Three months later
January
Beverly Hills, California
"Hey Drew, I'm gonna go to the back and work on this suit before Liam comes to pick me up."
I was putting the finishing touches on Liam's suit for our wedding, which would take place the very next week in Memphis. It was unbelievably fun to work on my own groom's suit. I had worked on countless suits for other grooms, and I honestly never thought the day would come when I made one for my own. It was surreal.
Liam had been in L.A. with me for the last few days, and we had plans to fly to Tennessee together on Thursday before getting married the following weekend.
"You've got an appointment coming in," Drew said, stopping me in my tracks.
"An appointment?"
He nodded, and I shook my head at him.
"Nothing's on the books."
He shrugged. "I saw it," he said.
"Three guys for a wedding party. They're coming in at six."
"It's almost six now," I said incredulously. "And Liam's on his way. I can't start work on another wedding. I've got my own wedding to worry about."
He shrugged at me like he couldn’t help me, which was unlike him. "They just want to buy something off the rack," he said. "It shouldn't be a big deal."
"Then, can you please do it?"
He shook his head. "They asked for you. It's on your books."
"I did not see that," I said, heading toward the back. "I guess just let me know when they get here. I'm gonna have to make Liam wait."
It was only five minutes later when Drew came to the back to get me. I had just gotten into a groove working on Liam's coat buttons, and I was really hoping the appointment wouldn't show up.
"Who is it?" I asked on our way to the front.
"I think they're from out of town," Drew said.
There was a group of people standing in the middle of the store when I walked out, and they turned when they heard me come in.
"Hello," I said. I started to say more, but I couldn't finish when I saw who they were.
My mother and father were standing there with John David and Ricky. As I approached, I could see that Chelsea and the kids were there, too. She had been kneeling down when I came in, but she stood up, smiling at me.
I was shocked, speechless, and I looked around at all of them not knowing what to say.
"When did, how did, when did you guys get here?" I stuttered.
"Earlier today," my mom said, stepping forward to give me a hug. I glanced over my shoulder at Drew who was smiling at me.
"Is this my appointment?" I asked, still feeling shocked.
He smiled and nodded, and I looked at my parents.
"Liam did this for us," my mom explained. "He knew you had made the boys' suits for the wedding, and he thought we might like to come to Los Angeles to try them on in person."
I dazedly gave hugs to my father and brothers as she spoke, trying to take it all in. My team had suits prepared for the men in my family and Liam's family. They weren't custom—I didn't have time for that—but they were nice suits, and we had already made the alterations. I had taken measurements on one of my trips to Memphis, and was planning on taking the suits to Tennessee with me for the wedding.
"Liam's real proud of you and your accomplishments," my dad added. "He wanted us to see your store and everything."
"He paid for our plane tickets," Ricky said.
"And Disney for the kids," Chelsea added.
"We're doing that tomorrow," my mom said. "He just said he thought Daddy and the boys might want to come get a personal fitting so we can see your store and everything. He put us up in a nice hotel right by Disney so we can take the kids to see Mickey Mouse while we were here."
Molly cheered, and so did Jonah, although he had no idea what they were talking about.
"Your place is pretty fancy," Ricky said. "I didn't know you were on Rodeo Drive with all the fancy pants."
I smiled at him. "I am a fancy pants," I said, teasing him and sticking my tongue out.
I caught up with them for a moment before going to the back to retrieve their suits. Drew helped me, and we had the guys try everything on. I went to one of the fitting and measuring areas with my dad, and Drew took my brothers to another. Mom and Chelsea took the kids for a walk to give them something to do while they waited. My dad changed into the suit, and I smiled at him when he came out.
"Wow, you look handsome, Dad."
He smiled meekly at me, and I gestured for him to step onto the platform so that I could take a look at the fit. I went around him, checking the length and fit of everything and making sure the seams fell at all the right places. I glanced at his face while I was adjusting his collar, and his shoulders fell as if he had been holding his breath.
"Taylor," he said.
His voice was quiet and timid, and I tilted my head at him. "Sir?"
"I just want to tell you how proud I am of you, baby."
I smiled. "Thanks Dad."
"No, I mean it, Taylor," he said. "I don't think any of us knew your store was quite like this, and uh, well, anyway, I'm sure you had to do a lot of hard work to make it this far, and I just wanted to say I'm real proud of you. I don't know if any of us ever thought you would end up with a store like this."
He was staring straight into my eyes with a sincere, almost regretful expression that made me want to cry. My dad was a man of few words, so I knew it took a lot for him to say those things.
I gave him a thankful smile. "Thanks Dad."
"Thank you," he said. He glanced down at his suit. "I don't think I've ever worn anything like this before."
Liam showed up at the store about thirty minutes later when I was wrapping things up with my family. He was coming in as they were going out, and they all hugged him and thanked him again for treating them to a mini-vacation.
He had done it for me—not for my family but for me. He loved me so much that he wanted my family to have more of a grasp on how far I had come. It wasn't that he wanted me to show off or anything… he was just proud of me and he wanted them to be proud, too.
My family walked out waving at me through the window, and seconds later, I was left standing in my store, staring straight at the man I loved.
Liam.
The only one who could ever make me feel this way. He was taking me to dinner and was dressed nicely with a fresh haircut. He walked toward me wearing an irresistible grin, and I squinted and pointed at him like he was in trouble.
"You surprised me," I said.
His smile broadened and he shrugged innocently. "I thought they needed to make sure their suits fit."
I approached him, gently brushing up next to him and feeling breathless at how handsome he was.
"My dad said more words to me in the last thirty minutes than in all the rest of my whole life combined."
"Good," Liam said. "I hope they were the right words."
"They were," I said. "He said he was proud."
"He should be."
His sweetness caused my eyes to sting.
"How'd I get you?" I asked in awestruck wonder as I gazed at his face.
"I thought I was the one who got you," he said.
I shrugged, shifting gently in front of him and encouraging him to hold onto me, which he did.
"I guess we got each other," I said.
"Yep," he agreed.
"And guess what's next week," I asked.
"What? I'm gonna marry you?"
I nodded.
"I can't wait," he said.
"Me neither. Hey, Liam?"
"What?"
"Thank you. Thank you for what you did just now."
"It was my pleasure," he said. "I love showing you off. It's my favorite."
I could see out of the corner of my eye that people were window-shopping in front of my store and could clearly see us.
"You can show me off right now if you want," I whispered.
"How's that?"
"People are looking in the window right now," I whispered.
He squeezed me around the waist, holding me closer. "Are you daring me to kiss you right here in front of Drew and all these nice people?"
I hesitated but then nodded shyly, biting my lip.
And the next thing I knew, Liam lowered his head to kiss me. He placed a gentle kiss right on my mouth, and the soft tenderness of it sent a crashing wave of anticipation over me.
I squeezed his arms, whimpering at the feeling.
"Did they see?" he whispered with his mouth right next to mine.
I nodded, and he smiled as he pulled back.
"I love you, Taylor."
"I love you too," I said.
And I meant it.
I had never loved another human like I loved Liam Kennedy, and the best part was that I knew he loved me back.
I knew it all the way down to my bones.
I knew we'd be together forever.
I knew he was my happily ever after.
The End
(till book 7)