TRISHA LOOKED AROUND at The Book Biddies, gathered in Lillian’s living room for the emergency meeting Vivian had called. Trisha was sitting on the couch, with Vivian on one side of her and Lillian on the other. Annie was cuddling Henry in the armchair by the fireplace. Everyone was drinking the margaritas Lillian and Emily had concocted. They were looking at Trisha expectantly and she was trying to think of what to say.
“I love Liam,” she blurted out.
“Well, of course you do,” Lillian said mildly.
“He wants me to live in Texas,” Trisha told them. Just saying the words twisted her stomach in knots. “And I don’t want to leave Shelter Creek.” She looked at Emily and Maya, who were sitting across the room. “I love working for you two.”
“We love having you.” Maya’s smile was kind.
“But I’m considering moving to Texas anyway.” There. It was out. And from the stunned looks on everyone’s faces, it wasn’t what they’d been expecting. “I want to visit and see what it’s like.”
“Good for you.” Monique raised her glass. “It’s a great idea. You two are meant to be together. Anyone can see it.”
“You certainly deserve a vacation,” Kathy said. “How long has it been since you took time off work?”
“Maternity leave,” Trisha said. “And before that was the trip to San Antonio. Where I met Liam. And got Henry.”
“How romantic,” Kathy said. “Flying across the country in pursuit of love.”
“But if I go, what about my jobs? Emily, Maya, who will assist you?”
“We’ll find someone to substitute while you’re gone,” Emily said. “I have a roster of substitute assistants for my clinic. Maybe one of those people can cover for you at my practice and at the wildlife center.”
“And Carly loves to help with the animals,” Vivian added. “I can give her some part-time work caring for wildlife, if we need extra help.”
Trisha felt as if they’d removed weights from her ankles, and now she could suddenly fly free. It was frightening, but she was so tired of letting her fear keep her tethered.
“Okay, then.” Trisha squared her shoulders. “I’m going to go to Texas to show Liam that I love him. It’s not a solution, but it’s a start.”
“And then come back here as soon as possible.” Lillian put her arm around Trisha. “Because we will miss you, very much.”
“But what if I hate it there?” Trisha looked around at her friends. “I don’t think I can stay unless it’s a nice place.”
“Don’t borrow trouble.” Monique’s voice was firm. “Cross that bridge when you come to it.” She burst out laughing and looked at the margarita in her hand. “This magic elixir is making me speak in clichés.”
It eased the tension in the room perfectly. Everyone laughed and Emily raised her glass. “To Trisha. Being strong.”
Trisha took a deep breath and looked at Henry, who was bouncing on Annie’s knee. “Henry, I think we’re heading to Texas.”
“Let’s look at plane tickets,” Vivian said. “Lillian, can we borrow your computer?”
“I’ll help you pack,” Eva offered. “I’ve got the capsule wardrobe down pat.”
“We’ll drive you to the airport,” Priscilla said. “Me, Lillian and Kathy, since we’re retired. Do you want to leave tomorrow?”
Trisha looked around the room in astonishment. “Why are you all so excited to get rid of me?”
Vivian put an arm around her and squeezed. “Because you’re in love with Henry’s daddy. And we want you to be happy. Even if you have to go to Texas to do it.”
“I’VE GOT SOMETHING to tell you all.” Liam looked around the old pine table in the main house dining room. They still gathered there for Sunday night supper, even though Liam, Boone and Tommy shared a bunkhouse now, and Wyatt had an apartment over the garage.
Dad leaned back in his chair, looking so much thinner and older than he had before. “This doesn’t sound like good news.”
“Depends on how you look at it, I guess.” But his father’s words caused Liam some unease. Maybe it was wrong to spring this on Dad suddenly. What if it caused another problem with his heart?
But how did you ease into telling someone that you had a kid? He’d just have to do his best.
“Almost two years ago now, I went to my friend Clint’s wedding in San Antonio. I met a woman there and we hit it off pretty well. But then I left and we didn’t stay in touch.”
Liam realized he was sugarcoating things to make himself look better, one of the things he’d learned not to do, back in rehab. “Well, the truth is, I spent the night with her, then walked out without leaving a note or anything.”
“You dog,” Boone said.
“It’s not an excuse, but I was using at the time. I wasn’t on my best behavior anywhere I went.”
“I remember this,” Wyatt said. “This was the night before we took you to rehab. You were going on and on about this woman.”
“That’s right.” Boone ran a hand through his hair. “We all thought you’d had a hallucination or something.”
“Nope. She was real.” He took a breath and went for it. “Turns out she’s from the same town as Jace. Shelter Creek, California. And she had a baby. A son named Henry. He’s my kid.”
Liam watched his dad carefully, looking for signs of cardiac arrest. But his father just looked shocked. Then, unexpectedly, he smiled. “A son? You have a son?”
His brothers seemed stunned into silence, something Liam could not remember happening in their entire family history. He addressed his father. “You have a grandson. His name is Henry and he just turned a year old. He’s cute as a button. And he’s got Mom’s curly hair.”
His father stared at him with an interest Liam was not used to seeing there. “Well, I’ll be. Why are you here, and not there?”
“You had a heart problem, Dad. Remember?”
“I’m fine now. Is she coming out here? Are you moving there? You’ll take responsibility for this, Liam.”
Liam put his hands out to try to stop his father’s impending lecture. “I asked her to marry me. She hasn’t said yes yet. I’m hoping I can convince her, though.”
That woke his brothers out of their trance. “You mean you two have a kid together and she still doesn’t want to marry you?” Tommy grinned. “That must sting a little.”
“Ouch,” Boone echoed.
Wyatt was looking misty-eyed. “That’s amazing. Congratulations, little brother.”
“Thanks, Wyatt.” Liam turned to his father. “I want to sell my share of this ranch. I want to start my own operation, out in Shelter Creek. It’s where Trisha wants to raise Henry. And I respect her enough to go along with that.”
A silence settled on the table. “If that’s what you want, Liam, we’ll work something out,” his father said. “But we’ll be sorry to see you go.”
“I don’t love the idea of living so far away from you all,” Liam told him. “I never thought I’d live anywhere but Texas. But my home is where they are. I’ve realized that now.” He glanced over at his brothers and grinned. “And the weather sure is a lot nicer out in California. I’ll be thinking of you all while I’m riding through that cool summer coastal fog, and you’re out here sweating in 105 degrees.”
“Okay, now I pretty much hate you,” Tommy said, and Boone busted out laughing.
They talked a little more, asking questions about Henry, and what Shelter Creek was like. Liam tried to explain it all, and showed them photos, too. But it was hard to paint the whole picture—the pretty houses, the nicely maintained streets, the redwoods, the hills. And how he felt about Trisha and Henry. There were no adequate words for that.
Mostly what he felt was his mother’s spirit, that sense of having her blessing, which he’d carried with him since his ride the other day. He was stepping up, taking control of his life, and she was proud of him, wherever she was.
His phone buzzed and he pulled it out of his pocket. It was a text from Lillian, back in Shelter Creek. He looked up at his family, stunned. “Trisha and Henry are on their way here from California. They’re supposed to land in San Antonio in two hours.”
“You’d better get to the airport, then.” His father stood, more energized than Liam had seen him since the surgery, and started barking orders like a drill sergeant. “Boone, you can work on cleaning up the kitchen. Tommy, run upstairs and put fresh sheets on the guest bed. Wyatt, you make sure the bathroom up there is clean as can be.”
He paused, realized his sons were all staring at him in shock and raised his voice even more. “What are you all gaping at? We’ve got to get to work. We’ve got a baby coming to stay.”
THEY’D MADE IT. Trisha carried Henry down the airplane aisle, trying not to bump into anyone with her baby, his diaper bag or her purse. Thank goodness Henry had only cried during takeoff and landing, so overall, flying hadn’t turned out to be as difficult as Trisha had feared. Mostly Henry had slept, after he’d spent some time flirting with the woman seated next to them. He must have inherited his daddy’s cowboy charm.
Henry’s stroller was waiting for them when they got off the plane. Trisha set him in and gave him his blanket and squeaky giraffe. It was ten at night, Texas time, eight o’clock California time, past Henry’s bedtime no matter where they were. But with his airplane nap, the little guy was in pretty good spirits. Trisha leaned over the stroller and blew him a kiss, making him smile. She set the diaper bag in the bottom compartment, settled her purse over her shoulder and started up the gate to the terminal.
She’d get their baggage and then check into a hotel near the airport. Tomorrow she’d call Liam and tell him they were here to see him. Hopefully he’d think it was good news.
This was so unlike her. She’d got caught up in The Book Biddies’ excitement and enthusiasm, and before she knew it, she was on a plane to Texas. She wanted to believe that this was the right thing to do, but spontaneous events outside her comfort zone had never ended as planned.
She followed the signs to the baggage terminal, wondering if it would be smarter just to turn right around and fly back to California. What if Liam wasn’t happy to see them? Or what if he thought that her being here meant she’d caved, and was willing to give up her entire life for him?
She stopped to read the message board that listed her baggage carousel, then followed the signs to the baggage area. And there he was. Liam. Standing there waiting, with his hat in his hand. Trisha’s heart sped up in her chest. He was as handsome as ever, but more than that, he was hers. She was sure of it now. Sure of them. Maybe because she’d been brave enough to fly across the country in pursuit of love.
“What are you doing here?” She pushed Henry toward him. “How did you know we were coming?”
“Lillian texted.”
“Of course she did. My friends love to stir the pot.” But she wanted to hug her friend because this felt so much better than arriving on her own and heading to a sterile hotel room.
Liam smiled that slow wide smile she’d come to love. “I appreciate the stirring, personally. I’m glad I could be here to pick you up.”
“I was going to get a hotel. I didn’t mean to cause you any trouble.”
Liam knelt down to get a good look at Henry and his whole expression beamed with fatherly pride. “This isn’t trouble. This is great.” Henry tossed his giraffe in excitement and Liam handed it back to him. “Hello, son, it’s good to see you.” Then he stood and surprised Trisha with a kiss on the cheek. “It’s amazing to see you.”
She flushed, surprised at her own shyness. She was supposed to be brave. But that kiss, the love in his eyes... It was hard to find the right words. “I thought about calling you first but I was worried you were really mad at me. That you’d tell me not to come.”
“I wasn’t mad. Disappointed. Sad. But not angry. I know you have your reasons to want to stay in Shelter Creek. I don’t blame you. I like it there, too.”
She wanted to run into his arms. To hold on so tight, he’d never get away again. But that wouldn’t solve their problems. He had to choose her. He had to want to be with her. She had to decide if Texas was right for her.
“How’s your father doing?”
“Right now he’s barking orders at my brothers, who are getting the house all cleaned up for your arrival. He can’t wait to meet you and his first grandson. Honestly, I think it’s the best thing that could have happened. He was feeling a little listless, postsurgery.”
“So you finally told them about me. Were they shocked?”
“Of course. But, Trish, I didn’t just tell them about you. I told them I’m moving to California to be with you. I love you. I’d want to spend my life with you, even if I just met you tonight and we didn’t have amazing Henry here. I promise you that. And I’ll try to show you that, every day.”
Trisha put her hands to her ears, as if she could capture his words and study them. It was hard to take it all in. “You want to move to Shelter Creek? Are you sure?”
“I’ve never been more sure. I really thought about it and it became so clear. I was afraid, deep down, that I wouldn’t be a good enough father to Henry. Or strong enough to make my own life, away from here. But I know now that I can.”
His words were her dreams come true. Still, she had to let him know that she was willing to make changes as well. “I came here to tell you that I’m considering moving to Texas. Now you’ve taken all the wind out of my big declaration.”
Liam took her hands in his and pulled her close. “I know what your home means to you. How hard you’ve worked to build your community of friends. How much you love your work. I’m honored, beyond words, that you considered leaving all that behind for me.”
“I guess I love you.” Trisha wrapped her arms around him and held on tight. “A whole lot.”
“And I love you. You’re it for me, Trisha. You and Henry are my life, from now on.”
If Trisha hadn’t been hanging on to him for dear life she’d have tipped over, she was so dizzy from relief. “If you’re sure...”
“Trust me. I’m sure. I’ve thought it through and it’s what I want more than anything. I choose you, Trisha. Over everything else.”
She was going to cry. Just lose it right here in the middle of the baggage area. “I...” She went on tiptoe and kissed him. Some feelings she didn’t have words for.
“Dada.”
They released each other and knelt down to see what Henry needed.
“Here’s your dada,” Trisha said, catching her son’s little hands in her own. “Do you want to cuddle with him?”
“Dada.”
Trisha looked at Liam. The lines of his face were soft with love as he gazed at his son. “I think somebody has missed his daddy.”
Liam unbuckled the straps, lifted Henry out and settled him in the crook of one arm. Henry whacked him on the nose with the rubber giraffe. “I missed you, too, son.” Liam put his free arm on the handlebar of the stroller and smiled down at Trisha. “Let’s go get your bags. I want to take my family home.”