Mother's Day Treats

CHAPTER ELEVEN

‘SO NICE of you to join us.’ The sarcasm in Liam’s tone was unmistakable as he looked across the restaurant table at Laura.

The meeting this morning between Liam and Perry had gone very well, and the two men had decided to go out to lunch to celebrate the settling of the deal and the signing of the contract. For reasons of her own, Laura had decided to join them.

The true fact of the matter was that after yesterday morning she didn’t dare leave Liam alone socially with anyone who knew her! He was arrogant enough to question Perry about her personal life. Not too openly, of course, but she knew Liam well enough to realise he would find out what he wanted to know without Perry even realising he had given him the information.

Liam had done as she’d asked yesterday morning, and left as soon as he had finished flying the kite with Bobby. But, as Laura now knew only too well, his acquiescence counted for nothing; Liam would do exactly as he wanted when he wanted!

She shrugged dismissively. ‘It’s always nice to personally welcome a new author into the company.’

Liam smiled without humour. ‘Even this one?’

‘We’re all really excited at welcoming you on board.’ Perry was the one to answer him enthusiastically. ‘You have a sure-fire number one bestseller in Josie’s World, Liam.’

Liam raised dark brows. ‘Now he tells me,’ he drawled mockingly. ‘Is that your considered opinion too, Laura?’ he prompted, his guarded gaze giving away none of his inner feelings.

Considered opinion…? She wasn’t sure she had those any more! ‘It’s going to do very well for you,’ she told him non-committally.

‘And Shipley Publishing,’ he pointed out.

She shrugged again. ‘It would be madness to allow a bestseller to slip through our fingers; so many publishing companies are in financial difficulties nowadays.’

‘But not Shipley,’ Liam said with certainty. ‘I checked before sending in the manuscript.’

‘And decided to hitch your star to a winner?’ Laura returned sharply.

His mouth twisted scornfully. ‘It seems we have more in common than we realised.’

Colour brightened Laura’s cheeks. So Liam was back to implying that she had married Robert for his position and money! Well, even that was probably preferable to him learning the truth…!

Perry, Laura saw with some dismay, was listening to the exchange with a slightly puzzled look on his face.

And no wonder; the antagonism between Liam and herself was tangible, seemed to fill the very air about their luncheon table!

She sat forward with deliberation, lifting the glass of champagne that had been poured for her minutes earlier, encouraging the two men to do the same. ‘Success,’ she toasted.

‘I’ll certainly drink to that!’ Perry touched his glass lightly to hers before turning to do the same with Liam’s.

‘And a peaceful life,’ Liam added as he touched his glass against the side of Laura’s.

‘Do the two go together?’ she came back sceptically. Another photograph of Liam and herself, as Liam had arrived at her house on Sunday morning, had appeared in the newspapers today. Laura had taken one glance at the photograph before throwing the newspaper in the bin. As she had warned Liam at the time, the situation was out of his control now.

He nodded grimly. ‘If you want it badly enough, yes.’

‘I hope you’re right,’ Laura returned dryly.

There had been more reporters camped out outside her home this morning. Disappointed reporters as they’d seen she was alone in the back of the car with Bobby, on her way to dropping him off at school before continuing on to her office. Her son, at least, seemed to have suffered no ill-effects from the last few days!

‘I’m returning to Ireland tomorrow,’ Liam put in. ‘Can I come and see Bobby before I leave?’

Laura gave him a sharp look, aware of Perry’s quiet interest in the conversation. No doubt he had seen those photographs in the newspapers too!

Her own relief at Liam’s first statement had definitely been ruined by his second!

‘I don’t want Bobby to think I’ve just disappeared out of his life,’ Liam continued.

Why not? He had just disappeared out of her own life eight years ago!

‘You have changed,’ she replied.

Liam’s gaze was glacial as it met her challenging one across the width of the table.

‘Shall we order?’ Perry prompted lightly as a waiter appeared beside their table.

Laura felt as if food would choke her! But she had to stay here and eat her lunch without making a scene. Besides, her reason for being here in the first place still existed…

‘You didn’t answer my question?’ Liam persisted once their order had been taken.

She took another sip of her champagne. She didn’t want Liam anywhere near Bobby. Didn’t want him anywhere near either of them, come to think of it!

‘On condition you don’t stay too long,’ she finally answered. ‘It’s a school day, and Bobby has homework to do before bedtime,’ she added in explanation—resentful at having to make one at all! She owed this man no explanations. About anything!

Liam gave an abrupt inclination of his head. ‘I’ll try not to interfere with that.’

He might try. But, as Laura knew only too well, he was unlikely to succeed; Bobby had taken an extreme liking to the man he called ‘Uncle Liam’, had talked of little else after Liam had left yesterday. Much to Laura’s dismay. Bobby would be very reluctant to let Liam leave again once at the house.

Lunch was a stilted affair, despite Perry’s many attempts to lighten the atmosphere, and Laura, for one, was more than glad when it was finally over. She had eaten little anyway, drunk several glasses of champagne instead, and her head felt more than a little light.

‘Steady.’ Liam grasped her elbow as they went outside, the fresh air seeming to have a dizzying effect on her. ‘You really should eat more, Laura,’ he admonished, keeping a firm hold of her as he guided her over the road to where Paul had parked the car, holding the door open as he waited for her.

‘When I want your opinion I’ll ask for it,’ Laura snapped back, her irritability audible only to Liam as she settled into the back of the car. Perry had gone round to the other door and was now seated beside her. ‘Can we drop you anywhere?’ Preferably on his head, she thought childishly!

She had drunk too much! Which was most unlike her; she had never been a big drinker, and since Bobby was born, when she had needed to be mentally alert twenty-four hours a day, she had only ever drunk the occasional glass of white wine with a meal. Three glasses of champagne at lunchtime was definitely out of character. It would be a relief—to her, at least!—when Liam returned to Ireland! Liam’s expression changed, almost as if he were able to read her thoughts and was amused by them. ‘No, thanks, the walk will do me good. Is five-thirty okay for calling in to see Bobby?’

Perfect; as they always dined at six in the week, she would have a good excuse for asking him to leave. Unless Bobby, in his youthful enthusiasm, decided to invite his new friend to stay to dinner with them…?

‘That’s absolutely fine,’ she agreed firmly. ‘That way I’ll be able to sit down and do Bobby’s homework with him before we have dinner at six.’ She couldn’t say any clearer than that that Liam wasn’t invited to join them for the meal without being extremely rude—and only Perry’s presence stopped her being exactly that!

Blue eyes glittered with hard amusement before Liam turned to smile at Perry. ‘I’ll call you when I intend coming back to London.’

Laura kept her face averted as the car door was finally closed. Paul manoeuvred the car out into the early-afternoon traffic, her sigh of relief as he did so audible only to herself. She hoped.

‘Well, that went off better than expected, don’t you think?’ she said lightly to Perry.

‘I’m not sure what I expected,’ Perry answered slowly. ‘You and Liam are obviously old friends, but—’

‘I was referring to the business aspect of the meeting,’ Laura put in quickly.

‘Oh, that.’ Perry nodded his satisfaction. ‘Yes, that went very well.’

Laura turned to him, her brows raised. ‘But…?’

Her senior editor hesitated. ‘Maybe there isn’t a but.’ He grimaced. ‘I just have the feeling that—well, that—’

‘Yes?’

‘I think it’s a good idea that you persuaded Liam to accept me as his editor—’

‘I persuaded him?’

‘Well, didn’t you?’ Perry said.

She had completely lost track of who had persuaded who to do what! She did know that she still felt she had been manoeuvred into this situation by Liam. And she probably had!

‘Not that I recall, Perry,’ she said dully. ‘Although I do approve of the arrangement.’

He nodded. ‘It isn’t a good idea to mix business with pleasure.’

Pleasure? With Liam? The man had been nothing but a thorn in her side from the moment she’d met him again!

‘I think you’ve misunderstood the situation between Liam and myself, Perry,’ she answered evenly.

‘Hey, I wasn’t criticising,’ he instantly assured her. ‘I have no right to do that, anyway. However, if you don’t mind my saying so, it’s good to see you have someone in your life again. You’ve been on your own too long, Laura.’

She did mind him saying so! But with those wretched photographs in the newspapers, and Liam’s request to call at the house later this evening, she was only going to make the situation worse if she protested too much.

Perry’s remarks did not put her in a particularly good humour for welcoming Liam into her home later that evening. She scowled at him as Amy showed him into the sitting room, where Laura stood alone beside the unlit fireplace. Bobby was upstairs changing in anticipation of Liam’s arrival.

‘Champagne worn off?’ Liam queried once they were alone, as he took in her glowering expression.

The fact that that could be half the reason she felt so irritable did not elevate her mood one little bit! ‘How like you to pass the blame on to something other than yourself,’ she snapped scathingly. She was still wearing the black suit and cream blouse she had worn to work today, very conscious of Perry’s comments concerning business and pleasure; she wanted to make it clear that for her part this association with Liam was solely business!

Liam’s own expression darkened. ‘You really should try to put your bitterness behind you, Laura,’ he advised. ‘After all, you did all right for yourself in my absence.’ He looked about them pointedly at the obviously luxurious comfort of her home.

Angry colour darkened her cheeks at his obvious accusation. ‘Making snide remarks about me isn’t going to change the fact that you deserted me eight years ago—’

‘Deserted you?’ Liam repeated in a steely voice. ‘Isn’t that rather an odd way of putting it…?’

It was the way she had thought of Liam’s departure for so long. But that didn’t change the fact that it must sound odd to someone who didn’t know all the circumstances…

‘Perhaps,’ she conceded non-committally. ‘It isn’t important, anyway—’

‘I happen to think it is,’ Liam interrupted. ‘You—’

‘Uncle Liam!’ An ecstatic Bobby burst into the room, launching himself at Liam.

Liam picked him up under his arms and swung him round. ‘Hello, spalpeen.’ He grinned up at Bobby as he held him high.

‘Spalpeen?’ Bobby repeated with a puzzled frown.

‘Rascal,’ Liam translated lightly, putting Bobby back on the ground. ‘Had a good day at school?’ He ruffled the darkness of Bobby’s hair.

‘It was okay,’ the little boy replied. ‘Can we go outside and fly my kite again?’

‘I’m not sure… I can’t stay long, Bobby,’ Liam added gently, after a brief glance at Laura. ‘I have an early-morning flight back to Ireland tomorrow,’ he explained softly.

Laura hadn’t told Bobby the reason for Liam’s visit this evening, had felt it would be best coming from Liam himself. From the look of tearful disappointment on her son’s face maybe she should have spoken to her son first.

‘Bobby—’

‘When will you be back?’ Bobby completely ignored Laura’s soothing tone, staring intently up at Liam.

Liam’s expression softened as he went down on his haunches beside the little boy. ‘A few weeks, possibly,’ he answered, reaching out to touch Bobby’s arm.

Laura watched in dismay as her son wrenched away from Liam, his face dark with rebellion.

‘You won’t! I know you won’t!’ Bobby was rigid with resentment, blue eyes sparkling angrily.

Laura could only stare at her son; she had never seen him behave in this way before. She knew he had grown fond of Liam the last few days, but this was completely unexpected.

Liam glanced up at her, frowning darkly. ‘Of course I’ll be back, Bobby. And when I do—’

‘You’ll never come back,’ Bobby cried, shaking his head, his face flushed with emotion. ‘My daddy went away and he never came back!’ He was breathing hard in his agitation.

Laura swallowed hard, feeling tears sting her eyes. ‘Bobby, this isn’t the same at all.’ She made a move towards him, only to come to a halt as he began to back away from her towards the door. ‘Daddy was ill, Bobby. You know that,’ she told him huskily. ‘He didn’t want to go away. He just didn’t have any choice,’ she said emotionally.

‘Liam has a choice—and he’s still going away!’ Bobby accused stubbornly, glaring at Liam now. ‘I thought you liked me,’ he declared chokingly.

Liam had straightened, frowning his consternation at Bobby’s reaction. ‘I do like you, Bobby. I’ll only be gone for a short time, I promise you—’

‘No.’ Bobby was shaking his head in disbelief, his hand on the doorhandle now. ‘Take your old kite with you! I don’t want it any more!’ came his parting shot as he wrenched open the door. The sound of his feet running up the stairs could be heard seconds later.

Laura was stunned. Shocked. Dismayed.

Where had all that come from?

She had spent hours with Bobby after Robert’s death, explaining about his father’s illness, how Robert hadn’t wanted to leave them, that his heart had just given up under the strain. From Bobby’s outburst just now she felt she couldn’t have got through to him at all.

She dropped down heavily into one of the armchairs before her shaking legs refused to hold her up any more. ‘I—’ She swallowed hard, holding a hand up to her stricken face as her lips began to tremble. ‘Oh…!’ She buried her face in her hands as the tears began to fall.

This was too much, just too much, after the strain of the last few days!

‘Laura!’ Liam came to sit on the arm of her chair, gathering her up into his arms, holding her tightly against his chest. ‘Bobby didn’t mean any of that, you know,’ he soothed, after letting her cry for several minutes. ‘He’s just hurting right now, hitting out.’

She shook her head. ‘I had no idea he felt abandoned after Robert’s death. I—I thought he understood.’ She sighed shakily. ‘I must go to him.’

Liam’s arms tightened about her as she would have got up. ‘Leave him for a few minutes,’ he advised. ‘At the moment he’s so angry, at both of us, that he might say something in the heat of the moment that he will bitterly regret.’ Liam looked down at her ruefully. ‘One thing’s for sure, your decision concerning transient friends in your life seems to have been the right one!’

Laura felt a jolt in her chest. Transient friend? Was that what Liam was?

‘No, it isn’t,’ Liam firmly answered her unasked question. ‘You know that isn’t what I want at all.’

Did she? Not really. Liam had shown her—all too clearly!—that he would like to resume some sort of relationship with her, but she had no idea what he had in mind!

He was right about one thing: she had been right to try and protect Bobby from being hurt again by coming to care for a man who was simply going to walk out of his life when he felt like it…

Although until the last few minutes she had been completely unaware of how Bobby felt deserted by Robert.

‘I really must go up to him,’ she said firmly, releasing herself from Liam’s arms to stand up, smoothing down the shortness of her hair before turning back to him. ‘I think it might be better if you had already left when Bobby comes back downstairs.’

Liam looked up at her searchingly. ‘I will be coming back, you know, Laura,’ he told her.

Her mouth quirked humourlessly. ‘Well, I suppose that possibility is more than you gave me eight years ago,’ she said bitterly.

His expression tightened, his eyes flashing deeply blue. ‘Is it…?’

She eyed him warily. ‘Isn’t it?’ she challenged defensively.

He stood up abruptly. ‘I have some business to attend to in Ireland—’

‘Business, Liam?’ she echoed tauntingly. ‘Would that be business of the female kind?’

He drew in a harsh breath at her deliberately insulting tone. ‘I realise you’re upset at the moment, Laura.’ Otherwise she wouldn’t be getting away with this so easily, his own tone implied! ‘And as it happens, yes, it’s of the “female kind” it’s my mother’s sixtieth birthday on Wednesday. We’re having a surprise family party for her. Obviously I have to be there,’ he added dryly.

‘Obviously,’ Laura echoed, wondering how Mary O’Reilly would react if presented with the biggest surprise in her life: her grandson, Bobby!

‘You could always come with me.’

She looked up at Liam sharply, wondering if her own thoughts could possibly have been reflected on her face. Liam steadily returned her searching gaze, giving away none of his own thoughts.

‘And Bobby, of course.’

‘I don’t think so, thank you,’ Laura replied dismissively, her hands clenched so tightly at her sides her fingernails were digging painfully into the palms. ‘As you said, it’s a family party.’ She looked across at him challengingly.

‘As I said…’ He gave an acknowledging inclination of his head. ‘In view of Bobby’s upset, I’ll be coming back on Thursday, Laura. And when I get back I think we need to talk. I mean really talk.’

‘I—’

‘Don’t you?’ he queried pointedly.

No, she didn’t! But if she knew anything about Liam—and she knew a great deal!—she knew she wouldn’t have much choice in the matter!

Did he know Bobby was his son? Did he know, one hundred percent certain, that he was Bobby’s father? And, if he did, why didn’t he just come right out and say so?

Now was the perfect time for Liam to launch into his attack, when she was already feeling utterly defeated by Bobby’s emotional outburst. So why didn’t he…?

Liam shook his head as he watched the emotions flickering across her face. ‘I’m not the man you thought I was eight years ago, Laura,’ he told her. ‘Then I tried to act noble—and ended up being completely the opposite! This time around I’m determined to succeed.’

‘Noble?’ Laura repeated dazedly; it wasn’t a word she had ever associated with Liam! ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘No, I know you don’t.’ He gave a humourless smile. ‘But that’s part of what we need to talk about. I’ll get here on Thursday in time to speak to Bobby before he goes to bed; keep the rest of the evening free for me, Laura.’

She moistened dry lips. ‘I—’

‘Go up and talk to Bobby now,’ he continued firmly. ‘Tell him I’m coming back. And make him believe it,’ he added grimly.

How could she be expected to do that when she wasn’t sure she believed it herself…?

CHAPTER TWELVE

‘FINISHED?’ She looked questioningly at her son as he left half the pizza that she had ordered for him on his plate.

Since their talk on Monday evening Bobby had been very quiet. He had seemed to accept what she’d said about Robert, and why he had died, but at the same time had not quite believed what she’d said about Liam’s intention of coming back today.

Maybe because she still wasn’t sure she believed that herself…!

Liam had telephoned her from the airport on Tuesday morning before his plane took off, wanting to know how her talk with Bobby had gone. Not that she’d been able to reassure Liam too much on that point; Bobby just wasn’t giving away his feelings at the moment.

Other than that brief telephone call from Liam she had heard nothing from him the last three days, had no idea whether or not he still intended coming to the house this evening. It was a point Bobby was well aware of; the first question he had asked when he’d woken up this morning was had she heard from Liam? Which she hadn’t. And still hadn’t, as the day progressed.

Which was one of the reasons she had decided to take Bobby out for a pizza after school, hoping to take his mind off Liam’s proposed visit. Although, from Bobby’s lack of appetite, she might as well not have bothered!

‘Finished. Can we go home now?’ he asked eagerly.

She gave a weak smile. ‘Of course.’ She stood up to pay the bill, feeling an ache in her chest at Bobby’s obviously suppressed excitement; he was just too afraid to dare to outwardly anticipate that Liam would keep his promise.

Laura knew the feeling.

Only too well!

But this bewildered pain was exactly what she hadn’t wanted for Bobby, was the reason she would have preferred Liam and Bobby never to meet. Of course, she couldn’t have anticipated the invisible bond that had come into existence between the two of them from the moment they had met, but she had known enough not to want even to take the risk of the two of them forming an attachment. Because it was a risk. To Bobby’s fragile emotions…

But, after doing everything in her power to prevent the two of them ever meeting, she had bowed to the fact that they had, that there was nothing she could do about the fact they actually liked each other. What she would do was personally strangle Liam if he let Bobby down this evening!

Bobby could barely contain his excitement on the drive back to the house. Laura was relieved at having the concentration of driving herself, for a change, to keep her own mind from dwelling on the possibility of Liam’s arrival. In fact, she had chosen to drive herself for that very reason.

Bobby waited barely long enough for her to bring the car to a halt in front of the house before jumping out and running in, leaving the front door wide open as he did so. Laura followed at a more leisurely pace, reluctant to feel the sting of her own disappointment as well as Bobby’s.

‘What kept you, Mrs Shipley?’ drawled an achingly familiar voice as she entered the hallway.

She couldn’t help it; her pulse rate quickened at the sound of Liam’s voice, her eyes glowing with pleasure as she looked up at him standing only feet away with a grinning Bobby held up in his arms.

Her breath caught in her throat as she realised how right they looked together. But it wasn’t with that wariness she had felt from the moment she met Liam again over a week ago, this was something completely different…

She was still in love with Liam!

Had she ever stopped…?

She had thought she had, had believed, when she’d finally accepted Liam had left her eight years ago, that her love for him had died too. But looking at him now, so achingly familiar, his eyes smiling into hers, their son held in his arms, Laura knew that she had never stopped being in love with Liam, that she had only buried that emotion deep in her heart, never to be looked at again.

Except Liam was back…

‘He came back, Mummy.’ Bobby’s words echoed her chaotic thoughts.