“I don’t want?—”
“Christ, woman. Are you always so damn stubborn? Just sit your ass in the chair.” His voice was loud enough that everyone around us turned to stare. While he certainly didn’t seem to give a shit, I felt the burn of my cheeks as they turned bright red. To save myself further embarrassment, I plopped down in the seat with an audible huff.
“Well, what’re you going to do? Just stand there?” I mumbled, crossing my arms. I wouldn’t admit it to him, but I was actually relieved not to ruin these joggers after the first wear. The lining was incredibly soft.
“Yup.” That was it. That one single word had me clamping my mouth shut so hard, my jaw hurt. I could feel him behind me, feel the heat coming from his body. It wasn’t even that chilly this morning, but it was welcome all the same.
Every move I made, every single shift in the stupid chair, was a reminder of his presence. He seemed to adjust with me. Minute arrangements that always kept him at my left shoulder. It wasn’t that I was uncomfortable. It was the fact that I could smell his cologne each time the breeze picked up. There was a hint of spice to it, like burning sage and freshly cut cedar. Without thinking, I found myself leaning closer. When I realized what was happening, I’d pull back.
“Do you and Harper have plans after this?” I asked after a particularly long stretch of silence.
“What?”
“I asked if you had plans after this. I’m sure the girls are probably hungry. We could go to lunch. Harper can come over, too. I know you said Grady takes them sometimes.” I added the last part so it didn’t seem like a half-assed invite, but I wasn’t sure it landed as I intended.
When he didn’t say anything, I peeked up at him. His jaw was set, the muscle beneath fluttering as he gnashed his teeth together. “I know what you’re doing.”
I raised my brows in question. “Being nice?”
Silence stretched for a beat before he muttered, “I don’t need your pity, Olivia.”
Is that what he thought this was? “Good, because I’m not giving you any. I’m trying to show you that last week was a one-off. I’m not trying to step in and change the girls’ routine with my presence. If they normally get together after soccer, I’ll gladly take them.” When he still didn’t respond, I continued. “Lunch can even be on you.”
He made a noise that was somewhere between a chuckle and a scoff. Like he wanted to laugh, but his pride wouldn’t allow it. “It won’t be fancy, then. Sure you can handle that, honey?”
Honey. The nickname rolled off his tongue like butter and made me feel all sorts of warm inside. It was meant to be patronizing, but there was a certain lack of conviction to it. Like he changed his mind at the last minute, yet couldn’t stop himself.
“Please, Duke. I grew up in this town. I went to Dairy Queen every Friday night after high school football games just like everyone else. Contrary to whatever belief you have, I’m still that same girl.” I pulled my YSL purse from beside me, shaking it his way. “Just with slightly better accessories.”
His green eyes bore into me, searching for any hint of a lie. When he found none, his gaze flicked back to the field. “I can see that.”
Taking that as my cue, I turned around in my chair. I didn’t want to fight. And despite the people-pleasing tendencies screaming in my mind, I didn’t need Duke to like me. We were going to be around each other whether we wanted to or not. His best friend was my brother, and our daughters were just as close.
His sigh was so heavy, I couldn’t help but smile. I knew what he was going to say before he even uttered the word. “Fine.”
DUKE
“That last goalwas so sick, Harp!” Charlie said, hooking her elbow with Harpers as they skipped ahead of us toward the diner. “You were totally unstoppable!”
Harper blushed, but her smile was as a mile fucking wide. “Ifeltunstoppable. I just hope Ashley isn’t too mad about it at school on Monday.”
“Who cares?” Charlie replied, shrugging. “You were awesome. That’s all that matters.”
Olivia and I strolled behind our girls, both keeping an amicable distance between one another. After the game ended, the girls were thrilled when Olivia told them about lunch. Even more so when she asked if Harper wanted to spend the night. Both girls elected to ride with her so they could make plans for the evening.
Just as well for me, because I needed a goddamn minute to get my head back on straight.
I’d spent the entire drive to the soccer field this morning worrying so much about what to say when I saw Olivia that I’d decided it was better if I didn’t say a damn thing at all. When Ispotted her standing at the outskirts, looking so fucking lost and out of place, I knew my plans to stay away from her were headed directly out of the window.
Given my general lack of manners toward her, I was surprised she even mentioned lunch. If I were her, I’d want to spend as little time in my company as possible.
Yet here we were, walking into Lucy’s Diner side-by-side. Lucy herself called out a greeting as our daughters blew through the door and headed for the only open booth. The diner was always busy on Saturday mornings, so seating was a gamble.
I would’ve preferred a table. Somehow it seemed a little less intimate, but I could manage for an hour. How hard could it be to sit directly across from the brown-eyed woman who—to my utter chagrin—kept showing up in the most unexpected places?
That single thread of optimism came crashing down the moment Harper and Charlie slid into the same side of the table, leaving Olivia and me no other option but to sit next to one another.
“Oh. Um…” she stammered. We stared at the glittery red bench seat as though it’d personally offended us. “Girls, why don’t we?—”