The Wedding Engagement

Chapter Fourteen

Resting his head back on the cushions, Arran stared up at the fairy lights adorning the inside of the fort. Being in there felt like he was surrounded by Liv, and yet she seemed to have moved so far beyond his reach.

The events of the day scrolled through his mind and he squeezed his eyes shut in discomfort as he recalled the sickening feeling of looking at her while she was distressed, another man’s arm around her shoulders. He’d been desperate to hug her, but he’d had to physically restrain himself because her new love interest had been hanging off her like a commemorative plaque, one that read “In Memory of Arran Adebayo’s Heart, Which I Broke in Half and Tossed in the Trash.”

She’d been deflecting again, talking about how seeing Dave had been tougher on Sam, and yet he could see it in her eyes, the hurt displayed there in a language he’d recently learned how to read, one he wanted to become fluent in.

He sighed, sinking farther into the cushions. The worst thing was, she and Brodie had looked good together. And Arran wanted to see her happy. He just wished he could be the one achieving that for her.

The Skye trip was the following weekend, and he’d have to redouble his efforts to keep his distance and not do anything dumb to spoil her burgeoning relationship. Nor spoil the new relationship between Liv and his son, as teacher and pupil. They had a visit to the nursery school planned the next day, when he and Jayce could look around with the other parents and pupils before the term began midweek.

He’d been intending not to see her until then, but then he’d caved and agreed to go to the egg-rolling event when Jayce had asked for her. At least that was what he was telling himself, rather than admitting that he too had caved—in his desperation to lay eyes on her again. The reality was that Jayce asking for her should’ve been a signal to bolster his intentions to keep her at arm’s length. If she was getting into a serious relationship, then she’d have less time for both of them.

Shuffling down a little, he turned his face into the cushions, hoping that there’d still be a trace of her scent buried in there somewhere.

—

Arran squeezed Jayce’s hand as they reached the front door of the nursery school. “Okay, pal?”

Jayce was admiring the little playground in the front garden, complete with an adventure playset. “I want to play on that, Daddy.”

“Sure, we will. We just need to go and see Miss Holland first, okay?”

“Miss Lib,” Jayce said, completely undermining the conversation Arran had had with him about the need to call Liv by her formal title at work.

Arran pressed the doorbell, and an older lady with her gray hair tied back appeared and opened the door. “Morning!” she said in a tone so bright it blew the cobwebs from Arran’s brain. “And who is this?”

She opened the door to allow them into the foyer, where rows of pegs with children’s names lined the walls.

“My name’s Jayce,” Jayce replied, wandering over to inspect the pegs.

“Well, hello, Jayce. I’m Mrs. MacKay. Whose class are you in?”

“Miss Lib’s!” Jayce exclaimed happily, turning back toward them and clapping his hands.

Arran coughed. “He means Miss Holland, don’t ya, buddy?”

Jayce pursed his lips. “No. I mean Miss Lib.”

Mrs. MacKay raised an eyebrow, and it felt very much like a chastisement. “Follow me,” she said in her overly bright voice, and led them down the corridor toward a doorway where the sound of children chatting was apparent.

Jayce bounded round the corner ahead of them, and as Arran followed, Jayce was running up to Liv where she stood speaking to a male parent. Her eyes lit up when she spotted Jayce, who flung himself at her as she crouched down to give him a hug.

“Hey, buddy,” she said. “Want to have a look around our classroom?”

“Yeah!” Jayce said.

As Arran approached, Liv stood and finished her conversation with the parent standing with her. She turned and met his gaze, something shifting in her eyes, and the all-too-familiar want he felt whenever he was near her gathered within him.

“Hey,” he said, the desire to hug her tugging strongly. But he suppressed it.

“Morning,” she said, fiddling with the arm of her glasses. “Let me show you two around.”

“Thanks,” he replied, taking in the fact that the guy she’d been speaking to wasn’t drifting away but rather hanging around and looking at Liv in a way he didn’t like. Arran eyed him for a second as Liv led Jayce away, glancing down at the man’s wedding ring then back up to give him the deadliest dead eye in the history of dead eyes. Then he turned to follow Liv and Jayce.

The classroom was bright and airy, with colorful paintings and pictures plastering the walls. Liv showed them the craft area, the free-play area, and the little library corner, where colorful books lined the walls. Then they moved into an adjacent room where there was a messy play area and a door that led back out into the front playground.

“Want to have a little play in here with Emily and Charlie?” Liv asked Jayce, pointing to a table nearby where two kids were getting involved in some water-based activities, each in a wee apron.

Jayce’s eyes lit up. Making a mess was right up his street. Arran smiled as Liv got him an apron and introduced him to the other kids. The three began happily chatting and playing together.

Liv came over to stand with Arran as they watched them. “Is he looking forward to his first day?”

“Totally. I think knowing he’s in your class has made the idea a piece of cake.”

A little color rose in her cheeks, and it was so cute. “I’ll look out for him, but I’m sure he won’t need it. He’ll be grand.”

Despite her proximity to him, it felt as if she was a world away. Out of his reach. But he reminded himself that the main thing was that she was there for Jayce. Even if her new relationship put a damper on her spending time with him, Jayce would still get to see her for a few hours every day at nursery school. At least there was some comfort in that thought. Though it didn’t appease the hollow feeling in his chest.

“You sure you’re okay after Douchebag Dave’s reappearance?” he asked her quietly. He’d messaged her to ask the same thing and she’d replied to say she was fine. But he didn’t believe it.

Her expression clouded. “I’m fine, thanks. All good.”

“Miss Lib!” Jayce shouted from the play area, and Arran winced.

“Sorry,” he told Liv with a pained expression. “I tried to tell him he needed to call you Miss Holland while he’s at nursery school, but he’s having trouble with the concept.”

She laughed, and he admired the way her green eyes sparkled. He could watch her smile and laugh all day. “That’s okay. I like it. Perhaps I’ll get them all to call me Miss Liv.”

“I’m not sure Mrs. MacKay would approve,” Arran said, remembering the chastising arched eyebrow.

“Ach, don’t worry about her. She’s just a stickler for old-style rules,” Liv said.

Creepy Married Dad appeared in the doorway, eyeing Liv again and making Arran all the more determined to hog her time. It made him think of Brodie, which in turn caused his heart to sink. “Looking forward to the weekend?” he asked her, his jaw clenching.

Her eyes lit up. “Yeah. It’s going to be a good laugh.”

He nodded, resolving to back off and let her get plenty of time with her new love interest when the time came.

—

Agnes’s cornflower-blue eye peered at him through the gap in the door. “Hi, son.”

She let him in and he dutifully followed her down the hallway, carrying the shopping bags. Wordlessly, he began the process of putting everything in its proper place, not even bothering to give Agnes any lip back when she criticized him for putting a can of baked beans with the kidney beans.

She surveyed him through narrowed eyes. “What’s wrong? Why’s your face tripping you?”

He glanced over as he closed the last cupboard. “Nothing.” He took the tea she pushed toward him, lifting it to blow on the surface.

“Hmm. Looks like you’re lovesick to me.”

He managed a weak smile. Lovesick felt like a good description, given that he felt nauseated whenever he thought of Liv and Brodie together.

Agnes graced him with a sympathetic look. “Aw, son. What’s happened?”

He ran a hand over his hair, letting out a breath. “She’s dating someone else.”

She nodded slowly. “I see. And this is despite you telling her that you liked her?”

He shook his head. “I haven’t told her.”

Agnes frowned. “Well, that’s where you’ve gone wrong. I’m sure she wouldn’t be seeing someone else if she knew you liked her. I’ve seen the way that lassie looks at you.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Really? You mean through your bird-watching binoculars?”

She sipped her tea silently, a smile on her face. “Listen to me. Stop being a numpty and be honest with her. You don’t know how she really feels about either of you unless you have a conversation about it.”

Arran fiddled with his mug. “I don’t want to spoil things for her.”

“Nonsense. You’re just trying to save face.”

He opted to stay silent because there might have been a kernel of truth in that remark.

She sighed. “You youngsters. Wasting time over barriers you’ve created in your own minds.”

A change of subject was called for. “What’ll you be doing while I’m away to Skye? Raving it up?”

“None of your cheek.” But her smile indicated that she enjoyed his cheek. “My friend Nancy’s coming to take me to the tearoom for an afternoon tea.”

“Very nice.” Nancy was Agnes’s slightly younger friend who had a car that was high enough that Agnes could comfortably get in and out. “Well, you girls enjoy yourself. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

She pointed her finger at him. “And you do something I would do. Stop being a fool and tell your sweetheart how you really feel.”

“I’ll think about it.”