Page 53 of The Recovery Coach
Olivia frowned.Did he want a bunch of daughters?She could see the vision.Connor, surrounded by a hoard of tiny, impeccably dressed little girls.A twinge of grief ran through her chest.He would be the best dad.She hoped whoever he ended up with would allow her to stick around to see it.
He secured the end of her braid with a tiny rubber band.Olivia swiveled on her butt to face him, enjoying the familiar routine.He pulled artful pieces of hair out of the careful twist to frame her face and curled them.
Connor set the curling iron aside and wiped a thumb over the side of her mouth, fixing a lipstick smudge.Maybe she hadn’t quite mastered the mirrorless application.His hand lingered on her face far longer than necessary before he wiped his thumb on his pants.
“Beautiful, as always,” he said.
She climbed to her feet and examined herself in her full-length mirror.She sighed.“Good enough.”
“Nobody is forcing you to go out,” Connor said.“You could stay in with me.”
“I’ve stayed in with you every night for the past eight weeks.”
“And we’ve had a great time.”
Olivia laughed.They did have a great time.That was the problem.Life didn’t get much better than hanging out, laughing, and playing games with Connor.If she stayed in their little bubble, she’d get confused about their relationship again.She was already reading way too much into every little glance and touch.As much as she wanted him, he’d never be hers.
“I need to get back out there,” she said.
Chapter 20
Hazy
“Hazy!”Loverwavedahand in front of his face.
With Livy out on her third first date of the week, Beanie and Lover took the opportunity to declare a boys’ night.They ordered dinner and watched the cheesy reality show Daisy had introduced the Connors to years earlier.Hazy, Daisy, and Livy had already watched the newest episode without them.That’s what they got for going on a trip without him.
He pulled his attention away from his phone, locked the screen and placed it face down on the couch next to him.He shouldn’t be doing what he had been intent on anyway.
“What?”he asked.
“I asked you a question.Were you listening?”
He hadn’t been.He stayed silent, hoping his friend would repeat himself.
Lover relaxed in his seat and sighed.“It wasn’t important.”
“No, I’m interested.I swear.What were you saying?”
“I asked if you told your mom you would be home for Christmas yet.”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Nice,” Beanie said.“I bet she’s excited to see you.You’re lucky you can take a couple of extra days to travel.”
“Not too many extra days.Robbie needs me home by the 28th for conditioning.”
“Still two more days than we get,” Beanie said.
“Livy’s going with you?”Lover asked.
“Mom’s been trying to convince her.But going home is hard for her.”
Lover nodded, spaced out for a few beats, then lunged at Hazy.He came out of nowhere, flinging himself across Hazy’s lap.He didn’t have time to react before Lover sat up, the prize he’d been after in his hand.
“Christ, man.Watch the leg!”Hazy said.
Lover scrambled to the other side of the couch and held the phone out of Hazy’s reach.“I was perfectly gentle.”
