Page 101 of Caught Up In You (The Monroes 2)

But tonight he’d needed some stupid putty and had to face her. Stubborn woman thought he’d just let her come in and fix the sink? He could fix a damn sink.

When he’d first come back to Haven, he’d listened to her talk about her dates. He hated the jealousy that speared him each time he overheard her talking to Sophie or Cora. The other two ladies were his soon-to-be sister-in-laws and Macy’s closest friends. Damn it. There was no way to avoid her entirely. She was literally in every aspect of this new life of his. Another reason he needed to get out of Haven and back into his comfort zone because he sure as hell wasn’t comfortable here.

One night he’d been leaving the resort and she’d been coming in the back door. It was late, the sun had set, and they’d started a simple conversation, which turned into an argument. He honestly couldn’t recall the argument now because the fact he’d lost his mind and nearly kissed her overrode everything prior. He’d gripped her face, in an attempt to shut her up, but the second he leaned in, his lips barely brushing against hers, he pulled back. She was too much temptation and he had a whole host of issues that kept him detached. Besides, he didn’t want to stay in Haven forever.

Getting involved with Macy on any type of physical level would only lead to one or both of them getting hurt.

Being a financial backer for Bella Vous was all the commitment he wanted, but he couldn’t just leave his family in a bind, so he’d stay until they found another chef. Of course, he’d have to actually tell his brothers to start looking for a replacement, and he wasn’t quite mentally prepared to have that conversation with them.

But, he’d been unable to save

his mother from the brain aneurism, unable to save Chelsea from her skiing accident, so here he was paying some sort of penance in an emotionally warped way because he needed to do something to justify all of this guilt.

The only time he ever had complete power over anything was in the kitchen. What started out as a hobby with his mother quickly turned into a passion. Some might have seen this as an immediate man-card removal, but they didn’t know the science that went into cooking, the skill, precision, patience, and control.

The control. Every facet of his life came back to that.

A shrink would get lost inside all the various tunnels and sharp turns in Liam’s mind. Even Liam knew that he was a mental mess. He was well aware of the fact he clung to his profession in an attempt to keep that bond with his mother, but it went so much deeper than that. His mother’s dream had always been to open her own restaurant, but they’d been too poor for her to even consider such a notion.

Somewhere along the way, Liam had inherited that need to have his own place. And while he didn’t own anything of his own in Savannah, he had been the head chef in the city’s most sought after restaurant. Everything that he’d made for himself was back in Savannah, waiting on him to return and pick up where he left off.

On a sigh, Liam cursed himself. Between the Macy mind games and thinking of why he chose to be a professional chef in the first place, he was having a Dr. Phil moment with himself. And if that wasn’t the most pathetic thing ever, he didn’t know what was.

Liam grabbed the spices he needed and started mixing together his own concoction. He’d had the greatest idea for an herb bread and dipping sauce, but he needed to try them out privately first. He had two very important ladies in his life that were all too eager to sample his made-up recipes.

A year ago his youngest brother Zach had reconnected with sweet Sophie. Their reunion had been bittersweet as they were all still reeling from the death of Chelsea, who’d been Sophie’s best friend. Sophie had played a huge part in getting Bella Vous up and running, and out of the clutches of the Mayor who wanted to turn the house into some stuffy museum.

Then Zach had discovered a runaway teen hiding out in the old house during the renovation stage. Brock had been abused, emotionally and physically, and Zach, who didn’t do commitment, suddenly found himself taking the boy in. Add in a stray dog who had puppies in his laundry room, and Zach had an instant picture-perfect family.

Liam couldn’t help but laugh at his brother who avoided any type of relationship at all costs. Their childhood home was now filled with a moody teen, dogs all around, and a woman who doted over Zach’s every move.

Liam ignored the tug of jealousy. What did he have to be jealous of? He didn’t want that life. Not at all. But, Braxton had found himself falling head first into love as well and Liam was beginning to wonder what the hell was in the water in this town.

Just before Christmas, Braxton got tangled up with the new masseuse who just so happened to be the heiress to a chocolate company known around the globe. The most shocking part about Cora was the fact she was blind. Not that her lack of sight defined her by any means, but the woman was so talented and she strictly went by her other senses to hone in on those around her. There was constant praise from clients at the resort. Cora was helping to get their name out there and Liam couldn’t be happier for Zach and Braxton.

Happy endings weren’t for everyone, though. Liam adored the women his brothers were bringing into the family, but he wanted his old life back. He wanted to be out of this little town. He hated walking down the street and having people stare. The old people who knew the story behind his scar looked at him with pity, while the newbies who had no clue what happened often looked at him with repulsion. Yeah, the scar wasn’t a pretty sight, but what could be done at this point? Plastic surgery would only fix so much and no way in hell was he subjecting himself to more pain, physical or emotional. He didn’t need to be pretty to pursue his goal of owning his own restaurant.

No, he’d live with the ugly reminder of a night that still haunted him. If he’d only insisted on taking the keys. If he’d only been more forceful and adamant about being the driver, perhaps there wouldn’t have been an accident. He wouldn’t have a scar, Sophie wouldn’t have a limp, and Zach wouldn’t be a felon.

But, nothing could be done now. The past was over and Liam needed to move on. And he had. He’d gone to Atlanta, had gone to culinary school, and made a name for himself in Savannah. He’d been just fine working behind closed doors where he could hide from the world and do what he loved.

Unlike Zach and Braxton, Liam actually had an amazing upbringing with his single mother. She was the first woman he’d ever loved, the one who always put her needs last and often went without new things in order to pay for a spot on the little league team or for those karate lessons. He didn’t realize at the time just how much she sacrificed.

Liam pulled the dough from the refrigerator. He’d mixed it the other evening and sat it inside, knowing it needed to chill for a while so he could mess with it later. He needed this outlet, needed to escape. And he may work all day at the resort preparing meals and snacks for guests, but when he was home he still found the task relaxing. Not many people could say they loved their job this much.

When a passion coincided with a career, there was so much joy. At least, there should be.

So why was Liam in such a pissy mood lately? Part of him hated that he’d been technically forced to move back to the town he loathed. Okay, loathed may be too strong a word, but he’d rather live anywhere else than in the place where people knew his backstory and thought they could relate.

Unless you had your mother die when you were twelve, you had been abused at your foster homes, and you had a tragic accident leaving you scarred in every single way, there’s no way you could relate.

And the pity party he was mentally throwing himself had to cease. Just being back in Haven put his mind in a state he never wanted to be. He’d overcome that time in his life, or at least tried to move past it. He’d literally run from everything and started fresh.

Of course he’d lost his job when he’d asked for time off to help his brothers get the resort started. But, his skills were unlike any other and he knew he could find a job in another prestigious restaurant.

He vowed one day to have his own. The ultimate objective of any chef, he figured, but he had his sights set high and he didn’t plan on stopping until he reached his goal.

After Liam got the bread ready with just the right amount of spices coating what would be the crusty top, he popped the pans into the oven and sent off a quick text to Sophie and Cora. No doubt the ladies would be eager to see him in the morning once he arrived with fresh bread and dipping sauce, which he still needed to make.

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