“Apparently. I’ve never seen one or anything, just deer and stuff. But it’s an overnight camping trip in RVs.”
“Wait, overnight? Oooh, so will you be sharing an RV with Liam or with his mother?”
“I’m not too sure about the sleeping arrangements, but I can say I’m actually excited about this.”
“What? Okay, what changed in, like, the day and a half since we spoke?” Chelsea’s voice rose in excitement.
“I don’t know. I mean, not a whole lot has changed. I only spoke with Liam for, like, a minute last night.” Rachel wasn’t quite sure how it had happened, but something definitely was different, and it scared her.
“Well, at least you are talking to him. How did the bake sale go?”
“Really well. In fact, we sold just about everything and made some serious money too. The people were so nice to me, Chelsea.”
“They better be nice to you!” Chelsea laughed. “That’s great the sale went good.”
“So what are you up to today?” Rachel assumed her friend had tons of plans on what she could imagine was a gorgeous and sunny Saturday in Newport Beach.
“Like I said, I had lunch and did a little shopping. I don’t know, I’m sort of bored today,” Chelsea muttered.
Rachel was surprised to hear her friend sound so melancholy. Usually, Chelsea was like a bursting ray of light, bright and cheery. “Really?”
“Yeah, I don’t know, I just feel sort of out of it today.”
“I’m sorry.” Rachel considered how lately she hadn’t really been involved in Chelsea’s life. She’d been making everything about her, not even thinking about what might be going on with her friend. It was so easy to get lost in her own problems, especially when Chelsea was so helpful, happy, funny, and carefree.
Guilt overcame Rachel as she listened to Chelsea explain how she had been feeling down for a while. She felt lonely mainly because she was missing her friend and not finding anyone to date who truly interested her. Rachel came to understand that in some ways Chelsea was feeling a bit left out of Rachel’s life and a little jealous that she had found a great guy. She was also mad at Rachel for fighting something that could potentially be wonderful.
“I really hadn’t thought about it that way, Chelsea. I am so sorry.”
“That’s okay, Rachel. Now enough about me.” Rachel swore she could hear her friend wiping tears from her eyes.
“Hey, look at it like this. You’ll be here in a little over a month!”
“I can’t wait. I almost want to just sneak away now and hide out at your place for a while.”
“Well, you could come up after we finish testing, which is, like, in less than two weeks,” Rachel offered as she looked at her calendar, examining the dates when she wouldn’t be quite as busy.
“That might work. I feel like I need to get away for a while. I haven’t done anything fun in such a long time. Plus, I miss you like crazy and am dying to see where you live.”
“I think it’d be great. You are welcome to stay as long as you want. I have an extra room here, and this might give me a little motivation to get it set up finally,” Rachel said with a huge smile. “I can’t wait for you to come up here and see this place. It really is great.”
“Well, it’s settled. You tell me when that testing junk is over, and by then, you will be so fried you’ll be needing some fun too. That’s where I come in.”
“Sounds perfect to me.”
They continued to plan out Chelsea’s stay, discussing the things they could do while she visited. Chelsea said she didn’t mind that Rachel would be working part of the time and even commented that it’d give her an opportunity to explore Birch Valley.
As she ended the call, Rachel was glad they had finally cemented plans for Chelsea’s arrival, and now she was eager to get that extra room looking amazing. With her newfound energy, she decided to drive to Spokane tomorrow and spend the day shopping.
Chapter Nineteen
The following week brought something Rachel was not used to seeing in Birch Valley—a tremendous amount of sunshine. Granted, it wasn’t especially warm sunshine, but it did melt down the snow, leaving puddles everywhere. Having the sunlight every day made the world feel bright and happy. People seemed friendlier than usual, and Rachel noticed she was smiling more, but the joy blooming in her had been brought on by more than just some sunny weather. Liam had left another stack of signed reports on her desk, along with a token of his affection. Twice this week, he had left a flower on top of the pile, and the small action had left Rachel wandering around like a giddy schoolgirl.
One morning as Rachel exited her office, Karen noticed her grin. “Wow, someone sure looks to be in a good mood again today. The sunshine really agrees with you.”
Rachel blushed. “Maybe.”
“Or maybe it’s something special in that coffee you are drinking.” Karen motioned at the mug Rachel was refilling.
“Oh, Karen,” Rachel said before taking a sip.
“So you think our kids are ready for next week?” Karen asked as she helped herself to more coffee as well.
“I think so, especially now with the staff working so hard with them. Every teacher has been committed to getting these students ready. I feel pretty confident that our school is really going to shine.”
The halls were quiet this morning, and all the classroom doors were closed as the students worked hard studying for the state test. Rachel knew they were going to do well next week. She had even been thinking of a fun reward she could to do for the entire school, maybe a root beer float party. On the week following tests, the students would also have an extended weekend because of the President’s Day holiday, and the Dr. Seuss party would be held soon after.
“Wow, so every teacher is committed, you say?” Karen asked, tearing Rachel away from her thoughts.
“Yes, every last one of them, Karen.” Rachel smiled knowingly.
“That’s a turn of events for sure. Glad he finally came around.”
“Me too. I will be so happy to get next week over with,” Rachel said. “I’m looking forward to our Dr. Seuss party too. Have you started ordering any of the new books yet?”
“With all that money we got from the bake sale, I was able to get quite a bit. The kids are going to have such a great time, and I bet they will be just as happy to be done with testing too.”
***
Liam
Quiet had quickly fallen as students filed into the cafeteria for lunch and then swarmed the playground to enjoy the sunny weather. Liam had entered the teachers’ lounge to grab his lunch when he noticed Rachel munching on a small sandwich and lost in her book.
“Hey, how’s it going?” he said carefully as he sat across from her after pulling his sandwich from the fridge.
“Oh, hi, sorry,” she replied, closing the paperback in front of her.
“I can let you get back to reading. I didn’t mean to bother you.”
“No, it’s okay. You can join me. So how is the pretesting going for your class?” Rachel asked, before taking a nibble off her sandwich and motioning for him to sit.
Liam stared at her and swallowed. He’d been having a difficult time dealing with the whole testing thing. He thought he could get past it, but after turning in those pesky reports the parents had been forced to sign, he was honestly starting to hate it even more. In the past, the kids just took the test without all the pressure like there was this year, and he didn’t like having to base his whole curriculum on how to fill in the right bubbles with a number two pencil. He really wanted to say something to her about how he felt.
“I want you to know, Liam, I really appreciate you turning in those reports.” She blushed.
Seeing her get a little flustered lightened his mood considerably. That was why he had been dealing with those reports, he reminded himself. For her, his Rachel. “Rachel, I want it to be known that I still don’t agree with all this focus on testing,” Liam said cautiously, waiting for her reaction.
>
Rachel took in a deep breath. “I know you don’t. I didn’t think that would change overnight. But the fact remains that we have to test, and the more effort we put into practicing, the better the students will do when they actually take it. Besides, it’ll be over before you know it, and then you can go back to being the fabulous teacher you are.”
Her reaction surprised him. Based on their past confrontations, he figured she would’ve let him have it. Instead, she was patient and even gentle with him. He could get used to this. Liam sighed, deciding to switch gears. “So my mother told me she invited you on our little family moose watching trip next weekend.”
“Yes, I got a message from Maggie this morning about it. Michael will be coming along, and she seems very happy about that.”
“It’s pretty hard to tear Michael away from work. I didn’t realize he was going to make it. That’s pretty cool.” Liam felt a little dejected, though. He had just spoken with Maggie the other night, and she had failed to tell him about Michael.
“Yeah, I’m looking forward to meeting him. I’m very excited about the trip.”
He eyed her suspiciously to see if he’d heard her right. “We usually have a lot of fun. The hardest part is getting up early to see if we can even find a moose.”
“I’m happy your mom invited me.” Rachel smiled, her mouth pink and soft.
Those lips were all Liam could focus on. He wanted to feel them on his. When the bell interrupted them, he tried to regain some composure before he rose from the table. “I’m glad she did too,” he said, giving her a mischievous grin.
***
Rachel
The weekend brought with it a wicked rainstorm, and Rachel’s lights flickered as the wind toyed with the power lines. Rachel didn’t leave her home once. Instead, she threw herself into preparing for Chelsea’s visit. She was busy organizing some of the new items for her guest room when the phone rang.
“Hello?” she asked as she discarded the plastic wrapping from a new picture she had purchased for her guest room.
“Rachel, I wanted to see how you were holding up in this storm.” Liam’s voice was filled with concern, and it flooded her with instant warmth and need.
“I’m good. Just keeping busy with a little project,” she managed to say.
“It’s a pretty bad storm. I was worried about your power. I lost mine a couple of times,” Liam explained.
“Yeah, it’s pretty crazy outside, but luckily I haven’t lost mine yet. But I’m prepared. I have candles and stuff laid out.”
“Candles, huh? Sounds like the makings of romantic night. Want me to come over and bring dinner?”
Liam’s offer made her body flood with warmth. “Nope, but thanks for checking on me.” Not letting him come over was almost painful.
“Well, if you need anything, please don’t hesitate to call me.” Liam sounded a little disappointed, but his voice was still smooth and sexy.
“Thanks, I will. Have a good night, Liam,” Rachel said before hanging up.
She had to push herself to go work on the guest room, but she was thankful for the distraction. The O’Brien boy was giving her tingles everywhere.
***
Liam
By Sunday evening, the storm had moved on, and the O’Briens were gathering at the table for their ritual dinner. Patrick helped his sons into their seats, trying to tame their young energy. Daniel wasn’t helping much by constantly making silly faces at each boy, thereby causing them to break out into unstoppable giggling.
“Thanks, Daniel,” Patrick said sarcastically. In response, Daniel crossed his eyes at the twins and made them laugh even more.
Liam chuckled as he carried a large pot of soup to the table. Mary’s famous chicken noodle soup was filled with wide, homemade egg noodles and large pieces of chicken and vegetables and topped off with freshly baked homemade croutons. When the family was all seated, Grandpa Paddy led them in prayer before Mary ladled servings into bowls.
“This is delicious, Mom,” Daniel stated as he sprinkling more croutons on his serving.
Liam nodded in agreement as the twins slurped the noodles loudly, causing Patrick to give them a stern look.
“So who’s excited about next weekend?” Daniel asked the group.
Mary smiled at Liam as he said, “I’m looking forward to it. I’m happy to have a long weekend, and I’ll finally be done with that testing.”
“That’s all?” Patrick smirked.
“No, that’s not all.”
Grandpa Paddy cleared his throat and pointed his spoon in Mary’s direction as he said, “Mary says that pretty lass, the principal one you fancy, is coming along with us.”
Mary tossed him a glare before giving Liam a sympathetic look. “Never mind him, but yes, Rachel will be joining us. Though heaven only knows why she would want to subject herself to this rowdy lot.”
Daniel turned to Liam. “So, what, are you guys like a couple now?”
“No, not yet.” Liam couldn’t help the smile that found its way to his face.
“You better step on it, son, before some other guy snatches her up,” Liam’s father pleaded.
“I know, Dad,” Liam said before he spooned some soup into his mouth.
“He’s right, lad. Another man gets wind of a pretty little thing like her, you will be straight out of luck,” Grandpa Paddy added.
“Patience is a virtue. Some things aren’t meant to be rushed; they take a little finesse,” Mary quipped. “Besides, they only just met less than two months ago.”
“They’re right, though, Mom. It isn’t like we always get a shipment of new women in the area,” Daniel commented.
Liam rolled his eyes. For his part, Patrick kept his lips tightly together, and Liam appreciated it. He had only told his older brother about what had happened the night Rachel paid him a visit, and he was sort of shocked Patrick hadn’t slipped up and told Daniel or even their mother.
“Thanks for the advice, guys. All I can say is that I’m working on it,” Liam said, hoping that would be enough to get them to move on to another topic.
Thankfully, dinner continued without any other comments or unwanted advice. Afterward, Liam helped his mother clean up, and she made sure he was well stocked with plenty of leftover soup.
“Are you concerned at all about Rachel joining us, especially after tonight? I hope those men don’t give her a hard time,” Mary said with a mock frown.
“Don’t worry, Mom, she has you to protect her,” Liam assured her.
“I would hope it’d be you, son, who would be doing the protecting.” Mary winked as she placed the full Tupperware bowl in his hands.
After kissing her good-bye, Liam started for the front door. On the way there, he passed by the den to let his father and grandfather know he was leaving. Patrick was seated with the men and got up to walk him out.
The air was slightly chilly and damp as the brothers made their way to Liam’s truck.
“What’s up?” Liam asked after putting the bowl of soup in the cab.
“I was curious how things were going with Rachel. I got to admit, I was kind of shocked when Mom told us the other day that she had invited her.”
“I know, it threw me for a loop too. I’m glad Mom did, though. It was nice of her. She really likes Rachel, and I guess Maggie has taken a shine to her as well. They apparently have some kind of friendship going on,” Liam said. “I took your advice about meeting her halfway about those reports, and things are getting better. A lot better.”
“I’m glad. I know it’s hard to have to compromise. Hopefully, this trip can bring you guys together.”
“I think that’s why Mom wants her to come with us.”
“Oh, I’m sure it is. We need to figure out who is going in which RV. Before Rachel was invited, I figured you, I, and the kids could share one, but now I’m thinking we will have to bring all three RVs now.” Patrick looked at Liam thoughtfully.
“Well, as long as I’m in the same one Rache
l is in,” Liam said.
Patrick rolled his eyes and grinned sheepishly.
“You wanting to chaperone us now?” Liam joked as he climbed into his truck.
“All things considered, probably not a bad idea,” Patrick answered playfully before saying good night to Liam.
***
Liam
Liam stood in front of his students on Wednesday afternoon, beaming and clapping his hands. “That was the last test! You did it! You guys are awesome!”
Cheers erupted from the class as Liam thanked them for putting their best work out there. He was proud of them, and no test could ever change that. He had never seen his students disappear quicker when the last bell rang. They were just as eager for their long break as he was and had no problem showing it.
***
Rachel
Rachel yawned as she sat at her desk. Even though the week was short because of the holiday, she felt exhausted. There had been so much stress in just three days. She wasn’t sure if she was happier that the testing was done or that she was about to embark on a family vacation with the O’Briens.
A soft knock interrupted her thoughts, and Karen peeked through the open door. “I wanted to let you know I have all the test booklets from all the classes.”
“Even from Liam’s?” Rachel questioned with a hopeful grin.
“His were the first to be turned in.” Karen smiled as she let herself into the office and closed the door behind her. “I hear you’re going on a little family trip,” she said as she sat down in the chair in front of the desk.
“You heard right, and from Mary, I assume?” Rachel returned the smile as a nervous blush crept along her neck.
“Yes. Mary is thrilled to have you join them. She also said Maggie was headed in tonight.”
Rachel had received a text from her earlier. She seemed excited to get to finally visit with Rachel again, and the feeling was mutual. “I know. I can’t wait for us to leave tomorrow.”
Loving Liam (Cloverleaf #1) Page 22
