Read One Day (A Valentine Short Story) for Free Online Page A

does. The boys and I aren’t close with her at all anymore. She blames me for that, too.” Hearing the dullness in my words I shook my head, embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I got all serious and depressing on you there.”
    He nudged me with his shoulder. “You can get all serious and depressing on me anytime.”
    I smiled gratefully and nudged him back. “What about you? Your family?”
    “Back in Colorado.” He said. “I try to visit every couple of years. They can’t really afford to come here.”
    “Do you miss them?”
    “Yeah. But we video call. I catch up with them every few weeks.”
    “Brothers? Sisters?”
    “Both. My parents wanted a big family and they have it.” He grinned out at the water as he thought about them. “I have a big sister, Melanie. She has four kids of her own. Then there is me. No kids,” he shot me a smile, “Yet. Next are the twins, Kyle and Leeanne. They both have two kids. And then my baby sister, Beth. No kids. She’s at college.”
    “Wow. That is a big family.”
    “Yeah. We have our dramas like everyone else, but it’s a good family to be a part of.”
    “They must miss you horribly.”
    “For all you know I could be a terrible brother and they’re glad to see the back of me,” he teased.
    “No way.” It wasn’t possible.
    “No?” He gave me a sexy, inquiring smile.
    I felt that flip in my lower belly again. Feeling brave I shrugged, giving him a cheeky smile in return. “You’re too likeable.”
    He narrowed his eyes, his expression playful. “Oh I get it. You’re attracted to me.”
    Cocky bugger. “So. You’re attracted to me.”
    Liam grinned, his gaze dipping to my mouth. “You are not wrong.”
    My breath stuttered, wondering if he would kiss me. The blood whooshed in my ears, blood that grew hotter in my veins as I waited for him to make a move.
    I was yanked out of the moment when he abruptly looked away, staring back out at the water. “I can’t make up my mind if it’s those beautiful eyes or those sexy-as-fuck dimples. It might be the dimples.”
    “Huh?” I said, confused, dazed, wondering why we weren’t kissing.
    “Your dimples. They slay me.”
    Amused at the thought of my dimples slaying anyone, I pointed to the one that creased my right cheek as I grinned. “These little things?”
    Amusement danced in his eyes. “They have power over me. I imagine they have power over many men.”
    I laughed, delighted by the thought. “If only I’d use the power for good instead of evil.”
    Chuckling Liam reached for a bottle of water, but he made no move on me at all after that.
    Instead, having openly admitted we were attracted to each other only made the awareness between us more intense. Sexual tension was strung taut between us like a live wire. And every time our hands or arms brushed, tingles shot to all my girly parts.
    “If you have such a wonderful family, why are you here instead of over there?” I suddenly said, breaking the tension-filled silence.
    He narrowed his eyes in thought. “When I came here for college it was for an adventure. I’d always planned on going home and being a forest engineer there. But something happened when I got here.” He looked at me. “I fell in love.”
    For some reason the thought of him in love with some other girl made my heart twist painfully in my chest. “Oh?”
    “With this country. I fell in love with this country.”
    Inexplicable relief moved through. “It’s a seductive place.”
    “It is that.” He sighed. “I felt more at home here than I did back Colorado. The country, the people, the humor. It fit me better. But I love my family too. It was difficult for me. I was split in two.”
    “So how did you come to the decision to stay?”
    “I went home for a while and I missed being here. My family told me to go back to Scotland. They knew I wasn’t happy.”
    “They sound like a good bunch,” I said, and for some weird reason I found myself wanting to meet them.
    I realized I