Page 57 of Expecting an Argument
“Well, no meaner than I am to him.”
“Then make it make sense to me.”
I ran a hand through my hair. “I just…I don’t know if he’s being tolerable because of the babies or if…” I stopped and switched gears, refusing to question if he liked me just in case he overheard. “I don’t even know who he is.”
“What are you talking about? We went to school with him!”
“We knew the stuck-up boy who played football and only talked to the snobs that hung around him because they wanted his money,” I answered. “I still don’t know who he is as a person. He’s quiet, Ash, so I barely know what he even likes other than his dog and sports. He doesn’t…gush about things like I do!”
She shrugged. “He’s a Capricorn. Capricorns don’tgush.”
“Regardless,” I said, ignoring the twins bumping around inside me. “You told me a man changes after he becomes a father. Why would I make any sort of commitment when Beau could just…unmask and become someone completely horrible?”
Ashley swung her legs a little and smiled. “Well, Tyson became aneven betterman after Kierra was born.” She tossed her head back and smiled. “God, you’re making me want to get pregnant again.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re missing the point.”
“Hell, I’ll ask him to bend me over this counter and—”
“Ashley!”
She rolled her head to look at me. “You’re missing out on being loved and adored and why? Because you’re scared?”
I folded my arms on the counter. “Beau is not loving and adoring—he is controlling and nosy!”
She quirked an eyebrow. “I thought you didn’t know him? Also, aren’tyoucontrolling and nosy?”
I smacked my palms against the cold stone and a vein in my neck began to throb. “My mom wasloved and adoredby my dad, and he ruined us.”
“Come on, Liv, I have daddy issues too, but—”
“And then Mom was loved and adored by that guy who drank those nasty little bottles of bourbon,” I stressed. “Then the guy who had the apartment that smelled like old cheese. Then the guy she met at the county fair.”
Ashley shuddered. “Oh yeah, I remember the tilt-a-whirl guy…”
“You think I looked up to Miss Kaye as a kid because of her fashion sense?” I gestured to the old parlor where her portrait was hanging. “She didn’t have men cycling in and out of her life to distract her, to steal her ideas, or to weigh her down with domestic duties.”
“Well, she was from a different time and could have just been into women.”
“She was successful because she didn’t rely on anyone,” I said, holding back a grimace as my back muscles spiked with pain after standing for too long. “Annie and Brady are an unexpected surprise, but I still intend to live my life as I promised myself I would when I was in third grade—unburdened, uncompromised, andunmarried.”
Ashley’s face fell. She opened her mouth to say something, but then the voices of the men echoed through the parlor as they approached.
“So, how’s your mom enjoying retirement?” Beau asked.
“Ah, former educators can never take it easy,” Tyson answered. “She’s been a real blessing, though—keeping the kids so Ashley and I can work. We’re really fortunate to have her.”
Ashley’s voice brightened. “Yeah, we’re really cutting it closeto your due date, but we’ll definitely have the house done in time for your baby shower.”
The men walked in and Ashley turned toward the doorway and acted surprised to see them. “You guys having fun?”
Beau gave her a smile that I knew wasonlypolite. “You’ve done a great job with the house. Grandpa always spoke fondly of Miss Kaye, said she would give him candy when he visited the department store with his mom. She adored him.”
I took a sip of water to keep myself from giggling. Miss Kaye didn’t adore Beau’s grandfather, she just had good business sense. Keeping Mrs. Fontaine’s child happy and distracted while shopping was a great way to get her to spend as much money as possible.
Though I could have word-vomited about Miss Kaye’s successful business practices until the sun went down, I needed to give Beau an out. He didn’t have to say anything for me to know he was ready to leave.
“I think we need to go,” I groaned as I leaned back to stretch my spine. “My body has reached its limit.”
