…” He hesitated, glancing down at Gemma. “Well, let’s just say you’d be a nice change.”

  “A nice change from what?” Penny came up.

  Alicia sighed and looked back at Liam. She really wouldn’t mind spending a nice evening out, and she knew in her heart Liam would be a perfect gentleman. She already liked him. “Okay, you’re on.”

  “Great. Give me a call and we’ll set it up.” He turned to Penny. “And you’re not getting off easy, my friend. I owe you for that dunking.”

  Penny raised her hands in surrender. “I had nothing to do with it. And I’m pretty sure you were just collateral damage.” She turned back to Alicia as Liam shook his finger at her in a warning way before heading out the front door. “Hey, what did you win?”

  “Evidently, fuel for the fire.” Alicia shook her head and followed Liam.

  Chapter Seven

  Alicia put the gift certificate in a drawer and tried to forget it without letting herself in on why she didn’t want to deal with it. She wasn’t sure she was ready to go out with a man, even just as friends. Too often her mind turned to Ty, and a night of dinner and dancing with another man might be more painful than loneliness.

  The weekend passed as normal. Alicia cooked hamburgers outside for herself and Gemma. On Monday she took Gemma and Jason to their grandparents before going to the bookstore. She looked around with satisfaction. Several trips to book sales, estate sales and online auctions had refilled the shelves in a gratifying manner. She’d dug into her own savings as well as the store’s meager account, but she was sure the expenditures would pay off. Within a week she should be able to reopen if she could find just one reliable clerk to help out when she couldn’t be there.

  Tha
t process started when she hung the help-wanted sign in the window. She had every intention of being picky. Not a frustrated librarian. They tended to frighten the customers. Not someone whose ambitions began and ended with salesclerk. No, she needed someone who loved books and wanted to do something with that love. Someone who would be content working there for a couple of years. A retired journalist. A budding novelist. Alicia had no grandiose ideas. She knew sales-clerking was a stopgap for most people. But if she could find even one who fit the bill, she’d be happy.

  Four hours later, she was exhausted. Of the dozen people who’d wandered in off the street, only two of them actually wanted to apply for the job. The rest were curious pedestrians wondering when the store would be open. Encouraging as the interest was, Alicia had almost despaired already of ever finding an appropriate second-in-command for her store. One of her applicants had been an obviously mentally handicapped homeless man. The other, a Hispanic woman who barely spoke English. Alicia had taken both applications and put them in a file for the future in case she might find work for them later on. Not what she needed now, though.

  Disheartened, she was starting to lock up when she noticed a familiar face outside the window. She swung the door open. “Hey!” she called to Lulu. “Please tell me you’re looking for a job.”

  Lulu laughed, coming in the door Alicia held open. “I guess you’ve had the same applicants I get on a regular basis.”

  “Is your store close by?” Alicia raised her eyebrows. “What is it? And where?”

  “Down the street and around the corner.” Lulu winked and whispered, “I sell women’s lingerie…and some other things.”

  Alicia blinked, startled. “Really? In downtown Hillsborough?”

  Lulu shrugged. “I won’t say it’s always easy. There are a few holier-than-thou chicks around, but for the most part every woman on the PTA has been in my store at one point or another. And they’re not all looking for bras.”

  “You have made my morning.” Alicia threw the bolt on the door and beckoned Lulu into the break room. “Come have a cup of coffee? I’ve got a pot of Irish Crème on.”

  “That would be awesome.” Lulu followed her into the back. “Tell me about your applicants.”

  “Well, they’re not bad. Just not what I’m looking for. I need somebody who can run the store when I’m not around.” Alicia filled a mug from the coffeepot and held it out to Lulu.

  “Those are hard to find.” Lulu blew on the coffee, her brow furrowed. “You know what, let me check my files. I may have an application or two you might be interested in. I’ll call them and see if they’d be willing to let me pass the buck to you.”

  “Would you?” Alicia didn’t try to hide her relief. “That would be awesome.”

  “Anything for the woman who doused Sandra Benning when she was wearing her best silk blouse.” Lulu raised her cup in salute. “You know that woman wouldn’t let me on her committee on the PTA next year? Pissed me off.”

  “Why on earth wouldn’t she let you on her committee?” Alicia was stunned, then realization dawned. “Oh.”

  Lulu nodded. “Yep. She’s one of those holier-than-thou B-I-T-C-H-E-S who looks down on me because of my store.” She blew on her coffee, looking at Alicia thoughtfully. “I sort of got the vibe you wouldn’t be one of those?”

  Alicia snorted. “You’re kidding me, right? If—well, if circumstances were different, I’d be in your store.” Her smile felt a little pathetic on her face and she turned to stir more creamer into the coffee. “This would be better with a little real alcohol.”

  “I’d pull my flask out, but then you really would be shocked.” Lulu laughed at Alicia’s startled look. “I’m kidding! I don’t have a problem with alcohol. Well, nothing but wine, anyway.” She hesitated, taking a sip of the coffee. Evidently making her mind up to speak, she added, “You know your friend Liam does, right?”

  “Liam?” Alicia set the mug down, fighting off a wave of disappointment. Not Lulu too.

  “Yeah. He’s an alcoholic. Used to get drunk all the time in high school.”

  “Until the accident.” The words felt as if they’d been pushed through her lips, and she wasn’t sure why she’d said them.

  “You know about that?” Lulu looked relieved. At Alicia’s nod, she continued, “Well, I don’t know, really. He went off to college. Came back for a few breaks. I was a couple years younger than him and Ty, but it’s a small town, you know? Anyway, I don’t know what’s going on between you two, but I figured I’d give you a heads up.”

  Alicia stared at her, then shook her head, sinking into a chair. “Going on? Between me and Liam? You’re kidding, right? You do know my husband just died?”

  “Don’t give me the party line, girl. I’m not judging you. I don’t give a crap. You’ve been on your own for a while. It’s gotta be pretty lonely at night. What you do is your business, not mine, but hey, you might want to know a little about Liam before…” She hesitated, her gaze finally registering Alicia’s pained look. “God, I’m sorry. I’m being totally insensitive, aren’t I? You really had no intention of—Jesus, I’m sorry. I just assumed.” She stopped and sighed. “You ever hear that old adage about measuring somebody by your own bushel basket and coming up short?”

  Alicia swallowed hard and waited until the anguish had faded a little. “I have.” She smiled with a little difficulty. “It’s okay. I’m getting used to it around here.”

  “You shouldn’t have to, but it’s a fact of life, isn’t it?” Lulu looked sheepish. “I really didn’t mean any harm. Liam’s just an unknown quantity. Nobody really knows what he’s capable of—or culpable of, for that matter.”

  Alicia frowned. She wondered what Lulu meant but then sighed, dismissing it. “Well, there’s no reason to worry about Liam—or me, for that matter. I’ve got no intention of getting involved with him, and he’s been nothing but kind to me and the kids.”

  “Right,” Lulu said. When Alicia looked sharply at her, she raised her hands. “I mean it. Right. What you said. Liam’s a good guy, just be careful.”

  “Jeez.” Alicia pushed her mug away. “I need to get back to work.”

  “You need to listen to her.” Both women looked at the door to find Penny standing there.

  “Where did you come from?” Alicia frowned. “Didn’t I lock the front door?”

  “You did but I figured you didn’t really mean it, so I came in the back.” Penny grinned. “Hey, Lu! Good to see you. Sorry we didn’t get a chance to talk at the fair the other night.”

  “You too, hon. When you coming back in to buy some more stuff for that super hot husband of yours?”

  Penny shook her head. “You and I both know I don’t buy it for him, I buy it for me.”

  “More power to you!” Lulu nodded firmly. “Maybe you can get your friend to listen to some sense?”

  “I have been trying that for a while.” Penny studied Alicia as if she were a recalcitrant child she was trying to force obedience on. “She seems to be deaf where Liam Addison is concerned.”

  “Jeez!” Alicia threw her head back and groaned. “What the hell do I have to do to convince you that there’s nothing going on between me and Liam Addison?”

  “Maybe you should take me out somewhere public and make a big show of slapping me in the face and telling me to get lost?”

  Alicia’s head snapped around. Liam stood in the doorway looking amused and surprised at the same time. “Shit.” Her neck and cheeks warmed.

  He took a step into the room. “I didn’t know you were getting this kind of heat over me, Alicia. You must be an absolute saint to put up with it.”

  “You have no idea.” Alicia placed her arms on the table and lowered her head into them, too embarrassed to look at any of them.

  “Yeah, I do.” She heard him cross the room and sit across from h
er, then place a hand on her folded arms. “At least you can know these ladies have your best interests at heart.”

  She raised her head and looked at Lulu and Penny through narrowed eyes. Both women had turned a little red, though she noted they also met her gaze. She turned to meet Liam’s concerned look. “I know.” She could almost hear her friends breathe a sigh of relief.

  “Good. Well, I came here to ask if I could take you to lunch, but maybe you’d rather not?” He raised his dark eyebrows.

  Without hesitation, Alicia stood. “Actually, I’d love that.” She peered at her friends. “And if anybody’s got anything to say about it, they can take it up with me later.” She walked out with a straight back, standing at the exterior door and waiting until everyone was out before closing and locking the door. She turned to face the three, who watched her cautiously. Pocketing the key, she glared at all of them. “And FYI, I’ll be locking that door from now on.”

  * * *

  Twenty minutes later at a café around the corner from the bookstore, Alicia took a deep breath and looked Liam directly in the eyes. “We might as well talk about the elephant in the room. My friends all think you’ve got ulterior motives.”

  “Yeah, I got that.” He shrugged and gave her a mischievous look. “It’s not their fault. If I met you in a bar or a grocery store, well, I probably would.”

  “But since we met because you wanted to help out your old friend’s widow, I’m not a target, right?”

  “Right.” He took a sip of water. “All kidding aside, you’re safe with me. I have no ulterior motives. Just want to help out, be a friend, a handyman, whatever you need.”