Page 45 of Had To Be You

“No, Mom. I’m good. I just wanted a glass of water. I’ll get it.” I make my way to the cupboard and grab a glass.

“So, how’s my son? Anything new?” my mother asks, a playful look in her eyes.

“Not much.”

“Not much?” She crosses her arms over her chest and raises a brow at me. “Liam, there must be something new in your life you want to tell me.” My mother has a way of getting people to talk. She should have been a shrink, if she wasn’t so busy taking care of four kids. “Your sister told me about your night out at the club. She said you all had a great time.”

I shake my head, filling the glass at the tap. “I’m betting that’s not all she said.”

“Then you would be betting correctly. She tells me you and Ellie were practically inseparable.” There’s no way for my mother to hide the smile overtaking her face right now.

“Jules has a big mouth,” I joke, taking a sip of my water.

“Jules is excited for you, and frankly so am I. She said she barely recognized you, you were smiling all night.” My mother beams as she rests her palm on the top of my hand on the kitchen counter. “And I can see that she’s right. You look so happy, Liam.”

“Not as happy as you do right now,” I tease her.

“Oh, quit it. I can’t help it. I’m just really excited for you, honey. You deserve a great girl like Ellie. You know how much your father and I like her.”

I meet my mom’s eyes. “Thanks, Mom. I really like her too.”

“Have you told her how you feel?”

“Not yet.”

“Well, I suggest you do. She’s good for you, Liam. Your sister is right: you are more relaxed. And you’re getting out more, having fun. It’s good for you. You’ve been working your life away for as long as I can remember. You’ve always been my serious boy.” She smiles at me, the lines at the corners of her eyes deepening. “You take after your father. I’ll never forget you wearing your dress shirts and slacks when we would visit your dad at his office. Gosh, you were cute. You had to look the part. While your brothers played games underneath the boardroom table, you were begging your father to be put to work,” she says, then chuckles. “Some things never change.”

And she’s right. I’ve put my job and schooling before everything else ever since I can remember. It was never enough to ace tests and get straight As. I needed to be the best in the class, then get into Yale, then graduate summa cum laude, then make partner before thirty. I’ve always had my sights set on the next prize, the next accomplishment. It’s simply the way that I am wired. I’ve never let up on my goals, not even for a second.

“Any chance you’ll be bringing her around anytime soon?” My mom asks, with a little hope in her eyes.

“I think you’ll be seeing a lot of her, considering the wedding is right around the corner,” I say, attempting to dodge the question. I’m not sure she’s ever been as content as she has been since my brother popped the question to Olivia. All she wants is for her kids to be happy. No judgement, no expectations. Seeing her smile, I can’t help but feel thankful. When it comes to parents, I definitely lucked out.

“I look forward to seeing her - and to seeing you two together at the wedding. And just remember that Ellie is always welcome here. We would love to get to know her better. Bring her by some time, would you?”

“I will, Mom. I promise.”

She pulls me in for one of those hugs only a mom can give, and I wonder if she’s right. Maybe it is time I tell Ellie exactly how I feel about her and not worry about the consequences.

And I know the perfect place to do it.

Chapter Eighteen

Liam

Looking back, I should have known. I should have realized “taking a class” meant a cringe-worthy event that would be horribly humiliating and end up with me wanting to escape out the bathroom window.

I lift a brow at Ellie as we both tie the strings of our smocks, telepathically telling her I-can’t-believe-I-am-doing-this. When I scan the room, I’m not sure how there could possibly be eleven other guys who got roped into this scheme along with me. It’s got to be down to duress or false pretenses. Nobody would do this willingly, would they?

The instructor at the front of the room looks to be in her forties. She’s wearing a rainbow ombre fuzzy sweater and has her hair tied back in French braids. Introducing herself to the group as Emma, she motions us to our seats where she has an easel, a selection of paints and brushes already set up for each of us. The one saving grace in this Paint and Sip couples’ class is the glass of Pinot waiting for me at my station.

“Is everyone ready to unleash their inner Monet?” she asks after we’ve all taken our seats.

I scan the other couples. Ellie pumps her fist beside me while the grown men and woman around me holler in unison that they’re ready. I swear I’ve stepped into the twilight zone.

I inwardly gripe at the thought of spending the next 120 minutes painting a sunset or a palm tree, but it’s also not lost on me that Ellie looks hot as hell in her off-the-shoulder sweater and miniskirt. I guess tonight isn’t all bad. Her smooth, tanned legs are crossed at the knee and her dark hair is down her back in waves, beckoning me to run my hands through it.

Leaning in close, I whisper into her ear. “You look hot in that apron.”

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