Page 46 of Trusting Liam (Taking Chances 2)

I’d been joking, but his response had my forehead pinching. “Liam said you don’t do drugs . . .”

“No, ma’am, not for thirty years. No drinkage or druggage. Not since the night I almost lost my lady love when I was twenty-three. She gave me an ultimatum, and that was it for me. Doesn’t mean I don’t feel like I’m high most days. This job and my life give me all the high I need, dude number one. What else did LC tell you about me?”

“Your hair,” I replied immediately with a smile.

“Dude. The hair is me. I am my hair. I made this hair look cool way before Troy Polamalu started getting paid mad bucks for his.”

“Who?”

“Eh.” Brian leaned back and shrugged. “Football player who jacked my style. Retired when you were just a young’un. So, what else? Did LC tell you how dead sexy I am?”

“Oh yeah,” I mumbled sarcastically. “That was our very first conversation.”

“Damn straight it was. LC knows what’s up.”

I bit back a laugh and let another minute pass before I said, “He told me about his tattoo for Chase, and what you said after you finished it.”

“Was I high?” he asked teasingly, but the humor quickly died and he stopped tattooing and sat back. After a few beats of silence, I turned my head to find him staring at me with a look of shock. “He told you about the initials?”

“And the entire story behind it,” I confirmed with a nod.

“No shit?”

“No shit.”

“Dude number one, LC doesn’t tell anyone that story.” Brian was silent again for a while, and with a laugh, he shook his head and got ready to keep going. “Christ. I knew my boy was in love with you. But, homie, he is in love with you.”

“You’re wro—”

“No, I’m not,” he said, cutting me off. “You in love with him yet?”

“Again, no, Brian.”

“That’s okay. I’ll ask again when I’m done to see if you’ve realized it yet.”

There was no stopping my smile over the next couple minutes as Brian finished up. Despite how crazy Brian seemed, I could easily understand why Liam and his family liked him so much. His weird personality was addic

ting.

“Dude number one,” Brian said when he finished. “You in love with my boy yet?”

I laughed in frustration and amusement, and shot him a look. “No, Brian!”

“ ’Kay, ’kay. I’ll check back with you tomorrow.”

“Do it, I can’t wait to give you the same answer.”

“Uh-huh. We’ll see.”

I rolled my eyes, but didn’t say anything else regarding the topic as he got me ready to go, and Kira and I paid.

“Come back to me, dudes!” he called out when we reached the door to leave, and pointed at me. “Tell my boy to come feed me!”

“Will do! Thanks again!”

“Strange one,” Kira said as we walked back to the car, and I nodded in agreement.

“Strange but fun.” I grabbed my phone to see the time. “Let’s make a coffee run and then get home. Liam will be over in an hour.”

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