“Ugh, that might even be worse. Now parents think they need to help me with my dating life. That is a sad state of affairs.”
“Ha, at least they think you still have hope.” Liv plucked the jalapeño off the egg and popped it in her mouth. “My father gave up on me getting married and giving him grandkids years ago. And Finn’s mother would’ve never picked me to set up with her son.”
“You don’t know that. Barbara isn’t like Finn’s dad.” Rebecca glanced at her and then over at Finn, who was now chatting with Mr. Lindt and his mother. “If this is going to be weird, I can fake a headache.”
“Don’t you dare. Have you seen the food? This is the place to be. Plus, you can be my voice of reason and keep me from throwing a punch at Mr. Dorsey. Or you can hold his arms back so I can get a clear shot if he insults me or my family again.” She bumped shoulders with Rebecca, who finally relented and gave a small smile.
“That guy is an ass,” she said, grabbing one of the eggs and taking a big bite. “For some reason, he likes me—which means he insists on talking my ear off every time I come here.”
“My condolences. We brought tequila if that helps.”
Rebecca snorted. “Don’t tempt me. A few hours with my dad, my former high school crush, and his blowhard father will be enough to drive me to drinking. But I’ve had a rough week and my filter needs to be in full force, or it’s going to get ugly.”
Rebecca said it with jest in her tone, but the wary look in her eye as she glanced at the group told a different story. Liv wasn’t close enough to Rebecca to know what was going on in her life, but she knew how it felt to be on the edge of losing the socially acceptable mask. She put her arm around Rebecca’s waist and gave her a quick side hug. “I’ve got your back, Bec. But I can’t say that part of me isn’t curious to see Rebecca unleashed. You look like you’ve got some Girl, hold my earrings in you.”
Rebecca’s mouth hitched up at the corner. “Oh, I’ve got fight in me. I wouldn’t have become a lawyer if I didn’t.”
“I don’t doubt it. Honestly, I’m learning that sometimes it’s good to get that stuff out, even if it sets some fires. You just have to trust that you’ll be able to walk through them.”
Lines appeared around Rebecca’s mouth, her gaze scanning Liv’s face. “That sounds ominous. Speaking from experience?”
Liv glanced at Finn, who raised a wineglass to her and offered a tentative Everything okay? smile. She raised an egg to say cheers and then sighed, turning back to Rebecca. “Well, this week I quit my job without another to go to.”
Rebecca’s lips parted. “Shit.”
“And now I have somehow ended up dating my ex-secret-boyfriend and moving into his guesthouse for the summer even though he’s going to disappear without a trace again. So”—she shrugged—“on second thought, maybe don’t take advice from me until I test out this fire suit.”
“Liv,” Rebecca said, mild horror on her face. “That’s…a lot. You sure you’re okay? I know you’re taking on that list, but…”
Her friend’s obvious distress on her behalf had Liv’s stomach flipping over. It was the look her friends had given her senior year when she’d said she was going to cut off her hair and dye it green. “I—”
“Time for the ham!” Mrs. Dorsey announced, cutting the conversation off. “Everyone to the dining room. I’ve got wine in there, and fresh bread. Place cards are on the table, but feel free to rearrange.”
Finn headed over, giving Rebecca a hello and a quick kiss on the cheek, and then took Liv’s hand. “Ready for Lunch of Awkward-Divorcing Parents with Disappointed-in-His-Kid Father leading the way?”
Liv laughed, Finn’s easy warmth tossing a blanket over some of the anxiety that Rebecca’s words had stirred. “Totally.”
“Wait,” Rebecca said. “Is Disappointed Father mine or yours? I lose track.”
Finn smiled at Rebecca with a fondness Liv hadn’t seen from him before—the sweet, genuine affection of old friends. “They could have a contest to determine who’s more disappointed. Fight to the death with butter knives?”
“That’d take a while,” Rebecca said. “Maybe they can just swing wine bottles. Knock each other out and save us all the trouble.”
“My money’s on awkwardness over violence,” Liv said. “But as long as there’s good food involved, I’m there.”
“United in hunger we stand.” Finn leaned over and kissed Liv quickly, surprising her with how natural the move felt. Like they’d done it a thousand times. An old couple. He touched his forehead to hers. “And thanks again for this. You have no idea how much it helps having you here.”
Liv leaned in to him, his words moving through her and stirring pleasant feelings. She’d never had this comfort level with any guy she’d dated. Dating had always been a means to an end—brief companionship and sex. This felt richer, more layered. Like eating a piece of homemade chocolate cake when you’d only ever eaten Twinkies. But when she glanced over at Rebecca, the deep wrinkle in her friend’s brow yanked the cozy feeling away and replaced it with a wash of cold unease.
Liv took a breath and shook off the feeling. No. She wasn’t going to go there. She appreciated the concern. But Rebecca had always been the worrier. The practical one. The safety-first one.
Yes, Liv was taking some leaps, but she wasn’t being stupid about it. She had on her fire suit. She’d survived much worse. She’d be fine.
chapter
TWENTY-TWO
Finn sipped the on-the-rocks margarita his mother had made him and watched from the back porch as his mom led Liv to the far end of the property where the rose garden was located. The air hung heavy with the scent of rosemary and thyme from the herb garden Liv and her father had planted all those years ago. Liv had marveled at how big the rosemary bushes had become after getting such a rough start, sending him a secret smile. He’d known what that look was for. His hands had smelled like herbs for days after he’d secretly dug up the first version of the garden so Liv would have to come back.