Missed Me, Missed Me, Now You Gotta Kiss Me

Let's Find Out

  I grinned, taking a running start before jumping on Liam’s back, linking my legs around his torso. “Afternoon, chum!” I greeted, kissing his cheek.

  Liam laughed, holding my legs so I wouldn’t fall. “You crazy girl.”

  I giggled, snatching the worn out brown baseball cap off him and placing it on my head. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever. What’re you doing?”

  “Working, which is more than I can say for you. Your really need a hobby, you know that?”

  I flipped the hat around backwards so I could rest my head in the crook of Liam’s neck. “My hobby is annoying you ‘till you’re sick of me. Sick of me yet?”

  He chuckled. “Not quite.”

  “Hmm. I’ll just hafta try harder than.”

  “Try as hard as you want. I won’t be sick of you.”

  Right on schedule, my stomach did a complete somersault. “Never say never!”

  “I didn’t say ‘never’.”

  I flicked his ear again. “Smart ass.”

  “I do try.”

  I laughed, reluctantly sliding off his back. “What specific work are you doing?”

  Liam turned and snatched his hat back. “Workin’ on getting’ outta here.”

  I jutted out my bottom lip in a pout. “Oh, now you’re just hurting my feelings.”

  He laughed, doing miniscule things; like retrieving old bale strings and astray brushes. The barn had to be spotless. “I didn’t mean to. I just wanna get home.”

  I followed him all through the barn, helping with the small after-work mess. “Can I come with you?” I ventured.

  Liam turned and raised a brow at me.

  I blushed. “Sorry. That one I wasn’t thinking about. Then you’d hafta drive me all the way back here….it’d just be a hassle.”

  “Piper,” Liam laughed. “You can come, too.”

  I grinned. “Really?”

  He nodded, smiling.

  “Good. I’m bringing Harry Potter with me, then.”

  Liam rolled his eyes, but I knew he was itching to finish them. “Might as well sleep over then.”

  I grinned wider. “Want me to?” I think maybe he was just joking, and I meant to be joking, too, but it didn’t quite come out that way.

  When Liam looked at me, I knew he wanted me to stay the night, but he hesitated all the same.

  “No funny business,” I said. “I promise.”

  This made him laugh. “If you can stand the smell. Madeline’s got an inside cat and she never cleans that damned litter box.”

  I shrugged. “I can take a little cat piss.”

  Liam laughed and nodded toward the house. “Go get your stuff.”

  I literally ran to the house. I grabbed random clothes and toiletries, stuffing them inside my messenger back, along with my Harry Potter collection. I was on my way back out when my mom caught me; I didn’t even see her sitting at the computer.

  “Where’re you going?” she asked, eyeing my bag.

  I tried to keep a smooth poker face. She’d freak if I told her I was staying the night at Liam’s house. “Lulu’s. Is that okay?”