Chapter 54

fifty-four

LIAM

I stacked another plate in the dishwasher. So far, the day had gone well.

The last Christmas I'd had with Dad was when Lacey was alive. The house had been decorated from top to bottom in tinsel and balloons. We'd enjoyed time in front of the fireplace, reminiscing about the Christmases we'd shared with other family members. But, even then, Victor had been distant. He was so busy making sure every last detail was perfect that he'd missed the most important part of Christmas—spending time with family.

Dad walked into the kitchen. "I've checked the living room for dirty dishes. This is the last of them." He rinsed two cups and added them to the dishwasher.

"What would you like to do this afternoon?" I asked. "We could go to the Pearl Street Mall. Their Christmas decorations are supposed to be amazing."

Dad looked over the rim of his glasses. "Do you really want to walk outside in the snow on Christmas Day?"

"There's not much else to do. "

"What about a movie? There must be something on TV."

I laughed. "We sound like a couple of ninety-year-olds. I'll bring the popcorn."

"If you swap the popcorn for the Christmas cake we had yesterday, I won't remind you about your birthday."

I was surprised he had remembered. "It's still a couple of weeks away."

"It'll come around quick enough." Dad turned on the coffeepot. "If you don't want to talk about your birthday, you can tell me about Paul."

A heavy weight settled in my stomach. "We're not seeing each other anymore."

"That was quick. What happened?"

"We had a difference of opinion."

Dad snorted. "Happens to all of us. Your mom and I had a difference of opinion most days, but we got through it."

"Paul wants to stay in Sunrise Bay."

"Must be a nice town."

"It is. I told him I'd move there, but he wanted me to stay in Boulder."

"Do you think he'll change his mind?"

I took two mugs out of the cupboard. "I don't know. He wants to concentrate on building his cake decorating business."

"That makes sense. How long have you been dating?"

"We haven't, not officially." I ran my hand through my hair. "I was sent to Milwaukee to protect Paul and Amy from a terrorist threat. The only reason I brought them to Sunrise Bay was because their lives were in danger."

Dad pulled out a chair from the kitchen table and sat down. "Are you sure you aren't confusing your feelings about Lacey with Paul and Amy? "

That was the only thing I was sure about. "Nothing will ever bring Lacey back. If anything, Amy has taught me there's more to life than my memories. Lacey will always have a special place in my heart, but I can't keep living in the past."

"Do you care about them?"

I dropped my head to my chest. "I do."

"What are you going to do about it?"

"I don't know." My cell phone rang. I pulled it out of my pocket and frowned at the number. "It's Paul."

"Well, don't sit there staring at your phone. Answer it."

Before I changed my mind, I answered the call.

"Hi, Liam. It's Amy. Merry Christmas!"

Despite my uneasiness, I smiled. "Merry Christmas to you, too, Amy. Are you having a good time at Alex's house?"

"It's been the best day ever," she said excitedly. "Uncle Alex might know someone who owns a horse. He's taking me for a ride. And Dylan made roast turkey for lunch. It was yummy. Do you like my picture?"

"I do. It looks exactly like Jacob's house." I'd found Amy and Paul's gifts when I was unpacking the Christmas cake and cookies they'd given me.

"Did you see the mouse beside the barn? That was Snowy."

"Snowy?"

"The mouse I found in Jacob's house. When are you coming back?"

I rubbed my forehead. "I'm not coming back for a while. But you can still draw pictures for me. Paul will mail them to Boulder."

There was silence on Amy's end of the phone.

"I miss you, Liam."

"I know you do. What else are you doing today? "

"Umm…we're having ice cream soon and then Uncle Paul's driving us home. Uncle Alex is going to see Dylan's family. Did you know they're getting married?"

My eyebrows rose. "No, I didn't. That's exciting news."

"And Uncle Paul said he'll make them a wedding cake. I hope they want pink roses on the top. They look so pretty. What are you doing?"

I looked across the table. "I'm about to have a cup of coffee with my dad before we watch some movies."

"Are you going to watch Shrek ?"

"I'm not sure. We haven't looked at what's on TV." I'd spent more than one afternoon watching Amy's favorite movie with her. Whenever Shrek, Fiona, or Donkey sang a song, Amy stood in front of the television, singing and dancing with them.

"If Shrek's on, you should watch that. Can you take me to school on my first day?"

My mouth dropped open. I didn't want to disappoint Amy, but I wasn't her dad. "Paul will want to take you."

"He'll come, too. I'll show you my classroom and you could say hello to my teacher. Please. It wouldn't take too long and I'll be able to see you again."

My heart was pounding. Amy had told me she was worried about starting school, but there was nothing I could do to help her. "I live too far away now, Amy. But you could tell me all about your first day at school when you get home."

"I guess that would be okay."

I heard the disappointment in her voice and felt like the meanest person in the world.

"Do you want to speak to Uncle Paul?"

"Sure," I murmured. "Enjoy the rest of the day."

"I will. Bye, Liam."