Before Sunrise (25 page)

“
Hey, all right, I
understand. We won’t take the test yet. But Kennedy, regardless,
Liam is your destiny. He’s back because of his love for you. You
need to celebrate that. Stop beating yourself up and get out there
and fight for your guy. How many times have you told me how much
you love him, what he means to you? How you wanted this chance? I
know you aren’t going to waste it on second-guessing
yourself.”

“
He looked so good.” Kennedy
laughed through fresh tears. “Even when Liam’s angry he’s…he’s just
my guy. He called me last night and his voice…Angie, I’m telling
you I got my head in the clouds half the time.”

“
I know. I got word Tony was
back and the two of them showed up, I was just blown away. I mean,
he looked like the same old Liam—”

“
Wait. Exactly when did you
see him? After he left here?” Kennedy asked.

“
I-I—”

“
Angelina, you
knew?”

“
I can explain.”

“
How long? You let me plan
to have a kid with Phil and you knew he was alive for the past
three months?”

“
No. No, Kennedy. I just
found out the night Tony came home. He walked through my door like
it was the most natural thing. He and Tony damn near threatened me
not to call you. I told him he had to see you within 24 hours. I
wouldn’t keep this from you.”

Kennedy sighed. “I need to go.”

“
Kennedy. Listen to me. I
would never—”

“
I’ll call you
back.”

She hung up the phone, and it rang again.
“Hello!”

“
Mrs. Flanagan-Freeman this
is WSSV News Channel 3. We’re wondering if you would like to give a
statement on the miraculous return of your hus—”

She hung up.

“
Mommy? Why are you sad
again?” Mackenzie watched her curiously.

Kennedy forced a smile. “Oh, sweetheart, I’m
not. No baby, I’m not.”

The phone rang again. Kennedy groaned. She
picked up the handset to turn it off and saw the number was the
Marriott Suites. Her stomach cramped. She answered quickly.
“Hello?”

His deep smoky voice was what she needed to
hear.

“
Liam? Is that
you?”

“
Morning, Kay. Did I wake
you?” he asked, but she could tell by his tone he really didn’t
care if he had.

“
No, I’m awake.”

“
Okay. Um, are you alone? I
mean is Phil there?”

“
No, Liam, he’s not.” She
couldn’t help it. She smiled.

“
Is Mac up?”

“
She’s right here. She and I
were hoping that maybe you would join us for breakfast.”

When he didn’t respond she quickly added,
“Just us.”

“
I’d like that.”

“
We would, too. It’s been a
long time since I cooked for you. I can make you anything you
want.”

He didn’t answer.

“
Liam, come over, okay? Let
me cook for you. Please.”

“
I’m on my way.” He hung
up.

Kennedy grinned at her daughter. “Mackenzie,
come here.” Mac skipped over. “You remember your daddy, from
heaven?”

“
Yes, mommy.”

“
He’s coming over. He wants
to have breakfast with us. Is that okay?”

“
I guess.”

“
What is it,
baby?”

“
He’s mad at you. He said he
isn’t, but he is.”

“
No, no sweetheart, it was
all a big mistake. He isn’t angry with me, and you know
what?”

“
What?”

“
He’s so excited to have
seen you. That was him. He can’t wait to come over. He really wants
to get to know you most of all.”

“
Think he’ll want to come in
my room and play with Fishie?”

“
Definitely.”

“
And color with me,
too?”

“
I’m willing to guess he
will color all day with you.”

“
Really?” Her eyes went
wide.

“
Let’s get dressed.
Okay?”

“
Okay.”

***

Kennedy turned front to back, and then back
to front. She’d spent so much time in the mirror, she’d forgotten
her main goal should be to get breakfast prepared. One final check
of her makeup. She found it almost perfect. She wished she could
find her rose lip-gloss. She settled for the clear. Her green tea
dress hugged her waist nicely and complemented her legs. She put on
a new pair of three-inch sandals to give her calves an extra lift.
Though it was a summer dress, she figured it would work since
they’d be stuck inside.

When they’d first started dating, her summer
dresses were his favorite. She had a closet full, from remembering
how she felt in them, thanks to Liam’s desires. Scanning every
detail of her attire, she frowned at the one imperfection. The only
thing she couldn’t change was her hair. She had no time to blow it
out the way he preferred. Instead, she ran a bevel iron through it
until it hung in loose layers past her shoulders.

“
How do I look, mommy?”
Mackenzie appeared. She turned in a full circle, causing the hem of
her yellow dress to swirl. Kennedy smiled. She was a perfect vision
of their love.

“
Can mommy put your hair up
in a bow?”

“
Yes.” She
nodded.

“
Come here.”

Before she could gather Mac’s locks in her
hands she heard the doorbell.

“
Uh oh. It’s
daddy-from-heaven,” Mackenzie said.

“
Yes it is. Let’s go greet
him.”

“
But my hair?”

“
I think he’ll like it like
this.”

“
Okay.” Mackenzie took her
mother’s hand and pulled her out of the room. Kennedy tried not to
be nervous. But her legs felt stiff and her stomach heavy as
granite. She descended the stairs with Mackenzie leading the
way.

“
Coming!” Mackenzie called
out.

Kennedy took in a deep breath and prepared
herself again for a proper greeting. She opened the door to a roar
of shouting from the press. Liam lifted his gaze to meet hers and
all others but three of them ceased to exist in her world. She held
her breath as his eyes gave a long perusal of her attire. She
waited. Waited. Waited. He just stared at her.

“
Hi, daddy-from-heaven,”
Mackenzie said.

His gaze shifted to their child and Kennedy
could breathe again. Liam leaned down to Mackenzie and cupped her
chin. “Hello, beautiful.”

“
You like my
dress?”

“
I love it.”

“
Come in, Liam.” Kennedy
noticed how the press had worked up to a mob-like frenzy with his
appearance. They were shouting and hollering from the street. There
were now six uniformed men standing at attention, with legs spread
and hands behind their backs. Kennedy hoped their formation blocked
at least some of the view from the front door.

Mackenzie pushed out past her mother. She
frowned, and then blinked in curiosity at the flashing bulbs and
shouting reporters. Liam quickly ushered his daughter back into the
house. Kennedy waited for him to glance her way, but he didn’t. She
tried not to take it personally, but it hurt. She closed the door
and locked it. Liam walked the best he could. He followed
Mackenzie, who pulled him to the living room. She talked to him a
mile a minute.

Liam seemed totally engrossed in his
daughter’s tale, oblivious to Kennedy hovering behind them.
Disappointed, Kennedy stepped down into the living room. “So I’m
going to start breakfast. Any special requests?” she asked, letting
hope color her voice.

“
Whatever you make is fine,”
he said dryly, barely looking up.

“
Pancakes!” Mackenzie said.
“I’m not hungry though, had cereal,” she told her father. She
clutched two of her favorite books. She handed them to Liam.
Kennedy pressed her lips together. She wanted to say more. At the
very least, to be included. But she couldn’t mistake the coldness
she felt from him. Giving up for the moment, she retreated to the
kitchen.

Liam looked up in time to see her turn on
her heel. He cut his eyes away and released the tightness in his
chest. Even now, he couldn’t look at her without feeling twenty-two
again and hopelessly in love. Kennedy was more beautiful than he
remembered. How could that be possible? Nothing in his memory could
replace the real thing. Her perfume, a powdery freshness, lingered
in the room and he kept inhaling, wanting to catch another deep
whiff of the scent. When she’d opened the door earlier, he’d been
stunned by the sight of his girls. They were breathtaking.

“
Will you read to
me?”

“
Sure. What’s this?” Liam
asked, setting his cane down.

“
The Girl with the Blue
Ribbon.” Mackenzie grinned. “It’s my favorite. My other daddy reads
it all the time. Mommy too.”

Liam bit his tongue. He looked up into
Mackenzie’s wide, expectant eyes and the ball of anger forming
seemed to dissolve. “Well, let’s see what I can do. Come here.”

He lifted her to his good knee. She smelled
so sweet, like baby lotion. He leaned in and kissed her cheek. She
giggled, and dimples appeared. Just like her mother. Mackenzie
reminded him of his little sister as well. Her voice, mannerisms,
all of it came back to the point of overwhelming him. He opened the
book and tried to read through the pages. As she pointed out her
favorite parts and helped him read parts she’d obviously memorized,
he settled into his first real meeting with his little girl. It
gave him hope.

Kennedy spent the next thirty-five minutes
meticulously preparing everything to Liam’s liking. She even made
his favorite biscuits from scratch. Perspiring with nervous energy,
she set the table. On her second trip to the kitchen to retrieve
the breakfast meat, she turned to find Liam standing there.

“
You didn’t have to cook all
this food, Kay.”

He stared directly into her eyes. And this
time it was a look she knew. God, she wished he didn’t stare at her
that way. Her cheeks flamed, her nipples tingled, and she felt her
skin warm all over. She tried to pretend she was unaffected. But
she kept staring at his lips and licking her own. She wondered if
the passion would be the same with him. Kennedy remembered how
intense and demanding he’d been as a lover. Their marital bed had
been a safe haven for them both. A place where they connected, body
and soul. The things she shared with Liam, she never gave to
another man. Would that matter to him now? To know that there still
remained parts of her that only he touched. If only she could be
with him physically. What she would give to have him pull her hair
and take her forcefully until all the doubt and insecurities were
burned away.

“
It smells good.” He’d
mistaken her silence for something else.

She smiled up at him. “I told you. I wanted
to feed you, the way I know you like.”

A small, sly smile lifted the corner of his
mouth. He would cook for them the night before he’d been called
away. But before sunrise she’d cook his breakfast and wait for his
return. He’d wolf down his food as she gave him a rundown on her
week while he was gone. Then he’d lift her from the table, throw
her over his shoulder sometimes, and the things they did…well he
wouldn’t let her out of bed until sunset.

He walked toward her. He took the dish from
her hands and placed it on the counter.

“
I thought of you all night.
Of us.”

Kennedy couldn’t speak. Her throat went dry
and her tongue thick in her mouth. Liam’s irises seemed to dissolve
into the calmest shade of blue.

“
Where is he?” he asked, his
voice tight and firm.

“
Who?” she gulped. Her brain
went to mush with him so close.

“
Phil,” he spat, as if the
name tasted sour on his tongue.

“
I asked him to
leave.”

“
Why?”

“
Because.”

“
Because what,
Kay?”

“
Because I didn’t want him
here.”

“
Was he in your bed last
night?”

She shook her head no.

Liam frowned. “So he’s gone for the
day?”

“
No. He moved back on base.
He’s gone.”

To her relief, she saw the hard, angry lines
around his eyes and mouth soften. He looked down at her the way he
had so many times before and she thought her restraint would snap
like a rubber band and she’d gush out all her fears and needs in
one breath. But she needed to remain calm. Strong. “I’m so happy
you came this morning. I thought about you all night, too,
Liam.”

Liam touched the side of her face, a brush
of his fingers over her cheek so light it tickled her down to her
toes. He leaned in and kissed her. Kennedy lifted her chin to bring
her lips fully to his and she floated on their very first kiss in
five long, painful years.

“
Eww! What you doing? Stop!”
Mackenzie screeched behind them. Liam’s head shot around. Mackenzie
glared at her father first, then her mother. “Why are you doing
that to my mommy? Why did you kiss her? Mommy? You kiss daddy! Not
this daddy.”

“
Mac….”

Mackenzie turned and ran from the kitchen.
Kennedy’s heart dropped. This was one of her many fears, hurting
Mac. How could she tell Liam she wanted space and time to adjust
for her and Mackenzie, and then hope for more every time he entered
the room?