The Ending I Want

“Um, yes, I’m from Boston,” I answer.

“Leave the bags, Liam,” Bernie says over his shoulder.

I glance back to see Liam opening up the trunk of his car.

“Archie will take them up to your room.” Bernie tells me, “Archie is my butler. More of a friend than an employee though. Been with me for years. Since Liam was a boy.”

“It’ll take me a minute to bring them in,” Liam tells his grandpa.

We’re already through the double front doors and moving through the biggest entrance hall I’ve ever seen in my life. I bet, if I spoke, my voice would echo.

“Well, do as you must,” he calls to Liam.

I was right. Bernie’s voice echoes around the hall.

“Taylor and I will be in the orangery, getting to know one another. Come to us when you’re done.”

Orangery? What the hell is that?

Turns out that an orangery is basically a huge conservatory.

The glass doors leading to the garden are wide open, letting in the warm breeze. It’s a beautiful view. The lake at the far back—further back than I expected—is surrounded by trees. The stone patio has a fire pit and garden furniture and a lot of grass around it. There’s an area filled with beautiful flowers and bushes. I remember Liam saying his grandpa liked to garden. I think of the flower Liam gave me, which is now safe in my bag.

“You have a beautiful home,” I say to Bernie from my seat opposite him.

“Thank you.” He smiles. “So, Liam says you’re here on holiday.”

“I am.” I don’t know what Liam’s told him and whether he knows about my list, so I don’t mention it.

“And he says you met on the flight over.”

I smile at the memory. “We did. Liam sat next to me on the plane. We got to talking.” Well, kissing and then talking, and afterward, going back to his place for wild monkey sex.

I can’t believe I just thought about wild monkey sex while sitting here with his grandpa.

“He hasn’t been able to get rid of me since,” I joke.

Bernie laughs. His laugh is very similar to Liam’s. The kind of laugh that, even if you’re feeling at your lowest, it would make you smile.

“Well, I’m just glad he met you and is taking some time off work. That boy works too hard. This is the first time since he set up that company that he’s taken a holiday.”

Really? I know he said he didn’t vacation much, but I didn’t realize it was never at all. But then again, is it a vacation if you’re not away from home?

“Is it classed as a vacation if you’re still at home?” I ask Bernie the question in my head.

“I have no clue.” He shrugs. “But he’s not working. He looks more relaxed than I’ve seen him in years, so I’m happy.”

“He looks more relaxed than I’ve seen him in years.”

That sets me aglow.

Still, I won’t burst Bernie’s bubble and tell him that Liam has worked a few days in our time together.

An older gentleman in a white suit jacket and black pants comes into the room, carrying a tray.

“Ah, Archie, meet Taylor. Taylor is a friend of Liam’s. She’s staying with us for a few days.”

Archie puts the tray down on the table. It’s filled with cups, a small jug of milk, a sugar bowl, a plate of cookies, a coffee decanter, and a tea pot.

“It’s nice to meet you, Taylor.” He smiles at me. “Where’s Liam?” he asks Bernie.

“Putting their bags away.”

Archie shakes his head and laughs.

“You staying for tea with us?” Bernie asks Archie.

He shakes his head again. “I need to get the computer in the office working. It’s driving me crazy. But enjoy your drinks.” Archie leaves the room.

Bernie chuckles. “I’ve told him to call someone out to fix it, but the man won’t have it. Thinks he can fix it himself.” He reaches over and gets the three cups from the tray, setting them on the table. “I wasn’t sure what you would like to drink, Taylor, so I had Archie make both tea and coffee. Or would you like a cold drink? I can go get you one.”

“Coffee is great.” I smile.

Bernie pours out three coffees. I’m guessing one is for Liam, who appears the moment I think his name.

“All sorted?” Bernie asks him as he passes me my black coffee.

“Yeah, I just ran our bags up to my room,” Liam says, taking the seat next to me.

He reaches over and squeezes my hand. I smile at him.

Bernie hands Liam his coffee.

I pour milk in mine and then pass it to Liam. I drop a sugar cube in mine. Knowing Liam takes his coffee the same, I drop one in for him.

“Thanks.” He smiles at me.

I move my eyes from Liam and see Bernie watching us with a smile on his face. I don’t know why, but it makes my face heat.

Ducking my face, I pick up a spoon and stir my coffee.

“Biscuit?” Bernie offers me the plate.

I guess cookies are called biscuits here.

Thanking him, I take the plainest-looking cookie, which is apparently called a digestive, according to the word etched into it.

I take a bite. It’s actually quite good.

“So, Taylor, is this your first visit to England?” Bernie asks.

“Yes.” And my last.

“What do you think so far?”

“London is amazing. And from what I’ve seen of Oxford, it’s equally as wonderful.”

“I do love London,” Bernie says. “But I could never live there. Too busy for my liking. I like to be able to visit and then leave when I’ve had enough. I don’t know how Liam lives there.”