every single day. He was a fucking idiot if he actually believed she would just shrug and say no big deal. There was a reason he’d been lying for so long. And after a certain amount of time, the lie was even bigger.
Because when people learned the truth about him, about his father . . . No. He wouldn’t let that get out.
Mack drove aimlessly after he dropped his mom off. He didn’t want to go home. He didn’t want to go to work. There was only one place he wanted to be, but it took an hour of trying to talk himself out of it before finally banging his hand on the steering wheel and turning the car around. He didn’t even know if she was home. She might’ve taken the girls out to do something or—fuck. He just knew where he wanted to be.
He hit the button for hands-free calling and dialed Liv’s number.
“Hey,” she answered breathlessly.
“Hi,” he responded stupidly, because he’d lost all brain cells at the sound of her voice and morphed into a walking Dick and Jane book. Hear Mack stammer.
“Um, what’s up?”
He wiped a sweaty palm on his jeans. “What, um, what are you and the girls doing this afternoon?”
There was a pause. Long enough to cause a small heart attack.
“Um, actually, nothing. I have to . . .” she let out a nervous laugh and a restoring breath. “Alexis called and asked if I could help out at the café tonight. Her cat got bit or something, and she has to take him to the emergency vet clinic, and so I’m going to leave the girls with Rosie in about a half hour.”
His heart picked up. “I can watch them for you.”
Another pause. Another tiny heart attack.
“You want to watch them?”
“I could take them for ice cream or something.” He cringed. Jesus, could he maybe sound a little more creepy and desperate? See Mack wince.
“I think they would love that,” she finally said.
“I can be there in twenty minutes.”
“You’re sure?”
“Do I need to stop and get anything? Food or milk or whatever?”
“No.” She laughed.
“I’m on my way.”
“Mack, thank you.”
He made it in fifteen, and after pulling into the long driveway, he let out what felt like the first real breath all day. Liv must’ve heard his car, because she appeared on the stairs as soon as he shut off the engine. She wore a pair of jeans that made his mouth water and a plain white T-shirt. Her hair was piled high on her head.
Two pigtailed sprouts of joy raced ahead of her as he got out of the car. “Uncle Mack!”
Mack grabbed a girl in each arm and tossed them over his shoulders. They squealed and shrieked, and when he finally set them down, he found Liv staring with an affectionate smile. Whether it was for him or the girls, he wasn’t sure. He just wanted to see it again.
“Thank you for doing this,” she said, striding closer. She looked conflicted. “I thought about telling Alexis that I couldn’t help, but she’s been really weird lately because of the Royce thing, and—”
“Liv.” He slid his hand around the back of her neck and squeezed gently. “I got this.”
Three things happened at once.
She looked at his lips.
He looked in her eyes.
And an unspoken understanding passed between them.
They were going to talk about that kiss later.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Five hours later, Alexis walked into the café just as Liv was locking the front door.
“How’d it go?” Alexis asked, slightly out of breath. She lugged a plastic cat carrier in her left hand.
Liv untied her apron. “Fine. How’s Beefcake?”
“They stitched him up and gave him some antibiotics. He’s going to be okay.” Alexis set the carrier on the floor and shrugged out of her raincoat. “Thank you so much for doing this.”
“Of course. Anytime.” Liv inwardly winced. The conversation was stilted, uncomfortable. Alexis must have sensed it too, because they spoke at the same time.
“Can you stay for a little while?”
“Are we okay?”
They both stopped and laughed. “You go first,” Liv said.
“I was wondering if you could stay for a little while.”
Liv nodded. “For a few minutes. I left Ava and Amelia with Mack, so—”
Alexis’s mouth dropped open. “You left them with Braden Mack?”
“He’s surprisingly good with children. The girls love him.”
“Oh.” The way she said it was a lot like the way Thea had said I know.
“Don’t read anything into it,” Liv laughed. “He’s just helping me out. That’s it.”
“If you say so.” Alexis smiled. “What