by Debbie Mason
The bar was on the corner of Main Street and South Shore Road. A twenty-foot wooden sailboat mast was secured to the brick building and decorated in red and green Christmas lights. In the crow’s nest overhead sat a fiberglass bulldog. Sophie opened the door and was hit with a wave of warm air and the sounds of laughter and people talking. The bar was packed. Every stool was occupied, and people were squeezing between them to lean onto the bar and yell their orders at Charlie Angel and another man.
Sophie scanned the bar for Liam and Michael. The tables on either side of the room were all taken, wooden barrels serving as chairs. Barmaids dressed as serving wenches carried trays over their heads, weaving through the people crowded on the dance floor. Drinking beer and talking, they waited for the band tuning up on the raised stage. When she was younger, Sophie had snuck into the bar a couple times to hear Liam and his brothers’ band. Charlie had always spotted her and thrown her out for being underage.
“Get up there, Gallagher,” several people called out.
Sophie heard a familiar, deep laugh and went up on her tiptoes, following it to a table a few feet to the right of the stage where Liam and Michael sat. Michael banged his beer on the table, chanting, “Liam, Liam.” A chant that was taken up by the surrounding tables. Sophie was about to turn to Ava and Dana and point out where the two men were sitting when she felt herself being maneuvered through the crowd toward the stage.
“You have got to be kidding me,” she yelled to be heard. “You set me up!”
“You were always trying to sneak in to hear him sing. Now’s your chance. He wasn’t trying to sabotage the wedding, but you were being stubborn and wouldn’t hear him out. So…” Ava shrugged.
“You know what they say about payback, right?” But she wasn’t thinking about payback when Liam got on the stage and accepted a guitar from a bearded man. She heard Dana and Ava talking behind her, and then they were tugging on the sleeves of Sophie’s coat.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“You’re looking a little warm,” Dana said.
Sophie sighed. Dana was right. She let them take off her coat. “Michael,” Ava yelled, and tossed it in his direction. He grinned and raised his hands to catch it, but something caught his eye and the coat landed on the table. Sophie turned to see what he was looking at. A woman in black leather pants and jacket carrying a motorcycle helmet in her hand had just walked into the bar. Her long, black hair was pulled into a severe ponytail. She was stunning and fierce-looking, and Sophie knew who it was right away. Shay Angel. Maybe it was a good thing she’d been set up after all. She could make sure Michael and Shay didn’t spend any time together.
Then the band started to play and Sophie only had eyes for the man center stage. He was looking right at her with a smile on his face. A smile she’d always dreamed would one day be directed at her. Sexy, hot, and filled with promises. Just like his voice when he started singing “Galway Girl,” only he changed black hair to brown, blue eyes to brown, Galway girl to Gallagher girl.
Dana leaned into her when he came down off the stage. “It’s like that scene in P.S. I Love You.”
Sophie couldn’t respond even if she wanted to. Liam was in front of her, singing to her while the crowd sang along and clapped, stomping their feet in time to the music. Liam was a born performer. He played to the crowd, his voice deep and raspy. He circled her, moving closer each time. Then, just as the song ended, he cupped the back of her head and kissed her long and hard before saying to her in a thick Irish brogue, “Are you going to take me back to your room, my Gallagher girl?”
Sophie lay beside Liam in a blissed-out state. “If that was makeup sex, I think we should fight every day,” she murmured, trailing her fingers up and down his bare chest.
“Making love with you every day is on the top of my wish list, babe. Fighting…not so much.” He had his arm around her and gently tugged on her hair. “I was looking out for Michael when I suggested he cancel the wedding, not trying to sabotage you. If you—”
“I know you weren’t.” She kissed the underside of his stubbled jaw. “I’m sorry I shut you down and didn’t give you a chance to explain. The past couple of days have been crazy stressful, and you were on the receiving end of that, I guess. It doesn’t help that I’m stubborn.”
He looked down at her with an amused smile. “Really? You’re stubborn?” He laughed when she lightly pinched him then lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed her fingers. “I can handle you being stubborn. It’s the shutting me out I don’t like. You don’t have to do everything on your own, Soph. If we’re going to make this work, you’ve gotta trust that I’m here for you. You and Mia are my priority.”
“It’s not easy for me, the trust thing, I mean. But I’m working on it.”
“I get it. After Mom and Riley died, I didn’t want to let anyone in. I closed myself off, and then you and Mia came along and knocked down my walls. Let me do that for you. I won’t let you down.”
“In my heart, I know that. It’s my head that’s the problem. When things get crazy, I revert back to the LA me. I guess it’s a control thing.”
“Single mom on her own in a big city? You needed to be that woman. I like the woman you’ve become. I just need you to let me in.”
She knew what she needed; she just wasn’t sure she could ask for it, and she didn’t want him to say something he didn’t mean. But he wanted her to open up to him, so she would. Lifting his arm from her shoulder, she moved on top of him and looked into his eyes. “I might not remember everything about that night at Kismet Cove, but the one thing I do know is I felt loved.”
He smiled, lifted his hand to stroke her face. “That’s because you were. You are.”
“You love me?”
“Ah, yeah. I told you I did when…” The confusion on his face cleared, and he wrapped his arms around her, rolling her under him. “Guess you didn’t hear me. I should have waited until you stopped moaning.”
“I wasn’t that loud.”
“Yeah, you were. And I loved it. I love you, Soph. Always have and always will. You’re it for me.”
“I loved you as a boy, but I love the man you’ve become even more.” She took his face between her hands and kissed him then whispered, “Stay the night with me, my Gallagher guy.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Two weeks after that night at the Salty Dog, everyone in Harmony Harbor knew Sophie DiRossi was Liam’s girl. Including their daughter. Liam let Mia sound the siren as he stopped the engine in front of Greystone. Sophie stood in the open doors to the manor in a red dress with a welcoming smile on her gorgeous face. He’d seen her standing along the Christmas parade route with Kitty, Ava, and Dana before they’d hurried back to get ready for the onslaught. After seven years, at Sophie’s instigation, Greystone was reviving its long-standing tradition and opening its doors to the people in town. There’d be hot chocolate and cookies and a visit from Santa. Fergus had been about as thrilled as Liam to learn about the event. In the end, Mia’s and Sophie’s enthusiasm won Liam over. Fergus, who’d been assigned the role of Santa, not so much.
“Okay, guys, we better get in there before Sophie freezes to death. Leave the helmets and jackets on the seats.” As Marco helped Mia and Amanda out of their gear, Brie’s nephew Zach stared longingly at the siren. “Okay, buddy, give it a go,” Liam told the little boy, laughing when Sophie stepped inside the manor with her hands over her ears and closed the door.
He jumped out of the rig to help the kids down. “Did you have fun, sweetheart?” He didn’t have to ask. Mia had been grinning from ear to ear the entire parade route. But Liam was getting frustrated with her unwillingness to talk and had been trying to get her to speak.
She gave him an enthusiastic nod and mouthed, Yes.
“Sorry, couldn’t make it out. How about telling me with words?”
She gave him a look, pressed her lips together, and reached for Amanda’s hand. The two little girls set off for the manor.
“It’s scary how much she looks like her mother sometimes. In case you didn’t get it, she just flipped you off with her eyes,” Marco said.
“I got it, all right, and I’ve been getting it for the past week. She’s been playing Sophie and me off each other too.”
Marco slung his arm over Liam’s shoulders. “Still find it hard to believe my baby sis is a mom and that you’re a dad. It seems so…grown up.”
Liam understood what his best friend meant. Every once in a while, it hit him how much his life had changed the past month. It was nothing like he’d envisioned. It was so much better, he thought as Sophie ushered Mia, Amanda, and Zach inside and her eyes met his.
“Hey, beautiful,” Liam walked up to her, kissing her temple. “I missed you.” He dropped by whenever he had the chance, but he was just coming off a four-day rotation. Which meant he’d been sleeping at the firehouse when he’d rather be sleeping with her. They had some catching up to do, and he planned to do it tonight.
“I missed you, too, handsome.” She kissed him on the jaw.
“Seriously? I don’t think I can be friends with you anymore.” Marco looked down at Mia. “You have to put up with these two making goo-goo eyes at each other all the time, cara?”
Mia gave her uncle a woe-is-me look and nodded.
“I feel for you, kid. I really do.” He took her hand. “Come on, I’ll get you a hot chocolate. You too,” Marco said to Amanda and Zach.
“Just when I’m tempted to whack him, he does something sweet. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. He’s really good with Mia.”
“Hate to break it to you, babe, but your brother isn’t doing it out of the goodness of his heart. In his mind, the kids are chick magnets.”
She raised an eyebrow. “From what I saw and heard at the parade, all you guys at HHFD are chick magnets.”
“It’s the uniform. Speaking of which, I’m going to get out of my gear.”
“I was kind of hoping you’d stay in it.”
“I’ll wear it for you later when we’re alone,” he said with a wink. “Did you leave my stuff in the study?”
“Yes, but your dad and Kitty are in there getting Fergus ready. I’m serious about you staying in uniform. I was hoping you’d man the raffle table and charm all the ladies into buying tickets.”
“You’re joking.” He sighed when she fluttered her eyelashes at him. “You’re serious. You’re lucky I love you. Tell me where you want me.”
She gave him a wicked grin.
“Don’t tease me,” he said, taking her by the hand. “I know you too well. I won’t get five minutes alone with you until this thing is over.” It was true. Sophie had an incredible work ethic. In the short time she’d been at Greystone, she’d made huge changes to the manor. All for the better. He was beginning to believe what everyone else did, that she could turn Greystone around. She’d already booked five weddings and two conferences for the new year. Over the past couple of weeks, people had been stopping him on the street to tell him to pass on their messages of support to Kitty and Sophie. The town’s economy had taken a lot of hits over the past several years, and they saw Greystone’s survival as a sign of hope for the future. Liam figured it was about time he got on board and let his daughter’s mother know he was not only Team Sophie but he was Team Greystone too.
“I’ll make it up to you tonight,” she promised as she led him across the lobby that had been decked out for the holidays. Beside the roaring fire in the stone fireplace stood a sixteen-foot tree decorated in multicolored Christmas lights. A red velvet wingback chair sat in front of the tree waiting for Santa.
“Something to think about while I’m twiddling my thumbs in the corner.”
“You won’t sell many tickets with that attitude.”
“I didn’t think you had that many left. Grams said sales have been great.”
“That was before we got the estimate for the new generator and an estimate from the plumber you recommended. Anything extra will help.”
“Right. Forgot about that. I’ll go over the plumber’s estimate and see if I can save you on labor. I can work with him on my days off,” he said as they walked past the staircase with gold pots of poinsettias lining either side of the red runner to the table set up beside it.
“I was wondering how you’d feel about me contributing some of the money you gave me for Mia.” He looked at her, and she winced. “I guess that’s a no. I probably shouldn’t have asked. It’s just that Greystone is Mia’s legacy too.”
He pulled out the chair behind the table. “It’s not a no. But how about we save this conversation for tonight, okay?”
She nodded, looking relieved. “Are we staying at the apartment or at your dad’s place?”
They’d been basically living together since the night at the Salty Dog. “Dad’s not working tonight, so we’ll be staying at the apartment.” He opened the cash box and leafed through the tickets. “How many do you want me to sell?”
“Twenty would be great.”
“Okay, I’ll see what I can…” He noted the Widow’s Club walking his way. They wore long red dresses, white fur shawls, and wide-brimmed bonnets. “Ah, Soph, why are your grandmother and the members of the Widow’s Club dressed like that?”
“They’re our entertainment. They’re singing carols.”
“Where are they…Hi, Mrs. DiRossi, Maggie, Mrs. Fitzgerald.” When he’d finally finished saying hello to all the women who were currently taking their places on the stairs, he looked at Sophie. “I’m moving the table.”
“You can’t. It’ll be great for business.”
It was good for business, but hell on his ears. The owner of Books and Beans approached his table. She was dressed as an elf and had been helping Fergus with the kids. “Hey, Julia. How’s Santa doing? Has he made any kids cry yet?”
She grinned. “Only two.” She looked over at the Widow’s Club, who were singing “God Bless Ye Merry Gentlemen.” “They’re very—”
“Bad, and loud.”
“I was going to say enthusiastic.”
“That’s ’cause you’re nicer than me. Can I interest you in a couple of tickets?” He’d sold fifteen so far. He was hitting up the carolers when they took a break. He figured they owed him.
“I’ll take twenty-five,” she said just as the Widow’s Club started singing “Jingle Bells” and shaking bells.
He put two fingers behind his ear. “Sorry, I don’t think I heard you right,” he yelled, and got shushed by Rosa.
Julia blushed and pulled a check from the pocket of her red apron. “Twenty-five tickets, please.”
Liam looked from the check for twenty-five hundred dollars to the woman in front of him. “You sure?”
She nodded. “It’s for a good cause.”
“Okay, great.” He was so getting lucky tonight. He handed Julia a pen, and she got started filling out the tickets. She’d just finished signing the last one when a cold blast of air blew them off the table.
Liam frowned, wondering where the draft had come from. “Someone must have left the doors open. I’ve got them.” He moved around the table to help her pick them off the floor. Simon padded over and pawed at the tickets, leaving muddy prints on a couple of them. Liam nudged the cat aside to pick them up. “Do you want new ones?”
“No, that’s fine.” Julia glanced over her shoulder. “This elf better get back to work. There’s a line.”
He tore off the stubs from her tickets. “Here you go. Thanks for your support. Good luck.” As Julia headed off to help Santa, Liam spotted Mia in line. She was giggling and waving. At first he thought it was at him, but when he waved back, she looked like she’d just noticed him sitting there. He had to admit, like her still not talking, it worried him. But he wasn’t sure how Sophie would react to him suggesting Mia see a therapist.
Liam sold the last ticket just as Mia was about to sit on Fergus’s knee. He hurried his customer along so he could get over there in time to take a picture.
Sophie joined him. “She wouldn’t let me help her with her list. Kitty and Jasper have been working on it with her.”
“I’ll get it from Fergus,” he said, watching his father’s best friend with his daughter. Mia shyly nodded at something Fergus said and handed him her letter. It made Liam think of all the Christmases he’d missed. Sophie had shared enough about her years in LA that he knew the holidays had been especially tough for her. Struggling to get by, she’d scrimped and saved to make Christmas special for their daughter. As his eyes welled with emotion, he looked up at the ceiling and vowed to make this a Christmas they’d never forget.
“Are the beams as dusty as I think they are?” Sophie asked, her voice husky.
“Yeah, I’ll need an extension ladder to get to them.”
“I’m not sure it will reach, son,” his father said from where he stood on the other side of Sophie, looking at the ceiling, his voice gruff.
“Perhaps a pole would help, Master Liam,” Jasper’s equally gruff voice came from behind them.
Liam smiled, wondering what the people filling up the manor thought of the four of them staring up at the ceiling. In that moment, he realized how much he’d missed his family. How much he’d missed out on by staying away from Harmony Harbor.
Liam tightened his grip on Miller’s leash and jogged around the pond before heading into the woods. The light from his flashlight bounced along the path to Mistletoe Cottage. If GG was here, she’d tell him he’d made a hash of it. And she’d be right.
As soon as the Christmas party at the manor had ended a couple hours ago, he’d brought Mia and Sophie to Mistletoe Cottage. He’d thought his daughter would be thrilled at the prospect of staying there for the weekend. She was until he had to explain that no, they weren’t moving in as she seemed to think. Then he’d made it worse by adding that it would be their last chance to spend time there because of the raffle.
He’d gone home to pick up Miller in hopes he’d bail Liam out. If anyone could smooth things over with his daughter, it would be the loveable retriever, who had a way with women. Until Mia and Sophie, Liam used to think he did too.
