Page 95 of Miss Understanding

“But still working at the club on the weekends?” I hated to see her unable to trade in her late nights.

“You know I don’t have a choice with working there.”

Right. Because of her grandmother’s care. It was tempting to repeat my offer to have her work extra hours for me, but I knew it would only insult her. She had to figure out what she wanted on her own.

However, I did decide to show her my commitment to being a part of her future by asking, “The grandmother I get to meet one of these Sundays for a family dinner?”

Her smile was immediate. “Do you mean it?”

“I do. But in all fairness, that means you’re stuck hanging out at Disneyland with my sister and her family when they come to visit in May.”

Her smile only got bigger.

There, had it been so hard for me to make future plans? No. The pain in my chest started to ease with the thought I’d still be with her in the months to come. However, there was a warning voice in my head telling me I was only prolonging the inevitable. Delaying the arrival of a known fact. And once we did break up, we’d be even further involved. Yet when faced with the choice between letting her go now or jumping into the deep end, I was jumping. The only question was whether I’d hurt her with the fall.

Chapter Forty-Five

Kendall

Although my birthday wasn’t until tomorrow, I was celebrating it with my family during our regular Sunday dinner.

And this time Liam was with me.

It had been a month since we’d redefined our arrangement as a relationship. Things had been great between us over the last few weeks, and we’d grown closer. I’d taken Liam’s words at face value. He’d been reluctant to have a relationship because he’d never balanced one with his job. And so far, we’d managed nicely by keeping to seeing each other mostly on the weekends.

It made sense for us to keep it quiet at the office. While staying at the firm wasn’t my long-term goal, it was definitely his. By landing the Stephen Walsh case, he was closer than ever to achieving his goal of becoming a named partner.

However, today would be the true test of how he felt about being my boyfriend. That’s why nerves attacked me the moment we pulled up into the driveway of my parents’ home. It seemed I wasn’t alone in my anxiety if his pale expression said anything. “You having second thoughts?” I asked.

He shook his head. “No. I want to meet your family. But I’ll be honest and tell you it’s been a long time since I’ve met anyone’s parents.”

I squeezed his hand. “It’ll be great.” At least here was hoping. My nan would be a delight with some slightly crazy tendencies and repetitive stories. My mother would fuss about feeding him enough and would have nothing but smiles that I’d brought someone home. As for my father— Hopefully he’d be able to accept the fact Liam was a few years older than I was.

At least I’d talked Liam out of wearing a formal suit. Instead, he was in jeans and a sweater, same as me.

We each got out of his Range Rover and stood in the driveway.

“You told them we work together?”

We’d already covered this, but given our nerves, it was probably best to go over it again. “Yes. I told them you’re an attorney, and we met at work. But they don’t know you’re my boss. And of course they don’t know I work at the club to supplement my grandmother’s care.” I paused, wrinkling up my nose. “Geez, I sound like a liar.”

Liam smiled, pulling me close in a side hug. “At least you’re a cute liar. Don’t worry, I’ll keep your secrets.” He blew out a breath. “Okay. Let’s do this.”

I was the one who was suddenly hit with second thoughts. It wasn’t that I didn’t want him to meet my family, but I worried I might be pushing him into something for which he wasn’t ready. Maybe I was freaking him out. Making him reconsider a relationship.

But an hour later, at the family dinner table, my worries were proving unfounded.

“I can see where Kendall gets her talent for cooking, Mrs. Tate. Dinner was delicious.”

My mom smiled. “Thank you. It’s our pleasure to have you here.”

Liam might not have felt completely comfortable at the table, but he’d definitely won over my grandmother and mother with his manners and compliments.

My father was harder to please. However, the two of them had bonded over their love of the LA Rams. I found it fascinating to listen to Liam talk football as I hadn’t realized he was into sports. Then again, I shouldn’t have been surprised. He had to win clients and win over juries. Dealing with my family was probably a piece of cake.

I was calling this evening another win until my nan asked, “Do you know Kendall’s boss at the firm?”

Liam stiffened but gave her a kind smile. “I do.”