Page 47

“So, are you ready to meet Topher?” I turned to Liam.

He was staring after Nina though, like he couldn’t believe a whole conversation had just happened without involving him.

I tugged on his sleeve. “Come on, superstar, let’s head out back.”

Liam followed without complaint, and I all but forgot he was with me as Topher came into view. The four-year-old was sitting on his knees leaning over the coffee table as he drew on a large piece of butcher’s paper. His tongue was caught between his teeth as he focused on his masterpiece, and it took him several moments to realize he had company.

His eyes darted up, and a huge grin stretched across his face. “Teagan, you’re here!” he squealed with delight. He launched to his feet and raced over to give me a hug.

“Hey, little bug,” I replied, scuffing his hair in greeting. “I missed you this week.”

“Me too,” he said. A small frown crossed his features as he focused on the boy behind me, and a look of awe lit up his eyes. “You brought Dino to meet me?”

I laughed and looked over my shoulder at Liam. “Dino?” I asked.

“Dino and the Gang,” Liam murmured. “I didn’t know they were still running the show.” In an instant, Liam’s face transformed into a goofy grin as he crouched down to Topher’s level. “Well, hi there, pal. Yes, Teagan brought me here to meet you today.” His voice was high-pitched and enthusiastic as he turned into Dino before my eyes. The cool Hollywood star has gone, replaced by a dorky children’s TV character. I couldn’t help but smile though when I saw how excited Topher was getting.

He tugged my hand as he started to jump up and down. “Is Teagan in your gang?”

“She sure is,” Liam replied.

A moment later, Topher had grabbed Liam’s hand and the small child was dragging him over to the coffee table. “Dino, I want to show you my picture.”

I watched and laughed as a slightly overwhelmed Liam was forcibly pulled across the room by the small boy. He gave me a warm smile as he went though, all too happy to indulge Topher.

“See, that’s my mommy,” Topher said, pointing at his drawing. I could see he’d drawn Nina in her scrubs, and I had to stop from chuckling when I saw he’d also drawn her holding a huge syringe. Ever since he’d had a vaccination a few months back and found out the woman giving it to him was a nurse like his mom, Topher had been drawing Nina with syringes in hand.

“Wow, it looks just like her,” Liam said. “You’re a very good artist.”

Topher’s little chest puffed out with pride at Liam’s praise, and he started tugging on Liam’s jeans. “Do you know what else I’m good at?”

“What?”

“TheDino and the Gangdance.”

I couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across my face as Topher started to dance. His arms and legs were flailing all over the place, and not the least bit coordinated, but it was impossible not to find him cute.

Liam must have thought so too because he grinned before pulling out his phone. Soon, a ridiculous whistling tune started playing from the speakers, and he started mirroring Topher’s moves. A laugh burst from my chest as I watched the two of them. It was probably the most awkward dance I’d ever seen in my life, but they were both having so much fun that neither of them seemed to care.

“Don’t think you’re getting out of dancing that easily,” Liam said, grabbing my hand and dragging me over to them.

“I don’t know the moves,” I protested.

“Come on, Teagan, it’s easy. You just do this,” Topher replied, doing a crazy wave with his arms as his feet tapped out to the side.

I laughed and started copying him. “Like this?”

Topher jumped up and down and clapped. “Yes! That’s perfect!”

“You’re a natural,” Liam added, his eyes sparkling with humor.

I rolled my eyes at him but couldn’t wipe the smile from my lips as we kept dancing around the living room. I was pretty sure that theDino and the Gangdance simply involved dancing as crazily as possible, because that was what all of our movements descended into. It was fun and freeing though, and we were all laughing as we tried to outdo each other.

This was definitely a side of Liam I hadn’t seen, and messing around with him was the most fun I’d had in a long time. Dino was silly and goofy and didn’t care that he was making a complete idiot of himself. I had no idea who this guy was, but it was not the Liam Black I’d come to know.

When the song finally ended, we all fell onto the couch in a tired heap. I was still smiling, and it felt like a weight had lifted off my shoulders. Topher was grinning from ear to ear, and he was watching Liam like he was having the best day of his life.

Unfortunately for our assignment, Topher spent the next few hours commanding Liam’s attention. The kid was so incredibly excited to have one of his favorite TV characters with him that I couldn’t seem to separate the two of them. It was only when he was finally put down for his afternoon nap that Dino disappeared and Liam returned in his place.