“How do you even know that?”
“Autumn. She volunteers at the senior center twice a week. Speaking of, she texted while I was upstairs. She’s picking my mom up in an hour.”
Liam rocked back on his heels. “So that’s it, then.”
“We’ve got maybe two hours?”
“Well, since my mom effectively killed the mood, let’s go hit the gym. I’ve got some weapons disa
rms I want to teach you.”
Riley pouted.
“It’s practical and you promised. Besides,” Liam curved his hands around her hips, “up close and personal work like that can be…stimulating.”
“You make a compelling argument. I’ll go change.”
Chapter 13
Riley stared in disbelief at the empty storage unit. Well, empty but for the roach carcasses, spider webs, and other things best not to contemplate. Years of her family history had collected dust in there, and Liam and Judd had emptied all of it in half an hour.
Liam circled around the little U-haul to join her. “Did we miss something?”
“No. Y’all got everything.”
“You seem to be not entirely happy about that,” he observed.
“I’m fine. I just keep expecting to wake up and find out this was all a dream.” Because she just couldn’t quite wrap her mind around a reality in which her mom was about to be completely self-sufficient.
“No dream. A fact which I intend to prove to you beyond a shadow of a doubt later tonight.”
Judd stuck his head out from the cab of the U-haul. “Quit talkin’ sexy to your woman, man. It’s too damned hot to wait around for that.”
Liam cheerfully flipped him off. “If we’re good to roll, then Judd and I are gonna head on over to the apartment.”
“I’ll be right behind you. Autumn and I are going to sweep this thing out, then go close my account.”
“I’d kiss you, but I’m disgusting.”
“We’re both disgusting.” Riley ignored the sweat to take the kiss she wanted.
“We can get clean together later,” he murmured.
With the image of a naked, sweaty Liam and a bar of soap in her brain, Riley watched them pull away. “Too hot, indeed.”
“Come on, lover girl. This storage unit is a sauna. Let’s get this done.”
They set to work, falling into an easy rhythm.
“So has it been weird, having Molly know that you and Liam are together together?”
“More for us than her, I think. She actually said if I needed to take some personal time, to just let her know because she wants grandchildren.”
“Seriously?” Autumn laughed. “Man, I knew Molly dug the idea of you two together, but I had no idea she’d go that far. Make sure she doesn’t know where your condoms are kept.”
“Why?”
“I heard somewhere about a woman who wanted grandchildren so badly, she took a needle with her when she had dinner at all of her children’s homes and poked holes in all the condoms. She wound up with a whole brood.”