Legacy by M.A. Foster
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Katie
It feels good to be back in Heritage Bay. I’d only been away for three and a half months, but it feels like years. My time in London was amazing, and leaving was bittersweet, but I was ready to come home. I missed my routine, and visiting my son. I missed my home, and my little Rocky.
Before our flight back to Heritage Bay, Gabbi and I met up with Tom and Peter and their wives for breakfast. Tom continued to sing my praises over the Bliss project and insisted I take the rest of the week off to get settled and back on US time. I’ve only been home for a few days, but I decided to take advantage of the time off.
My first stop was the cemetery. I smiled and silently thanked Vanessa when I saw the fresh pots of poinsettias arranged around Bennett’s headstone.
On the way home, I stopped by Cafe by the Bay to see Hazel and delivered the English jam as promised. We sat for a minute and chatted. She told me business was good, the novelty cups were a huge hit, and she even gushed over some of the famous faces who’d stopped in—including Jayla King, who’d been in several times. I bought a cup for myself that said “I Don’t Give A Sip” and promised I’d stop in again soon.
The next day, I drove thirty minutes out of town to spend the day with my parents for a late Christmas celebration. We had lunch, opened gifts, and called my siblings on FaceTime.
Yesterday, I spent the afternoon relaxing and reading. I downloaded a few e-books to include the following tropes: office romance, age gap, arranged marriage, and, of course, one-night stand.
Tonight, I’m heading over to Vanessa and Liam’s new house for dinner. With Gabbi’s help, Liam bought Vanessa a house on the island, just around the corner from his brother, Max. Turning off Oceanside, I drive over the bridge connecting downtown to the island and onto Heritage Boulevard.
Although the island makes up a big part of Heritage Bay, it’s like entering an entirely different world.
The island is like a small town inside a city. There’s Pelican Cove front and center. It’s a popular place known for its nightlife, upscale restaurants, and shopping. Just past Pelican Cove, there’s cafes, boutiques, lofts, townhomes, a beach and country club, a hotel, and a small shopping plaza called The Square.
I continue down Heritage Boulevard for several minutes before the GPS instructs me to turn right. Stopping beside the guard house, I rattle off the address Vanessa gave me. The guard steps out, checks my ID, and writes down my license plate number before stepping back inside the guard house and opening the gate.
I continue through the neighborhood, following the directions on my GPS, taking in all the different styles of homes ranging from Cape Cod to Mediterranean. The voice on the GPS informs me that my destination is on the right. Turning, I ease through the open gate, continuing up the long bush-lined driveway until a beautiful craftsman-style home, also known as a bungalow, comes into view. It’s as though the house was plucked right out of Magnolia Park. Liam couldn’t have picked a better home for Vanessa.
The front of the house is lined with white-framed windows, and my designer heart squeals imagining all the natural light they must be getting. The landscaping is plush with two large oak trees in the center of the yard. I pull to a stop and park in the curved driveway.
Four stone steps lead up to the wide front porch, stretching almost the entire length of the house, and two wreaths hang on the double mahogany doors.
Grabbing the gift bag and my purse from the front seat, I climb out of my car and close the door just as Gabbi pulls up behind me. I move to stand near the back bumper and wait for her to get out.
“Hey,” she calls as she steps out and shuts the door. “I guess you found the place okay,” she adds as we make our way up the walkway.
“GPS, girl.” I laugh.
Gabbi rings the doorbell, and a few moments later, the door swings open, revealing a shirtless Liam Mackenzie.
Caught off guard, I suck in an audible breath and lower my gaze. Shit.He’s wearing sweatpants.Don’t look. Don’t look. Don’t look.
I lift my gaze and lock it on his gorgeous face, taking in his messy black hair, shimmering green eyes, dark scruff lining his jaw, and the lopsided smirk on his mouth.
“Hello, ladies,” he croons.
I pinch my lips together to fight back an awkward laugh, but leave it to Gabbi to make it worse.
“What the hell, Liam? Vanessa let you answer the door in those whore pants?”
Liam’s face screws up in confusion as he steps back to let us in. “What?”
“Do you not know about women and gray sweatpants?” Gabbi gestures to Liam’s pants, but out of respect for Vanessa, I will not check out her man’s dickprint.
“Gabbi, stop perving on my man,” Vanessa chides playfully as she walks into the room and straight over to Liam.
“What do you expect when he’s answering the door dressed like that?” Gabbi jokes. “Might as well be naked.”
Vanessa throws her arms around his neck and tilts her head back. “Babe, go change before I have to pluck Gabbi’s eyes out with a corkscrew.”
Liam grins and presses a chaste kiss to Vanessa’s lips before heading in the direction she just came from.
“Katie.” Vanessa opens her arms and wraps me in a hug. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“I’ve missed you, too.” I set my purse down near the door and pass her the Joe Malone candle I picked up while shopping with Louise. “I wanted to get you something for the house, but I didn’t have a lot of space in my suitcase.”
“Aww.” She opens the bag and pulls out the candle. “Oh, I love this. Thank you. Come on.” She jerks her head to the side. “Let me give you a quick tour. Then I’ll light this candle and pour you two a drink while I finish dinner.”
The house is an open floor plan with four bedrooms, four bathrooms, and dark wood floors throughout except the bathrooms. The walls are white and bare, and rooms are hardly furnished. There’s a fireplace flanked by bookshelves on the far wall of the living room, and in the center is a massive Christmas tree. The kitchen is all white with marble countertops, stainless steel appliances, and a butcher block-top island center.
There’s a cutting board out on the island with chopped peppers and onions.
Vanessa goes to the cabinet and grabs four wineglasses, placing them on the island next to a bottle of wine. Then she moves over to the fridge and pulls out two containers of meat and a bundle of asparagus.
Liam reappears in worn jeans and a henley. “Katie,” he says as he makes his way over and wraps me in a hug before pulling back. “It’s been a long time. How was London?”
“Amazing.”
“Yeah it was,” Gabbi murmurs, and I shoot her a warning look.
Liam moves over to help Vanessa with the food. “I hope you don’t mind that I stole my woman back.”
“Of course not.” I flick my wrist. “As long as you two are happy again, that’s good enough for me.”
Liam leans over and kisses the top of Vanessa’s head. “I’ve never been happier.”
Strip away the fact that he’s a top athlete in the MLB, or that he's been featured in Sports Illustrated’s “Top 30 under 30” most eligible bachelors three years in a row, or that he’s a member of a very wealthy, well-known family in Heritage Bay, and he’s still a beautiful man who’s madly in love with one of my best friends.
Vanessa smiles up at him, and I can honestly say I don’t think I’ve ever seen her this happy. She pushes out her lips, and he lowers his head, kissing her chastely. Liam takes over the food prep while Vanessa pours us each a glass of wine.
“Thank you, guys, for taking care of Rocky,” I say.
“No problem at all,” Vanessa replies. “I’ve grown quite attached to the furry little asshole.”
“Hey.” I laugh as I pick up a piece of bell pepper and chuck it at her, hitting her in the cheek.
“Never in my life did I think I’d be so fond of a squirrel.” Liam chuckles. “How’d you end up with him anyway?”
“I found him when he was a baby and raised him.” I shrug. “He’s my baby.”
“That explains why he’s so friendly.” Liam picks up the platter of chicken and steak kabobs and heads for the back door. “I’ll take care of dinner. You ladies stay here, drink your wine, and gossip about boys.”
Sipping my wine, I look around Vanessa and Liam’s house, taking in the high ceilings and the curved archways. I look out the back door where Liam is manning the grill, his phone pressed to his ear.
“When does he leave?” I ask.
“Next week,” Vanessa replies sadly.
I can’t help but notice the similarities between him and Dylan. The black hair, green eyes—they even have the same smile. Although Liam is Dylan’s uncle, Gabbi told me on the plane ride home that Dylan is our age, which means Liam is only four years older. They’re about the same height, but Liam is bigger in a lot of ways. He’s an athlete who clearly works out; he’s not bulky but he’s muscular. Dylan has a similar build, muscular but leaner.
“Enough about that. Tell me about London,” Vanessa’s voice pulls me from my thoughts.
My gaze immediately darts to Gabbi, and she pinches her lips together as if she’s struggling to keep my secret.
Vanessa grins. “What did I miss?”
A hot flush creeps up my neck and over my cheeks. “I took your advice.”
“She got laid,” Gabbi blurts through a snicker.
Vanessa’s eyes widen briefly and twinkle with interest. “You shagged the hot Englishman?”
I shake my head. “Nope, he was definitely American.”
“All nine inches of him,” Gabbi jokes, and I want to die.
She’s so full of shit. I never said anything to her about the size of Dylan’s dick. I cover my face, embarrassed.
“Oh my God, Katie, you’re killing me,” Gabbi chides. “Tell her.”
Dropping my hands, I look toward the french doors, then to Vanessa. “You can’t say anything to Liam,” I demand in a hushed voice.
She presses a hand to her chest over her heart. “Promise.”
I take a deep breath and blow it out. “It was Dylan,” I admit.
Vanessa’s brows pinch in confusion. She has no clue who—
“Mackenzie,” Gabbi adds.
Vanessa’s eyes nearly pop out of their sockets. “Whoa.” She leans forward, and in a low voice, she asks, “Was it good?”
I can’t help my grin. It was so much more than good. “It was hot.” My eyes flick to the french doors again. “Please don’t say any—”
My words are cut off by Liam’s laughter, and we turn to find him looking at us. His gaze darts between the three of us before settling on me, and a slow smirk pulls up one side of his mouth.
My entire body heats with embarrassment.
“I’m pretty sure he knows,” Vanessa says.
My embarrassment morphs into irritation.
“Are you okay?” Vanessa asks, concerned.
“I guess I wasn’t expecting to be the subject of locker room talk.” I sigh, crossing my arms on the counter. “Which is pretty hypocritical since we were doing the same thing.”
“Katie, they’re close. I don’t think there’s much they don’t share with each other. Just like we share everything with each other.”
“Don’t be embarrassed,” Gabbi adds. “You rocked his world so good he passed out. That’s worth a phone call.”
Her logic makes me laugh.
“You started the year off with a bang,” Vanessa quips.
“Your one-night resolution,” Gabbi adds.
Goose bumps pebble my skin as memories from our night in London flash through my mind. To be honest, that night has been playing on a loop in my mind since I walked out of his hotel room. My thighs clench, remembering all the ways he fucked me that night. How my name pushed past his lips as he peppered soft kisses over every inch of my body, the warmth of his breath caressing my skin.
“Did you catch feelings?” Vanessa asks.
It’s so much more than that, but saying it out loud would make me sound like a stage five clinger, so I stick with a simple but honest answer.
“It’s been so long since I’ve felt anything for a man, so I don’t know exactly what I’m feeling, but I can’t stop thinking about him.”