Page 18 of Rejected Heart (The Westwoods #5)

LIAM

PRESENT DAY

The moment I stepped out of my truck and shut the door, I listened for it.

Mere seconds passed before the sound hit my ears and sent pools of warmth moving through my chest.

The sound of my family’s laughter and conversation floated through the air and beckoned me.

It was one of the only things that could make me smile these days, so I moved away from my truck and toward the back of my parents’ house, needing to be closer to that sound and the people from which it came.

It was all I really had. They were all I had.

And even if they all believed differently—that I was more detached from them than I used to be—they were mistaken. I was anchored, tethered to them. It was just different now than it used to be.

I needed these people in my life in ways I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to express. If it hadn’t been for them, I wasn’t quite sure where I’d be.

Of course, I couldn’t necessarily blame them for thinking I’d checked out.

I was certainly much more reserved these days, thinking rather than leading.

But even if I spent more time observing now, I still enjoyed being with them and participating or celebrating all the milestones in their lives.

Rounding the back corner of the house, they all came into view.

My brothers and sisters, parents and grandparents, sisters-in-law and brother-in-law were all in attendance.

There was hardly any surface not being utilized, whether for the food, drinks, and desserts or to sit and be entertained.

The water in the pool was crystal clear, waiting for what would, no doubt, be an afternoon of fun and games.

Being part of this family meant knowing how and when to celebrate, and today was no different. It was July 1 st , which meant it was my brother’s birthday. And this one was extra special. Not because he’d reached some milestone birthday, though.

It was because this birthday was Cooper’s first as a dad. And not quite two months from now, we’d be celebrating his daughter’s first birthday.

As though she sensed me thinking about her, my niece’s eyes landed on me.

She squirmed in her dad’s arms, so he eased her down to her bare feet in the manicured grass.

Cooper’s eyes remained on his daughter as she took three or four unsteady steps in my direction.

I remained put, feeling my heart swell with so much love and pride.

When the walking became too much of a task, she lowered herself to her hands and knees and took off.

If ever there was a contest for crawling babies, my niece would easily beat out the competition.

Only after I crouched down, placing the gift I’d brought for my brother on the grass beside me, and urged her on, did anyone realize I’d arrived. I heard my sister-in-law, Skye, make a declaration about it. “Liam’s here. My daughter is heading over to greet her uncle.”

Beyond hearing that statement, I didn’t pay attention to anyone other than the little girl headed my way, and when she was close enough, I scooped her into my arms and blew raspberries on her cheek and neck. Roselle’s giggles filled the air around us, and my heart exploded in my chest.

There was nothing better.

Nothing better than the sound of her laughter. It was the kind of thing I truly believed could heal a person.

After showering Roselle with some love and attention, I focused my gaze on the man in front of me. “Happy Birthday, Cooper.”

“Thanks, Liam.” He jerked his chin toward Roselle. “She noticed you before the rest of us did.”

The corners of my mouth tipped up. “What can I say? I’m her favorite uncle.”

He rolled his eyes and shook his head, a smile playing at his lips. “That’s because you spoil her. ”

“And you don’t?”

Cooper hung his head with mock shame. “I guess I can’t argue that one.”

Roselle’s tiny hand landed on my cheek and squeezed as she babbled away. “What is it, Rosie? Are you excited to celebrate your dad’s birthday? I hope there’re a lot of presents here for you instead of him.”

On that thought, I crouched again and picked up the gift I’d gotten for my brother and handed it to him.

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

Roselle continued talking gibberish, but I listened intently to every word she said.

“We’re going to go swimming after lunch,” I promised her. “Unless you have to take a nap. Then I’ll take you swimming after your nap.”

“Oh, she’s ready for that. She told me this morning.” Skye had walked up and placed her hand on my arm as she smiled at me. “Hi, Liam.”

Leaning toward her, I wrapped my arm around her back and pressed a kiss on her cheek to greet her. “Hey, Skye. I’m just trying to plan out my day with my favorite girl.”

Her eyes shifted between her daughter and me after I took a step back. “She really does love you.”

I grinned. “Well, we know she gets her smarts from her mama, right?”

Cooper moved toward his wife. “You’ll get no argument from me on that one. Now, come and join the rest of us, Liam. ”

With my niece still in my arms, I finally made my way over to the rest of my family and greeted them.

“You’ve got perfect timing, Liam,” my mom declared. “We just got the last of the food out, so we’re all set to dig in.”

“Sounds great. Everything looks amazing, Mom.”

“Well, you know I had help. Ivy took care of the planning, decorating and setup, and Gram helped me with all the food. As always, Jules oversaw the dessert.”

Jules was the baker of the family, so that came as no surprise.

But it was at that moment I realized I hadn’t yet spoken to my youngest sister. “Where is Jules?”

A look of concern washed over my mom’s expression, and her eyes darted around the outdoor space. “Oh, um, she must have gone inside for a minute. I’m sure she’ll be right out.”

While I was undeniably close with my brothers—Wyatt, Cooper, and Tate—and I had a great relationship with my older sister, Ivy, as well as my siblings-in-law—Rhea, Skye, Ava, and Marco—there was something special about the bond I had with Jules.

I didn’t know if it was because we were the youngest in age, only two years separating us, or if it was something else. When I’d gone through the most difficult and trying time in my life, my entire family had supported me. But nobody had been there for me the way Jules had.

“Would you like me to take Rosie so you can eat?”

I looked to my left and saw that my grandmother had approached. It was no secret that Roselle had become the center of attention in the family. She was the first grandchild for my parents, the first niece for my other siblings and me, and the first great grandchild for Wendy and Larry Westwood.

No matter how much I adored the woman standing beside me with that hopeful expression, I couldn’t miss the way her eyes were fixated on my niece. So, I turned slightly to the right, keeping a firm hold on the girl in my arms.

“Sorry, Gram. You get to see her more often than I do. She’s staying with me for now.” Roselle let out a squeal of delight, forcing the laughter to spill out of me. “Plus, look how happy she is that I’m here.”

Gram accepted her fate and walked away without the baby. I decided to grab a seat and spend some time playing with Roselle while everyone went about getting food.

After everyone had gotten something to eat—I’d even snagged a few bites while holding on to my niece—Wyatt warned, “Hey, Coop. I don’t know how soon you intend to open any gifts, but the gift Rhea and I got for you to open today is more for your daughter than you.”

Cooper rolled his eyes and laughed. “Anything that might occupy her or make her happy is a great gift for me, so I’m not mad about it.”

“That’s good to know, because it’s kind of the same with Marco and me,” Ivy chimed in.

“You mean, my own best friend didn’t want to get me a present?” Cooper teased.

Marco laughed. “It just feels wrong to buy you presents now that you’re a dad. We did get you something small, and I do think you’ll love the gift we did get you. Roselle just has a couple of her own to open. That’s all.”

I held my niece up in front of me and asked, “Do you hear that, Rosie? Everybody got presents for you on Daddy’s birthday.”

Her hands were balled into fists, and she brought them to her mouth as she smiled at me and drooled.

“We do have one other gift for you, Cooper,” Rhea declared. “It’s just that it hasn’t arrived yet.”

“Oh, that’s okay. Don’t worry about it being late.”

“It’s not exactly late,” Wyatt corrected him. “It’s just coming after your birthday.”

My brows pulled together as Cooper returned, “I’m not sure I understand what that means.”

Wyatt and Rhea exchanged excited glances before Wyatt looked at Cooper and said, “Rhea’s pregnant. We’re making you an uncle.”

“What?!” Jules shrieked, shooting to her feet. “Another baby in the family?”

Rhea had tears in her eyes as she nodded. “Yes, we’re so excited.”

The rest of the family got up and moved to congratulate Wyatt and Rhea. I sat there for a few minutes with Rosie until everyone had an opportunity to do so. Then I stood and made my way to my brother and sister-in-law.

“Congratulations,” I said, offering Rhea a hug and kiss on the cheek before placing a hand on my brother’s shoulder .

They were both so excited. “Thanks, Liam. We were talking about it earlier today, and we’re curious if you’re going to wind up being our baby’s favorite uncle, too.”

I smiled at them. “Well, look at the other choices. Of course, I will be.”

“Hey, Uncle Liam,” Skye interjected.

Spinning around, I replied, “Yeah?”

“It’s time for her to take a nap, so I’m going to need to steal her away.”

I could have held and played with my niece the entire time we were here. But I was aware that if she didn’t get her nap, she’d get crabby. So, I gave her a few kisses, listened to her laughter, and handed her off to her mom.