Page 18 of Right Number

Liam’s face broke out in that big smile of his, making his eyes sparkle. “I have a place in mind, but it’s a little bit of a drive. Do you trust me to just go there and have it be a surprise?”

I let out a little sigh of relief as I returned Liam’s smile. He really was so sweet. I liked the fact he seemed genuinely interested in me and what I wanted to do. “Sure! Surprise me!” I said with enthusiasm. I appreciated that he wanted to make the destination a surprise. It somehow added to his overall sweetness factor.

“I was hoping you’d say that.” Liam put the car in drive and pulled away from the curb.

As he started driving, I pulled my phone from my purse and took one last look at it…no messages. I quickly turned the phone off and put it back in my purse. Time to officially let things go with Mason and focus on my day with Liam.

“HERE WE ARE,” LIAM said as he eased the car into a parking spot.

Liam had driven about two hours past the city limits before finally stopping. Conversation for the entire drive had been light and easy. I really did enjoy spending time with him. He was thoughtful and perceptive. He seemed to really listen to me and appreciate what I had to say, including my sarcasm. That was always a big winning point in my book.

I looked out the car window and saw water stretched out before us as far as the eye could see. We appeared to be parked in some kind of an overlook area. I enthusiastically opened my door and bounded out to get a better look. I walked a little ways from the car and could see down below us where the water met a rocky shoreline. As my eyes traveled beyond the shoreline, I saw a vast expanse of dense, green forest. The blue sky was swirled with fluffy white clouds and several rays of sunshine poked through. We were one of the few cars parked at the overlook, and even from where we were, I could hear the waves crashing on the rocks below.

I felt Liam walk up behind me and spun around with a huge smile on my face. “Wow! Liam, this place is so beautiful! I had no idea it even existed! How did you know about it?” I was so excited that my voice was breathy and I could feel the familiar hum of excitement I got when I was about to get behind the lens of the camera. My fingers itched to get my equipment out of the car and start capturing the magnificent beauty that surrounded us.

Liam took a few steps closer until he was just inches away from me. He tentatively reached out and put his hand on my hip and he gazed down at me. “I like to drive. It helps clear my head. I found this place a couple of years ago and it’s been a favorite of mine since then. I’m glad you like it so much.”

Without thinking about it, I reached up and put my hand on Liam’s chest. “Thank you for bringing me here. It’s perfect and I appreciate you sharing your special place with me.” I hoped Liam could tell how sincere I was.

“You’re welcome,” Liam said, his voice sounding husky. Wait…were we having a moment? There weren’t butterflies or fireworks, but it sure felt like some kind of moment. Liam reached up and brushed his fingertips lightly over my cheek before pulling his hand away and clearing his throat as he took a step back. “Should we get your things and go?”

I nodded my head. What the hell just happened? Had I read that whole situation wrong? Why did he just pull away? Was he not feeling sparks either?

Liam gave me a brief nod back before walking over to the trunk of his car and unloading my photography equipment. I quickly shook my head to try to clear it before walking over to help him. Liam gave me a small smile as he handed me my camera. “The lighting should be just about perfect right now.”

Once again, all I could do was nod my head, unsure of exactly what to say. We walked away from the parking spot in silence. As we got closer to the water, I immediately started taking pictures of the waves crashing into the shoreline. I glanced at the digital images before turning my camera to show Liam. He stood directly behind me and looked over my shoulder as I scrolled through the few pictures I’d taken. “Beautiful, Anna! I knew you’d be able to capture this area perfectly!”

Liam was standing so close to me I could feel his warm breath dance across my cheek. I couldn’t help but beam at his compliment. I really respected Liam as an artist, but it surprised me how much his approval meant to me. Maybe there was something more between us than what I’d originally thought.

I felt Liam step to the side and reach for my hand. “This OK?” he whispered softly as he interlaced his fingers with mine. His hand felt soft and warm. The feeling was good, just not electric. Maybe it was still too soon for that. I looked up at Liam and nodded. “Good,” he said, his voice still soft. “Do you want to go down, closer to the water?”

“Lead the way,” I said with a smile. With my camera in one hand and my other intertwined with Liam’s, we walked down a well-trodden trail towards the water. At the bottom of the trail there was a sandy beach area. Despite the fact it was the tail end of winter, a few people walked the beach in coats and hats. Liam and I continued to walk hand in hand through the sand until we got to the rocky area we’d seen from the overlook above. We stopped a few times along the way so I could grab a few shots. Each time I showed them to Liam he had a heartfelt compliment, which made me blush.

When we made it to the rocky area, we sat down on a large piece of driftwood and watched the waves splash against the shore. We were the only ones that far down on the beach, and it was nice to sit peacefully. It was windy and the water was rough, so we just sat in silence listening to the crashing waves and the occasional chirp from a bird flying by.

I was so wrapped up in the absolute serenity of the moment, I was startled when Liam’s voice broke through the silence. “What drew you to photography?”

“What do you mean?” I asked looking away from the water and meeting Liam’s gaze. His blue eyes were locked on me and there was a soft expression his face.

“I started with finger painting as a little kid, and my love for it grew from there,” he explained. “I like being able to share the world as I see it.” I nodded in understanding. Liam reached out and put his hand on my thigh. I could feel the warmth of it through my jeans, but it felt more like a gesture of comfort than anything romantic.

I kept my gaze focused on Liam’s hand as I spoke. “Growing up, it was just me and my mom, Bev. To be honest, I’ve never met my dad. He apparently split when Bev told him she was pregnant.” I paused and Liam gave my thigh a soft squeeze. I moved my gaze from his hand on my thigh to the water before I continued. “Bev…she’s a bit of a…well, a flake. She always has to have a boyfriend and has trouble holding down a job.” I let out a sigh. “We were constantly moving, which meant everything was always changing. New town, new house or apartment, new school, new friends...” I trailed off as I watched the splashing waves for a moment before turning back to Liam. “Taking pictures was a way to capture a moment and make it last forever. Everything around me was constantly changing, but what was in that picture would always remain the same.”

“That’s really amazing, Anna,” Liam said softly. He moved his hand away from my thigh and I immediately missed it. Was that some kind of sign? Or a moment?

I found myself wanting to share a bit more with Liam which was an unusual feeling for me. “I used to use those little disposable cameras until my grandparents bought me my first digital camera as a birthday present. Even when I got a digital camera, I still used to print off the pictures and keep them in an album.”

“Do you still have the album?” Liam asked.

I chucked. “It’s several albums, and yes.”

“I’d like to see them sometime,” Liam said softly.

“Maybe,” I answered with a half smile. It felt like I’d already opened my past up enough for one day. Everything was starting to feel heavy and I didn’t want our time together to feel that way.

We sat for a few moments in silence watching the waves roll in and out. Despite our previous conversation, it was the kind of silence that didn’t feel like it needed to be filled; it was just fine as it was. I stood up, eager to capture what we were seeing. I was acutely aware of Liam watching me as I walked along the shore, trying to photograph the waves crashing against the rocks from different angles. I turned back to look at him a few times, and each time he gave me a smile and a small wave from where he sat on the driftwood. It was a nice and comfortable feeling knowing he was there.

When I was satisfied with the shots I’d gotten, I walked back to the driftwood and sat down next to Liam. I could feel that my cheeks were flushed from the cold and excitement. The pictures I’d taken were going to be some great pieces for my portfolio, and I was so glad Liam had brought me there. My hair danced around in the breeze as I showed Liam the images on my camera.

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