"I am not going to think about you," I said resolutely. "I am going to get in my car, go back to my house, and forget this whole amazing, wonderful day ever happened."
"Then, I'm not going to think about you either," he said.
I glanced at him with a little bit of a grimace, and he shrugged at me, causing me to smile.
"I'll definitely not think about that smile," he said. "I won't think about your blue eyes, or your beautiful face, or your fierce determination. I certainly won't think about how funny and silly and clumsy you are underneath all those layers of serious professionalism."
I nudged him with my shoulder as we continued to walk. He had to catch me one time earlier when I was trying to get on the motorcycle, and at the Mexican restaurant, I had tripped on the threshold, forcing him to catch me again. It had been a somewhat clumsy afternoon for me, but I still said, "I am not clumsy."
"I know you're not," he said, sweetly. "I was just playing with you—trying to distract you so you'd let me buy you a dog."
"Maybe I'm a little clumsy," I admitted, "but that's under about twenty-six layers of professionalism. No one would ever see that."
"I love your carefully hidden clumsiness," he said. "And everything else about you."
His words caused a crushing sensation to happen in my chest. He had seen a side of me that I never showed to anyone else. I had become vulnerable in front of him, and now I was left with a feeling of dread and emptiness. How could I be so elated only moments before and now so heartbroken? He was not allowed to use the L word. That was off limits. We continued to talk, drawing ever closer to the parking lot where my car was waiting. I knew I would get into it, drive away, and never see him again. I let out a long sigh as I turned to look at him, shrugging out of his grasp when I did it. Breaking contact was not easy, but it had to be done.
"I guess this is goodbye," I said with a forced smile.
He returned my forced smile, only his was much smaller. "My shoes are in your car."
We walked the remaining distance to my car, and I opened the passenger's side where we had both stashed our shoes. It took us a minute or two to dust the sand off our feet and put on our socks and shoes, and we did it in perfect silence. Several times, I was tempted to say something, and several times, he was too—I could tell by how he took a little breath like he was starting to talk but then changed his mind.
"Okay," he said, once we both finished putting on our shoes. We stood next to each other, but not nearly as close as we had been on the beach. There was at least two feet of space between us, and my heart beat wildly as I contemplated throwing myself into his arms one last time.
"Okay," I agreed. "Thanks again for today."
"Thank you," he said. "I really loved this time with you, Taylor."
Again, with the L word. It caused a swirling sensation to happen in my chest like my insides had turned into a tingly lava lamp. I looked directly at his face—into his golden brown eyes, knowing I needed to say something sincere.
"I liked this time with you, too, Liam Kennedy. I really did. Thank you for inviting me."
He gave me a sad smile. "Thank you for coming."
We stared at each other for several seconds, contemplating saying something more or even kissing again. I just shook my head a little at him as I reached out to give his forearm a little squeeze. It was an awkward but necessary goodbye, and he dug in his pocket, coming up with my keys.
"This won't get any easier, so I guess I should just go," I said, taking my keys from him. Again, I contemplated throwing myself into his arms. I knew he would easily give me one last hug (or even a kiss), but I just couldn't do it. I had to get out of there.
I turned and headed toward the driver's side feeling like my heart was breaking more and more with every step. I opened the door and started to get in, but I glanced over the car at Liam who was still standing there. His hands were in his pockets but he took one of them out and gave me a little wave, wearing a small melancholy smile.
"I loved today," I said. "I shouldn't have said I liked it when I loved it."
His smile grew a little at my words, but he didn't say anything—he didn't have time. I sat in my car, closed the door, and started the engine. I waved at him one last time as I pulled away, but my windows were tinted, and it was dark out, so I don't think he saw me.
I could see him walking toward his hotel as I drove away, and even though I tried not to do it, I cried.
Chapter 13
Liam
Four months later
Liam's cousin, Ivy, had just completed her first semester of college. Like the rest of the Bishop family, she was born into a life of privilege, so her tuition was paid for, and so were her car, phone, and insurance. She also had shares in the motorcycle company and a trust fund that she would be able to access once she got a little older. Currently, however, she did not have limitless resources.
None of the grandkids had this luxury.
Ivy and Michael both believed in teaching their children how to work for a living, and it was a tradition that Jesse and Jane and their spouses had carried on with their own children.
All this to say that Ivy Bishop was currently poor. Okay, maybe she wasn't poor by the world's standards, not even close, but she was smack dab out of spending money, and she wanted to do some Christmas shopping for friends, so she had been earning some extra income by walking Liam's dog while he was at work.
She didn't mind this job one bit. Vera was the cutest puppy Ivy had ever seen—a five-month-old Basset Hound with the longest ears ever. She was mostly black and white with an adorable brown face and ears. She had droopy eyes and an overabundance of leftover skin. Even her short, stubby legs had rolls. Ivy just scratched and scratched Vera, feeling like she could get lost in all of those precious puppy folds.
Liam had bought the dog right when they got back from their trip to California, and Ivy had been helping with her since. Liam had even been out of town a few times since then, and he always asked Ivy to housesit so that she could take care of the dog.
She had just come back to Liam's house after taking Vera to the dog park and was surprised to find that Liam was home. It was two o'clock in the afternoon, and usually, he didn't make it back from Alpha until four or five. Liam walked toward the front door when he heard them come in. He was eating a bowl of cereal, and he walked with it in his hand, chewing as he made his way to the front of his house.
"Hey," she said, hanging Vera's leash on the hook near the door.
"Hey," Liam said. "How'd she do?"
"She barked at a Boxer," Ivy said. "She was fine with everybody else, but she went off on that Boxer. It was the weirdest thing."
Ivy stooped and began giving Vera a belly rub. The dog was exhausted from her time at the park. She was laid out on her side on the tile floor, but she picked up her back leg, giving Ivy access to her stomach.
"Thank you for taking her," Liam said. "Your money's right there."
Ivy stood up and took the cash that was on the nearby hutch that served as a catchall. She slipped it into her back pocket. "Thank you," she said.
"That's for this weekend, too," Liam said, since she hadn't counted it.
"What time do you leave in the morning?"
"Seven. I'll feed her and let her out before I go, but she'll be ready to go out again around noon if you can."
Ivy nodded. "It's no problem. I don't have anything going on since I finished my finals. I'll probably just come by here in the morning after I get up."
"Thank you," Liam said. "I'll be back Monday evening."
"I can't believe you get to meet Sweet Strain. I wish I was going with you."
"Then who would watch my dog?" Liam asked.
Ivy didn't bother answering his question because she knew it was rhetorical and she wouldn't get to go with them no matter what she said. Sweet Strain was a wildly popular all-female rock band. They were originally from Australia but had moved to the states and were now living in Los Angeles. It
would be Liam's first time to go back to California since the wedding, and he couldn't help but think of Taylor and wonder if he should try to go by the shop while he was there.
"You could at least get their autographs for me," Ivy said.
"Maybe," Liam said with a teasing smile. "I'll see what I can do."
There was an antique bowl on the hutch that Liam used for his keys and loose change, and Ivy pointed to it. "Can I have that?" she asked, referring to the change that covered the bottom of the bowl. It must have been at least five dollars worth.
Liam nodded without even turning to look at it. He leaned against the hutch, still eating his cereal as he used his foot to continue rubbing Vera's belly.
"What's this?" Ivy asked. She held up the small piece of leather that had been buried under change at the bottom of the bowl.
"It's a thimble," Liam said.
"A thimble?"
He nodded.
"Are you talking about the things you use for sewing? I thought they were metal."
"Yes I am, and they're not all metal. That one's leather."
"I see that," she said. "Why do you have a leather thimble?"
"That girl, Taylor, gave it to me. The one who came for a ride with us when we saw that big Japanese bell."
"Korean," she said. "It was Korean."
He nodded before holding the cereal bowl to his mouth, tilting his head back to finish off the milk. He walked toward the kitchen, and Ivy followed him. Vera was exhausted but couldn't stand to be alone, so she got up and went with them.
"Are you going to see that thimble girl when you go to Los Angeles?" Ivy asked.
Liam shrugged. He rinsed his bowl and put it into the dishwasher. He wished he felt as nonchalant as he was pretending to be, but the truth was he had been asking himself that same question since two weeks earlier when he found out he was going to Los Angeles. Taylor had made a lasting impression on him. It had been months since he had seen her, and he could still close his eyes and picture himself on the beach with her in his arms. It was truly one of the most perfect moments in his life and he hoped he never forgot it.
Keeping that memory alive wasn't the only reason Liam bought a Basset Hound, though. He had actually been thinking about getting a dog, anyway, and after Taylor went on about what a good dog Simon had been and how laid-back he was, Liam decided to look into the breed. He was happy about how it worked out because Vera had turned out to be the perfect companion.
"Have you talked to her since you came back?" Ivy asked. She wasn't trying to pry, but she loved getting the scoop, and Liam had always been willing to talk about his girlfriends or love interests when she asked.
Liam's heart ached at the thought of Taylor. "No, I haven't," he said with a sigh. "And I don't know if I'll see her when I go this weekend."
"You should try to go out with one of those girls from Sweet Strain. There's like six of them and they're all super cute."
"My dad would kill me if I tried to date one of the clients," he said.
"Daniel did it."
Liam chuckled. "And my dad wanted to kill him until he figured out they really loved each other."
"So maybe you'll fall in love with one of the girls from Double S."
"Oh, they're Double S now?" Liam asked with a smile.
Ivy shrugged. "That's their nickname."
"Well, I'm not gonna fall in love with one of them. If I go out with anybody when I'm in LA, it's going to be Taylor."
"Ha! I knew it!" Ivy said, pointing at him while still wearing that leather thimble on the end of her finger. "You like that girl. You're gonna call her up when you go to California."
"Maybe I will," Liam said.
"Oh my gosh, you should totally take the girls from Double S to her store," Ivy said with wide eyes. "That would be sooo perfect. That would be the most jealous a girl could ever get to see you with all those famous rock stars."
"I'm not trying to make her jealous," Liam said. "This isn't Days of our Lives."
Ivy put her hands up in surrender, shaking her head at Liam like he was missing out. "Fine then, don't listen to me, but I'm telling you it's a good plan."
***
Liam did not set out to listen to Ivy's scheme, but the following day, he indeed found himself on Rodeo Drive with three of the six members of Sweet Strain. The other three members had grown tired and gone home a couple of hours before, and Liam couldn’t help but wish that he was with them. He met up with the band at eleven that morning to discuss their needs for personal security and had been hanging out with them since. He had gone straight to the meeting from the airport, so he was thoroughly exhausted by that point.
The band would need at least three gentlemen from Alpha Security for their upcoming tour, which basically meant it was a huge job for the company. The girls seemed to think that Liam's bodyguard skills reflected those of the men at Alpha, so they wanted to 'test him out' that afternoon by taking him shopping.
Liam was confident in his abilities, so he agreed. He needed to do his best to seal the deal with them, so he had been compliant when they suggested the trip to Beverly Hills. They were nice and everything, but it had been a long afternoon.
It was after five o'clock when Liam found himself in the vicinity of Taylor's store. The girls had been shopping for shoes and were now headed toward another clothing store that happened to be two doors down from Taylored.
Liam had already decided that he would go by Taylor's store when he was in LA, but his plan was to do it after he had the chance to rest and come up with a plan. He even thought he might try to lure her into hanging out by showing up on a motorcycle. He wasn't planning on following his cousin's advice to take the girls from the band into Taylor's store—it was purely a coincidence that they were with him. But now that he was so close, he couldn’t resist.
They were just about to go into the clothing store that the girls wanted to try out when Liam said that he would like to stop by Taylored. Seeing as how the girls didn't need anything in the first place, they easily agreed to go to the store Liam suggested instead of their own. He warned them that it only had gentlemen's attire, but they didn't seem to mind.
"Welcome to Taylored," a man's voice said as soon as they came in the door. Liam couldn't remember his name, but he recognized him as the guy with slicked-back hair. The girls from the band were not dressed in their stage attire, and there were only three of them, so the guy didn't recognize them right away. He approached them with a friendly smile, seeming not to recognize Liam either.
"How may I assist you today?"
A brown Basset Hound puppy ran through the room, blowing right past the guy and bounding straight up to Liam and the girls. He gave two excited barks, and the girls all moaned at the cuteness as they stooped down to pet him.
"Oh, my goodness, I apologize," the sales clerk said with a frustrated sigh. "He's supposed to stay in the back, but his owner's not here, so he's disobeying! This is the third time he's gotten out!"
Liam watched as the girls oohed and ahhed over the precious puppy. He must've been roughly the same age as Vera because he was close to the same size—maybe a little bigger.
"It's okay, little mate," Regina cooed in her Australian accent as she picked him up, cradling him next to her chest. She scowled playfully at the store clerk for chastising him. "You should be allowed to run free, huh little fella, shouldn't you? Don't listen to that mean, old man."
Regina was the lead singer and the most outspoken one of the bunch, so it didn't surprise Liam that she was being so bold. She was only teasing the guy, though, and he knew it.
"Oh my gosh, he should totally be our band mascot!" she said. "Wouldn't that be awesome?" Her face lit up and she looked at the other two girls. "Seriously, we could take him on the road with us. How cute would that be?" She looked straight at Slick. "For real, name your price. How much do you want for him?" She asked the question with a serious expression.
The guy looked taken aback at first, but then he starte
d to put together the pieces that she was actually a famous rock star who had enough money to go around saying she wanted to buy other people's dogs at any price.
"Are you the girls from—"
"Sweet Strain," Regina said nodding. "And I'm serious about this dog. I really do want him. We could put little outfits on him and stuff. That would be the most amazing thing ever. Who do I need to talk to?"
The guy smiled and reached out to pet the dog's head. "I would be totally happy to sell him to you, but the owner might kill me," he said. "She's pretty attached."
"A lady owns this place?" Regina asked, looking around like she was surprised and impressed.
"I actually came to see Taylor," Liam said. "Is she not here?"
"Do you have an appointment with Miss Quinn?" the clerk asked, looking concerned.
"No," Liam said. "I was just hoping to catch her."
"I'm hoping to catch her, too, so she can sell me yoooou," Regina said in a voice like she was talking to a baby.
"She stepped out," the guy said. "My name's Colton. Is there perhaps something I can help you with… besides buying Bishop?"
Chapter 14
Liam
Liam heard Colton say the name Bishop as he smiled and pointed toward the puppy, but it took him a second to realize that he was actually referring to the dog's name. The other two girls were still gathered around Regina, who was holding the dog. Their attention was focused on him, but Colton was staring straight at Liam as if waiting for his response.
"You mean a suit?" Liam asked, still feeling stunned. "No, I don't need a suit. I just came by to see Taylor. Did you say the dog's name is Bishop?"
Liam felt the strangest mix of emotions as he waited for the guy to answer, and his heart just about leapt out of his chest when the guy smiled and nodded.
"The owner has gotten into Bishop motorcycles lately," he said. "She wants to learn to ride. She even bought one."
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