Liam smiled and stuck out his chest a little as if he took my statement as a compliment, which it was. He glanced at himself in the full-length mirror. "I'm kinda glad my luggage got lost. I think I like this better than the other one. Maybe I should lose my luggage every time I come to Los Angeles."
"Do you come here often?" I asked.
"Not on a routine basis, but I do come here for business sometimes."
"What sort of business are you in?" I asked. Before he could answer I added, "You can go ahead and get changed. Just leave everything in the dressing room, and I'll have Drew box it up for you." I didn't mean to blow past my other question without giving him time to answer it, but the fact of the matter was that, normally, the only personal questions I asked pertained to the suit I was making. I wasn't used to asking them for my own curiosity. Seeing as how Liam's suit needs had already been taken care of for the day, I surprised myself by even asking what he did for a living.
"I work for my dad's personal security business," he said as he stepped off of the platform. "It's called Alpha. We train men in weaponry and martial arts and place them with people who have personal security needs. That's how Daniel met Courtney."
"Bodyguards?" I asked, leading him toward the dressing room.
He nodded. "I'm not a bodyguard, though. I train with the guys because it's fun and it's good exercise, and I grew up at the facility with my dad, but I don't ever go in the field. I'm the person who meets with the clients to discuss their needs. I place the right people in the right places. It's PR work, basically. It's a lot of fun. I get to travel and meet some really interesting people."
"You'd probably do well owning a few good suits in that line of work," I said.
"I would," he agreed. "I have a couple that I thought were pretty nice, but I might have to come back here and let you do it right sometime. I usually end up entertaining the clients some, and I need to dress the part. That could mean wearing a three piece suit or a bathing suit, depending on who they are."
I smiled, thinking that sounded like a pretty interesting job. It always amazed me how many occupations there were in the world and how many different people there were filling all of them. "Is that what you always wanted to do?" I asked. By this point, we had come to stand in front of the dressing room, and I gestured for him to go inside.
"No," he said. "I just went on a job when dad was in a pinch and asked me to do it. That one worked out, so he asked me to do it again after that, and then again and again. I like history. I studied history in college. I think it's really interesting to learn about humans and the choices we've made—how one thing impacts another."
I smiled. "That is interesting. I think it's interesting to study about the way humans are shaped."
"Oh, you mean like making clothes?" Liam asked, touching his own chest.
"Yes," I said.
"How am I shaped?" he asked.
"Like a man."
He smiled and squinted at me. "Surely you can do better than that, seeing as how you just said you like to study it."
"Perfectly," I said. He was standing inside the dressing room, and I reached up to grab the curtain, poised to close it. "You're perfectly shaped, Mister Kennedy."
I smiled a little as I closed the curtain, and to my shock and surprise, Liam opened it again. He stared at me.
"Can I get you something?" I asked.
He continued to stare at me for a few more seconds, and I realized to my own horror that his body was the tip of the iceberg. His face was flawlessly shaped as well—the type of all American handsomeness that could easily compliment any hat or scarf. It was a true pleasure to dress this man, and it warmed my heart that he appeared in my store on such a day.
"Would you please tell me why you've been crying?" he asked.
He stared at me sincerely and asked the question so softly that it took a few seconds for it to register. I blinked, feeling flustered that he even noticed I had been upset. I was so accustomed to maintaining professional boundaries that I was thrown off by my own urge to pour my heart out to this guy.
I shook my head as I smiled regretfully, reaching up for the curtain again.
He reached up to stop me. "I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable," he said. "I can just tell that—"
"It's my dog." I said.
Hot tears sprang to my eyes. They burned, and I blinked in an effort to hold them at bay. "It's just that I had him a really long time. He was old, and he's better off now. I just… we made a lot of memories, you know?" I blinked continually, still trying to dry my eyes, which continued to produce unwanted tears. I smiled through the pain and sighed, shaking my head. "I didn't mean for you to notice," I said. "You just happened to catch me on a rough day."
Chapter 4
Liam
It seemed that in the last few days Liam Kennedy was destined to experience women crying. First, there was Abby, and now he stood in the dressing room of an upscale clothing store, staring at a beautiful tailor with tears welling in her eyes.
This woman was different than Abby, though. Abby's tears were of the extremely dramatic sort. They were meant to persuade Liam to change his mind. They had intention behind them. Taylor's tears, however, were entirely different. She was doing everything she could to hold them back. Abby had seemed desperate to force them out, whereas Taylor seemed desperate to hold them in. She was such a professional that it pained her to break down and show her humanity to Liam.
Apparently, she had lost her dog recently, and Liam could see how much she was struggling with it. He could see how much pain she was in. He could tell she was uncomfortable and thought she had already said too much, but he couldn't help but feel like it was a moment in her life when she deserved some compassion. She smiled at him and began to close the dressing room curtain for a third time, but Liam held it open yet again.
"What kind of dog?" Liam asked.
She let out a resolute sigh before she said, "A Basset. An all-brown Basset Hound." She smiled sadly as she gazed toward the wall behind Liam, looking like she was lost in thought. "I found him in London when I first moved there. He was like my guardian angel. That was almost ten years ago. He was already full-grown when I got him, so I really didn't know how old he was. He used to bury bones." She let out a sad chuckle as she stared downward. "I thought that was fictional—dogs burying bones and then digging them up and enjoying them days later. I'd never seen a real dog do that, but Simon did. He'd dig a big hole and then put the bone in it and cover it up like a cartoon." She glanced at Liam. "I'm sorry. I'm usually a pretty private person, so it's odd that I'm even telling you any of this. It's just weird not having him around, and you asked, so—"
"I've never seen a dog do that, either," Liam said.
She looked at him and noticed that he was smiling sweetly at her. She felt terrible for saying so much. It was completely unlike her. She sighed. "It's just that he used to come to work with me, so I'm used to him being in the back. It's strange not having him back there." She sighed again and blinked, contemplating a graceful way to close the curtain now that she'd made things too personal.
"When did you lose him?" Liam asked.
"Yesterday."
The instant she said the word, a single tear rolled down her cheek. She cleared her throat, and quickly wiped it away with the back of her hand before using the other hand to close the curtain. "I'm so sorry about this. I—"
She started to say more, but she stopped when Liam, yet again, stopped her from putting the barrier between them. He gazed at her through the crack in the curtain that had grown smaller each time she tried to close it. She gave him a beseeching expression, pleading with him to let her create the distance she so desired.
"May I have a hug?" he asked.
This question seemed foreign and disagreeable to Taylor. "I'm sorry?" she said as if she hadn't heard him.
"A hug," he repeated. "May I have one?"
She gave him a slight smile. "I appreciate the gesture, Mister Kennedy, bu
t I'm not really the hugging type."
"It's not a type," he said with an easy grin. "It's just an action. I'm not a runner, but I run sometimes. I'm not a jumper, but I jump sometimes."
Liam could see Taylor's wheels turning, but she still didn't seem like she was considering doing it.
"It would mean a great deal to me," he said. "You could consider it customer service."
She let out a little laugh at that. "I certainly don't make a habit of giving hugs as customer service," she said. "This industry is a man's world, and even though I'm sure a few of my clients would like hugs, I have to uphold a certain—"
She stopped speaking right in the middle of her sentence because Liam Kennedy did the unthinkable. He pushed the curtain aside and pulled her by the arm, causing her to topple right into the dressing room. He was a solid, brick wall of a man, and she felt herself smack right into him… right against his chest. By instinct, she started to pull away, but Liam Kennedy wrapped his big arms around her, enveloping her in warmth. He wasn't trying to be inappropriate with her, he simply knew that she needed a hug and he was ready and willing to be the one to give it to her. He took a deep breath, and she felt his chest rise and fall as he held her tightly but gently, conveying sympathy and love and regret for her loss. She had been rigid with tension, but she relaxed, accepting his gesture for what it was.
"I know you're tough," he said softly. "But we all need a good old fashioned hug every now and then."
Taylor found herself not only thankful for the contact, but also squeezing him back, which was totally unlike her. "I usually don't need hugs," she said after a few seconds.
"Well, maybe today's an exception," Liam said.
They were still in the small dressing room sharing that basic human form of compassion when Drew unexpectedly came around the corner.
"Oh," he said in a surprised tone when he caught sight of them. His voice cut through the silence, and the way he said it left no doubt that he was completely taken aback by what he saw. Taylor jumped and stepped back from Liam as if he was suddenly a thousand degrees and it was scorching her skin to make contact with him.
"He was asking me about Simon," she said, explaining herself as she took a few steps back. She glanced into the dressing room. "Thank you for letting me vent a little bit, Mister Kennedy," she said with a smile aimed at him.
She pulled the curtain closed, leaving Liam in the dressing room, staring at the inside of the velvet curtain. He heard her sigh on the other side. "Just leave your garments in there after you change," she reminded him. "Drew will take care of boxing them."
"Okay," Liam said.
"How'd the straight fit trousers work on Mister Bishop?" Her question was obviously directed toward Drew, and Liam just stood there listening to them for a few seconds until they walked away and he could no longer hear their conversation.
He realized that his heart was still beating rapidly from the exchange, and he contemplated how and why the quiet, sophisticated suit maker had the ability to affect him this way. He could still smell her, and he reached up and held his forearm to his nose, breathing in to see if she had rubbed off on his coat. Maybe it was just that the whole place smelled like her.
Liam changed clothes and went out to join the others in the store. Drew was waiting near the dressing room and wasted no time at all going in to get Liam's things so he could take care of boxing them. He took off toward the back, carrying everything in his arms.
Liam stood next to Jesse and Rose as they waited for Drew to come back out with their things. He stood casually with his hands in his pockets, but he couldn't help but look around for Taylor. He was disappointed that she was nowhere in sight.
"What a nice place," Rose said. "I wasn't expecting it to be this nice. Memphis doesn't have anything like this. Drew gave your uncle the royal treatment. He even offered him a bourbon. Can you imagine?"
"I guess that's what happens when Courtney's your new daughter-in-law," Jesse said.
"They probably treat everybody like that at these prices," Rose said.
She casually reached out to a table of neckties and turned one of them over, searching for a price tag.
"How much?" Jesse whispered.
"Doesn't say," she said.
"If you have to ask…" Jesse teased.
"How was your experience?" Rose asked Liam. "I think the woman who helped you was the owner."
"She was," Liam said. He still felt distracted by the memory of his encounter with her. He thought about her dog burying bones and felt sad for her that she missed him so much.
"Did she give you the royal treatment like Drew?" Rose asked.
"She probably could've kicked him in the shin and he wouldn't mind with those blue eyes," Jesse said.
Rose giggled and leaned into her husband for being silly.
"She was sad," Liam said thoughtfully.
Rose's expression shifted to one of concern. "About what?"
"Her dog just died," Liam whispered, looking around to make sure he wasn't overheard.
"Aw, that's so sad," Rose said.
"Your mother cried for days when we lost Ladybird."
"She was trying not to cry, but I asked her about it," Liam said. "Maybe I shouldn't have."
"Oh, don't feel bad," Rose said, rubbing her nephew's back. "You've always taken up for people and been so considerate about their feelings. That's just who you are."
"Okay, so here we have it!" Drew exclaimed in a jovial tone as he emerged from the back. He was overloaded with boxes and bags but wearing a huge smile as if it was his absolute pleasure to perform this balancing act.
Jesse and Liam both asked if he needed help at the same time, but Drew refused and easily made it to the counter where he set everything down.
He looked at Liam with an impressed expression. "I guess you're ready to go Mister Kennedy. Taylor said everything worked right off the peg so you won't be needing any alterations." He glanced at Jesse. "Miss Quinn will be altering your trousers as soon as possible. She said to tell you we'll have somebody deliver them to you in the morning. We'll make sure you have them in time for the ceremony. She has the address for the location of the wedding in Malibu. Is that a convenient place for the delivery?"
"Yes, that's great," Jesse said.
"Wonderful. We'll have them there by 10am."
"Perfect," Rose said. "That's service. Thank you so much for accommodating us."
"It's our absolute pleasure," Drew said. He held out his hand as if waiting for a handshake.
Jesse reached out to shake it, looking a little confused. "Do we pay here, or…"
"Oh, Courtney's already taken care of everything," he said. "I'm sorry, I thought you knew. Her assistant called and squared everything away before you ever got here." Drew began cheerfully handing the garments and bags to the three of them. "It truly has been a pleasure working with you," he said. "We hope you'll come back to Taylored if you're ever in California again. Let's hope it's not under these circumstances, but we'd love to work with you again."
"Thank you so much," Jesse said, looking down at the bags he was carrying as if taking stock of what he had.
"This is the groom's suit," Drew said, pointing to the extra garment bag Jesse was holding.
"Thank you," Rose said.
They all started making their way toward the door. Liam new their business was over, but he hated not seeing Taylor one more time.
"Is she not coming back out?" he asked.
"Oh, Miss Quinn?" Drew asked. He glanced toward the back of the store. "I believe she's already begun working on the alterations for Mister Bishop's trousers."
"Oh, okay," Liam said.
"Would you like me to give her a message?" Drew asked.
Liam hesitated as he looked around. He wasn't going to pass an opportunity to give her a message, but he had no idea what to say.
"I guess, uh, just tell her thank you for helping me out," he said. "And that I'm really sorry about Simon."
Drew
tilted his head at Liam with a warm smile. "Thank you," he said sincerely. "We all miss that old man around here. I'll certainly pass that message along to Taylor."
Chapter 5
Taylor
I was sitting at my workstation, altering a pair of pants for Courtney Cole's new father-in-law when my phone rang. I normally had music playing while I worked, but I had been so out-of-it the last couple of days that I found myself not doing all the things I normally did. The sound of my ringer cut through the silence, startling me. I had one of the receivers for the shop phone sitting next to me as well, and the ring tones were so similar that it took me a second to decide which one to answer. The screen on my phone said Courtney Cole, so I reached over and with one finger I swiped the screen to answer the call.
"Hey," I said once I got the phone to my ear.
"Hey," Courtney replied. "Did the guys come in?"
"Yeah, they've already come and gone," I said.
"Did they find something that worked?"
"Yeah, and almost everything worked straight off the peg. The only thing that needed to be altered was Jesse's trousers, and I'm taking care of them right now."
"Oh, are they still there?"
"No, I went ahead and sent them home. I told them we'd deliver the trousers in the morning."
"Thank you so much, Taylor. I can't believe their luggage got lost."
"My pleasure," I said. "I'm glad we could help."
"What'd you think about Daniel's family?" she asked.
"Super nice," I said, somewhat distracted as I sewed the hem by hand.
"I wish you could come to the wedding and meet the rest of them," Courtney said.
"I know, me too. We've just been so busy around here that I don't think I can leave the shop. I've got a cutter on vacation, and I have to pick up his slack. I would have just told him to switch his days, but he already had his vacation planned before you let me know about your wedding."
"You're a workaholic," Courtney said.
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