“I don’t know,” Derek said. “I’ve sure as shit never seen you like this over a woman.”
“Me either,” Malcolm said. “Not even when Gretchen dumped you.”
“Face it, man,” Del said, leaning back all smug and shit. “She might be perfect for you.”
Mack pointed at every man at the table except Hop. “Fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck you. And fuck you.”
The Russian looked up. “You did not say fuck you to me.”
“Fuck you too.”
“Did it ever occur to you that the reason she drives you crazy is because you’re attracted to her?” Malcolm asked. “It’s classic enemies-to-lovers.”
“Classic,” Gavin said, nodding and chewing.
“I can’t believe this,” Mack said to him. “I thought you of all people would know this is nuts.”
Gavin took a deep breath. “I only know of two women in the world who can drive a man as crazy as you are right now. I’m married to one, and the other is her sister. I say go for it.”
“Go for it?” Mack parroted, his voice an incredulous squawk.
“Why not?” Gavin said. “But I probably should also tell you that if you hurt her, I will have to hurt you.”
Mack slapped his hand over his heart. “Your faith in me is heartwarming, truly. I’m all squishy inside.”
“I’m not trying to be an asshole. I’m just saying you have to be careful. Liv is . . . she’s not what she seems.”
Mack dragged a hand over his hair. “I know.”
“She likes to pretend she’s all tough and stuff, but it’s bullshit.”
“I know.” It came out a growl this time, because that was what scared him the most about her. That her sarcasm, her fuck off attitude, and her complete distrust in men were just a cover for something else. Maybe that, above all else, was what they shared in common. They were both living a lie. A sudden sense of loneliness stole over him. Not for the first time, he felt on the outs. The odd man in the group. The man who could save a hundred marriages but was doomed to never find his own happy ending.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“Okay, I think that’s everything.”
Thea dropped the last of Ava and Amelia’s four bags on the floor of Liv’s living room. “But if we forgot something, you can just get it from the house.”
“Who needs toys when there are goats and chickens?” Liv said, dropping to her knees and throwing her arms open for the girls. They launched themselves at her with squeals. Thea waited patiently as Liv did her best to get them riled up with tickles and raspberries on their necks.
Finally, when the girls had collapsed in a heap of giggles, Liv stood.
“You’re sure this is okay?” Thea asked. “I mean the dog with the chickens?”
Liv was also watching Butter Ball. “It’ll be fine.”
Butter had reached that tipping-point age for golden retrievers when they stopped noticing squirrels and instead sought out the best sunbeam for a nap. As if on cue, the dog sank to the floor with a heavy sigh in front of the window, where a crack in the curtains had let in a ray of sunshine.
“How are things going?” Thea asked.
Liv looked up to see that her sister had wandered to the kitchen table, where Liv had been searching job postings. Liv strode over and shut the computer.
“I’ll find something.”
“That good, huh?”
Yeah. Great. Two more form rejections had come in just this morning. “I’ll find something.”
Thea set her purse on the table and fished out her wallet.
Liv gritted her teeth. “What are you doing?”
Thea didn’t answer as she set a stack of twenty-dollar bills on the table. Liv picked them up and handed them back.
Thea refused to take them. “You’re babysitting. People get paid for babysitting.”
“They’re my nieces.”
“Use it to entertain the girls, then.”
Liv shoved the money back in Thea’s purse. “Don’t insult me.”
“Liv,” Thea sighed, but whatever she might have wanted to say after that was cut off by the unmistakable clunk of Rosie’s footsteps on the staircase outside. Rosie knocked once and then opened the door to peek her head inside. “Can I come in?”
The girls ran to her with hugs. “Rosie! We’re staying wiff you and Aunt Livvie for three days.”
Rosie walked in and hugged the girls against her legs. “I know, and I have so much planned for us. We are going to make cookies and feed the goats and collect the eggs, and Hop says he’ll take you for a ride on the tractor.”