Page 70 of Between Desire and Denial

“It’s not your concern,” he said the words definitely.

Their communication was broken, and I saw the pain in both of them. I saw how Olive opened her mouth once but then closed it. She was scared to push him, and I think instead she tried toconvey without words how she hoped he’d see she was at least there. She was trying. I was willing to stay and try with her. It’s what family needed even when they thought they didn’t.

But then a black SUV pulled up, and a thin woman in a pantsuit got out. She looked at the three of us before her blue eyes landed on me.

“Hello.” She stood stoically for a moment before walking over and extending her hand. “Mr. Hardy, so nice of you to come by. I told Olive we should all get together sometime soon.”

“Well, I’m going to the grill out on Friday. So, maybe I’ll see you both there?”

Knox blurted, “You’re going to the grill out?”

“Why not?”

“You haven’t been to one since you moved in.” His observation showed me just how much this community was talking about me.

“Well, Honeybee can’t pass up a good time.” I went to stand beside her and wrapped my arm around her waist even though I felt her whole body stiffen at first. She consciously relaxed a split second later.

Knox’s eyes widened. “She’s going too? You realizeeveryonewill be there.” He said it directly to his sister and now his dark eyes lightened with the information. “All of Melly’s friends.”

“Yep?” Olive wheezed.

Knox snickered. “You hate them.”

“No. I don’t hate anyone,” Olive barked out way too fast and way too loudly. I would have bet my whole savings on the fact that she did now.

Knox laughed outright then. “And it’s going to be a lavish party, Olive Bee. Did you read the whole invite? You know it’s in Melly’s backyard with her pool and all her friends?”

The color drained from her face and Knox bent over, literally laughing his ass off. Olive chewed her cheek for a few secondsbefore a small smirk played over her features. Then she started to giggle. It was that sibling bond and some inside joke, the one you shared even if you were pissed at each other. They laughed harder and harder. And Knox’s laugh was infectious, loud, and completely unrestrained.

“You’re a freaking jerk, Knox, but I don’t even care. If a laugh at my expense brings you this much joy, you can have it.” She tried to lift her chin and hold her head high. “I’m completely over Melly and her high school antics.”

“Sure you are.” He wiped at his dark eyes that looked a lot like Olive’s.

“Shut up, Knox, I am!”

“Knox, dear, shall we go make some dinner together?”

He looked at his stepmother like she was full of shit before saying, “Yeah, gotta go. But maybe I’ll come to the grill out just to see this.” He waved between both of us and then glanced at me with some hesitation before saying, “Nice game, and, uh, sorry about what I said before, guys. Good seeing you both.”

I think Olive and his stepmother were shocked because they didn’t say a damn thing as I wrapped my arm around Olive and steered her away as I waved to them.

The whole way home, I smiled like I’d won a prize.

Olive said, “Why are you smiling like that?”

Instead of holding her hand loosely like we had been, I maneuvered my fingers to intertwine with hers. “Didn’t you hear, Olive? He said, ‘nice game.’”

“And that means something to you?”

“Sure. I’m showing you how good of a dad I’ll be. Even with a moody damn teenager.” Her eyes bulged, but I kept a freaking straight face because she had to know how serious I really was. “I’m winning over your little brother, Honeybee. And that is a victory in and of itself.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

OLIVE

Dimitri dotedon me for the rest of the week even though I reminded him we were keeping it friendly over and over. I had to be the rational one even if he wasn’t. We were friends who’d indulged in benefits. But we were stopping that now. The only time we touched was at night when I found myself cuddled against him.

I couldn’t resist it. At least not until the bed came.