Inside, I peeked at Lucy. She was still asleep, but her feet were moving. That was always a sign she’d be awake soon.
I hurried to my room and changed, and then I headed to the kitchen, mixing up some “pandcake” batter. A few moments later, I heard the thumps of little feet, and I turned, bending down and holding out my arms.
“Morning, Lucy-loo!”
She flung herself into my embrace, and I sat down, listening to her recount of the night before. I didn’t think she had missed me at all until she squeezed my neck. “I wished you was there!”
I smiled.
“Did you have fun on your date?”
“My date?”
She nodded. “Ronan said you was on a date wif Liam.” She leaned close. “Did he kiss you, Momma?”
“Kiss me?” I repeated again.
She nodded. “You hafta kiss on a date.”
“Oh, we kissed, all right,” Liam said, striding in. “I kissed your momma every chance I got. Even when I had to chase her.”
Lucy laughed in delight as Liam took her from me, pretending she was an airplane and flying her around the room. He settled her against his chest and listened as she lectured him on something. He nodded, looking serious, and assured her he had done exactly that. “It was just pretend.”
“Otay.”
“Go get dressed, baby. Breakfast will be ready soon,” I said.
She glanced up at Liam. “You stay? Momma makes good pandcakes.”
“As if I could resist,” he teased and watched her hurry down the hall.
I tested the pan and poured the first batter onto the hot griddle. “What was that about?” I asked.
He sighed and leaned against the counter. “Um, I am supposed to get permission before I touch you. There are private parts no one is allowed near. Chasing does not indicate consent.” He scrubbed his face. “I have a lot to learn. And, no, she didn’t say it exactly like that, but I got the gist.”
He hung his head. “And apparently I’ve been touching a lot of no-no places on you.”
I sidled up to him and kissed his cheek. “You’re doing great. It’s something they teach at school now. And you can touch my no-no places anytime you want.”
His smile could light up the room. “Excellent.”
Thursday morning, Beth left to meet Evan’s teacher, and a short while later, Liam called and told me what the project they had been working on entailed. It had nothing to do with business and everything to do with Evan. He explained that BAM and ABC were going to Evan’s school to talk about bullying. Ronan had arranged all of it.
“I didn’t want to say anything in case something fell through. The principal has no idea what we’re doing. Mr. Humphries arranged it all with Ronan and Bentley.” He paused. “Could you come to the school? I know Beth is going to be shocked. I’m sure she’d love you there.”
“Absolutely.”
“I’ll swing by and pick you up on my way. Fifteen minutes enough time?”
“Yes.”
At the school, I found Beth and Evan at the back of the full auditorium. Ronan called Evan up to the front, and we watched as he slowly made his way to join them and listened to the way Ronan introduced him. There was no doubt of their connection after his words.
Watching all the men and women of these companies, this family, speak about what they did, their beliefs, and their experiences was riveting. Aiden was hilarious when he cursed mildly and his family all chuckled, but his words hit home with the kids. Beth held my hand tightly as she watched these people rally around her brother. Show the school he hadn’t been lying when he said he knew the men of BAM. That he meant something special to them. Ronan stood behind him, his large hands resting on Evan’s shoulders, and more than once, Beth choked back a sob. I saw the principal staring her way.
“I think someone is going to eat humble pie,” I whispered to her.
“He can wait,” she replied.
Liam was on the other side of Ronan and, a couple of times, leaned down to listen to something Evan would say. He ruffled his hair at one point, making Evan laugh. He looked toward the back of the auditorium as if searching for me. I waggled my fingers, not sure if he could see me, but I saw his waggle back so I knew he could. He looked every inch a businessman in a suit and tie. The jacket stretched across his shoulders and the pants fit his thick legs so well, I knew the suit had to be custom tailored for him. His hair brushed the back of the collar. He was devastatingly sexy, and his outfit was vastly different from what he usually wore. I approved.
The Q&A was long, but no one was impatient. There was no glancing at wrists or rushed responses. When Bentley wrapped it up and announced the help line, the affection I had been feeling for Liam’s family exploded into love. What an incredible group of human beings. I understood now what Liam had said about the charities they believed in.
“We support the causes we believe in. We live it.”
Afterward, they all gathered around Evan and Beth. A circle of support. Beth looked at them with tears in her eyes. “Thank you. For what you did for Evan, thank you.”
Liam huffed. “We couldn’t let them get away with calling him a liar.”
“Or hurting him,” Aiden added, his hand on Evan’s shoulder. “Not happening again.”
“The help line was very generous,” I said.
Bentley smiled. “We sponsor a lot of help lines and programs. We do it for Aiden and kids like him. So they know they aren’t as alone as it seems.”
“Do you think it will make a difference?” Beth asked quietly to Ronan.
He grinned. “All the firepower of BAM and ABC claiming Evan as one of ours? Absolutely. I think the little fuckers will think twice about bullying anyone.”
“Ronan,” Bentley hissed. “We’re in a school, for heaven’s sake. With kids. Watch the language.”
“If my dad can do it, so can I,” he protested. “Besides, there’re no kids around.”
“Evan is here,” Beth pointed out dryly.
“Evan isn’t a kid. He’s family,” Ronan stated firmly. The rest of them nodded, and I saw Beth’s eyes fill with tears again.
Ronan leaned down, his voice quiet. “I’m taking Beth and Evan to lunch. Can I have her for the night? I called her boss, and he gave her the night off.”
“Absolutely. We’ll have a night together with Evan. You take care of her.”
He winked. “I plan to.”
Liam slipped his arm around my waist. “Any chance I can convince you to play hooky with me?”
“Already booked off.”
“That’s my girl.”
Evan was a different boy that night. He sat and talked to Liam for a while as I bathed Lucy. He’d eaten all his dinner, laughed and teased Lucy, and insisted on helping with dishes. He told me he’d received a lot of attention at school after lunch, as he dried the dishes.
“Not the bad kind this time,” he assured me.
“How do you feel about that?”
He shrugged. “I know who the real people are, Paige. The ones who liked me before this morning. I’m going to stick with them.”