I frowned and paused. “You think?”
“Shit, yeah. The freedom to decide what you write about andwhere?” He waved a hand, indicating Tam’s house, the lake, and possibly all of Copper County. “Pretty fucking sweet.”
He was right, of course. I just hadn’t expectedhimto say it. For as long as I could remember, I’d assumed my siblings felt sorry for me. The runt who couldn’t keep up. The one who’d never mastered sports. The oddball who’d chosen words over physicality.
But seeing the fatigue in Lawson’s eyes, thinking about how he’d been traded to a new team without so much as a by-your-leave…
“I’m really lucky,” I agreed as I resumed my walk.
“Hmm.” Tam tapped her lip. “So if you’re not upset about the paintings, and you seem to be taking your frustration about your article in stride?—”
I knew where she was going with this and began shaking my head immediately. “Stop. I have no comment on this matter.”
“—then I can only think of one other reason why you’re stomping around my house so energetically that my kid’s gonna need a FitBit before she can walk.”
“La la la la. Can’t hear you,” I insisted as I passed through the living room.
“Tell us about your contractor, Laney!” she singsonged. “Did you jump him?”
“Can’t we talk about Lawson andOliveragain,” I demanded desperately. “Sounds like there’s a heck of a story there, huh?”
Predictably, they ignored me. And when I passed the kitchen table again, Lawson was leaning back in his chair, rubbing his salty fingers together gleefully. “Laneyjumpedhis contractor? Our little Laney? Fuck yeah!”
“Fuckno,” I huffed, pushing my glasses up. “And I’m notlittle. I am a man of average size and weight?—”
“So, I don’t know if Laney actually jumped him yet,” Tam was already saying. “But Brewer is gorgeous, Law. Like,sojumpable. He’s got dreamy eyes and shoulders likewhoa. So I advised jumping him?—”
“Tamsen Marie! You are a married woman!” I stopped directly in front of her and clutched the baby tighter. “Leave Brewer’s shoulders alone.”
“—but thinking about it later,” she went on, “I’m not sure that wasgoodadvice.”
“You’re not?” Lawson and I said together.
“Well, I don’t know Brewer all that well,” Tam told Lawson. “The guy hardly ever talks?—”
“That’s not true. He talks plenty,” I informed her. “Plenty.”
“And he’s bossy—” Tam went on.
“No,” I muttered. “Not anymore.”
“And…” Tam sighed. “You know how stubborn Delaney can be, Law. How he likes to argue for the sake of arguing when he’s feeling vulnerable?—”
“I do not!” I argued… stubbornly.
“So, as you can imagine, he and Brewer donotget along.” Tam shook her head sadly.
“We do! We’re being very polite.” I wondered if I sounded as miserable about this as I felt. I’d preferred our arguments to the way Brewer and I had orbited around each other this morning before he got called to Watt’s, not touching and only talking when necessary.
“Even though Brewer’s hot, I’m just not sure he and Delaney would really be compatible in a…jumpingscenario, if you know what I mean,” Tam finished.
“Excuse you, we were absolutely compatible!” I said hotly. “We were fire! Wejumpedliterally all night!”
The kitchen was silent for a long moment but for the hum of the refrigerator. Then, a slow smile spread across Tam’s face.
I lifted my chin. “I hate you,” I said as I resumed my steady, measured,non-pacingwalk. “Both of you. I do not appreciate being managed.”
“It was either that or get you liquored up, if we wanted you to be honest,” Tam said apologetically. “So… what happened?”
