He scoffed and straightened up, tugging me out of the chair. “His nose will heal fine, and eventually, his balls will crawl out of his stomach. But he won’t forget your strength. That will leave a lasting impression. And I agree with Liam—he will never admit a little slip of a girl did this. He’ll say he was mugged or some other nonsense.” He hugged me close. “Don’t give it a second thought.”

I sat down beside Cami. She patted my hand. “Don’t worry about the dress. I can fix it easily, and you can wear it again.”

“I thought it was a loan.”

She smiled. “No, I fitted it for you. It’s yours.”

“Thank you.”

She leaned forward, lowering her voice. “Aiden is right. Shake tonight off. Don’t let Alan interfere with the new life you have found with Liam. Think of it as a cleansing. You finally got to use your voice and let him know he failed. You’re stronger, better, and more resilient than he believed. He thought he’d broken you, and now he knows he was wrong. That alone will drive him crazy.” She winked. “If you want to make sure of it, marry Liam, give me more Lucys. Be so happy, you forget everything but now.”

“Um, we haven’t talked marriage.”

She laughed. “You will. I know my son.”

Liam walked over, carrying a slice of pizza. “What are you two whispering about?”

Cami smiled. “We’re talking about you, dear. That’s all you need to know.”

He grinned. “Well, I am spectacular.”

Cami snorted. “In your own mind, yes. Now bring your mother a slice of pizza. The chicken was extra rubbery this evening. Even your father had trouble choking it down.”

“I noticed he only ate two helpings,” Liam said dryly.

“I had to keep up my strength,” Aiden insisted, joining in. “Your mother wanted to dance.”

I met Liam’s eyes, both of us trying not to laugh. It wasn’t Cami who wanted to dance. Aiden loved to “cut a rug,” as he called it, and dragged her to the dance floor every chance he got. She simply held on for dear life. Luckily, Liam and her other children inherited her grace and not Aiden’s.

“Pizza, Sweet Pea?” Liam asked, his voice quiet. I knew he was looking at my arm, his anger still simmering. He hated to see the bruises. He was furious Alan had even touched me, never mind left marks. My hand wrapped in ice was a further reminder of the end of the evening.

I made a decision. Cami was right. I wasn’t going to let Alan spoil this for us. He was done.

“Please. Two pieces. I’m starving. And a beer would be welcome.”

His smile was wide. “Yeah?”

I leaned back in the chair. “Yeah.”

He bent over and kissed me. “You got it.”

Lucy was full of news when we went to Ava’s to pick her up the next morning.

“We ate wings, Momma! We watched Nemo and had popcorn,” she told me, clutching my neck and talking fast as if she might forget a detail. “And look at my toes!”

I grinned at the sparkling nails.

“I did Ava’s for her,” she said. “She said I did the best job evah.”

I glanced at Ava’s feet, trying not to laugh. The polish looked as if it had been applied by a drunken person. In the dark. But Ava grinned. “Evah,” she agreed. Then she chuckled. “You should see Gracie’s.”

I grinned, and Lucy stretched toward Liam, entirely content to rest in his arms. She repeated the conversation, adding details she had missed in her excitement. Her bubble bath in the big tub. The soda Ava let her have with dinner. The cinnamon toast Ava made her this morning at six.

“We had a morning nap,” she told Liam. “Ava says it’s a rule here. You hafta have a nap on Sunday mornings.” She cupped his ear, not lowering her voice, but thinking their conversation private now. “I not really sleep, I just pretend. Ava did.”

“Did she snore?” Liam whispered back, cupping her ear, his hand encompassing her whole head.

“Yes.” Lucy made a little snorting sound. “Like that. It made Mr. Teddy laugh.”

Ava chuckled. “Pretty accurate. I’ve heard myself do that.”

“You coming for brunch?” Liam inquired.

Ava yawned. “Later.”

“Another nap?” I asked quietly, knowing Sundays were the day she liked to sleep in.

“Yeah. If there’s any Danish left, snag me one and hide it from Dad. He’s like a hoover around those.”

“I will.” I hugged her. “Thank you.”

Her hazel eyes, unique and beautiful as she was, were soft. “Anytime. Really. I had a blast with her. She is such an awesome kid.” Then she tapped my hand. “And so is her mom.”

I knew Liam had told Ava what happened. I smiled and shrugged. “Thanks for your tips.”

She winked. “Anytime.”

Monday, Liam showed up with lunch. I was on a call, and he waited patiently until I finished. He insisted on looking at my hand even though I told him it was fine. He’d hovered all day yesterday, even driving his parents crazy. Aiden dragged him off to run on the beach so I could relax with Lucy and Cami. Ronan and Beth dropped by, and we all ended up in the pool. It was a fun, relaxed day, even with the hovering.

Tags: Melanie Moreland Vested Interest - ABC Corp Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net