Page 89 of What Started In Deception

Mac added syrup to her breakfast and cut in. “So, let’s talk about you and your hottie personal trainer.”

Lydia rolled her eyes as she smiled, reaching for the dishcloth to wipe her arm.

“He looks even better in person.” Mac waggled her brow. “Nice job.”

Lydia laughed as she sat down again. “Thanks.”

“What did you guys end up doing last night?”

“We went out for pizza and walked on the beach.” Which had been nice after the off-and-on tension of the evening. Their drive north had changed everything. She and Ty had a new dynamic to navigate now that they were actually in Massachusetts. But it was a relief that they’d still been able to laugh and have fun while they shared their dinner, then when he’d pulled her against him as they strolled along the water’s edge.

Mac swallowed her bite. “So, tell me more about your mysterious hunk. What’s your favorite thing about him? Unless it’s X-rated. Then we’ll wait for naptime.”

Lydia laughed as Mac grinned. “I’d say my favorite thing is that he’s fun,” she told her best friend, vowing to be honest whenever she could be. “He’s constantly making me laugh. We had a dance party on the side of the interstate yesterday—his idea, not mine.”

Mac’s eyes grew wide as she smiled. “What?”

Lydia nodded. “He asked me to pull over in Rhode Island.”

Mac laughed.

She chuckled as she rolled her eyes again. “There’s never a dull moment, which I like. And he’s sweet and attentive—very affectionate. He’s always touching me.”

Mac hummed in her throat as she took her next bite. “Sounds nice.”

Lydia nodded, unable to deny that she loved it when he captured her hand or pulled her into a hug. It felt good to be wrapped up in Ty.

“Things sound serious.”

She shrugged, grabbing a pancake of her own as they moved into dicey territory. “They’re serious enough.”

“Is he the one?”

She shrugged again before she buttered her breakfast because she didn’t know how to answer that. If Ty had walked into her life under different circumstances… If he were just Ty instead of Special Agent Tyler Corddry, he would undoubtedly be the closest thing that she’d found to “the one.” But he was Special Agent Tyler Corddry, and he was investigating her family. “It’s hard to say at this point.”

Mac raised her brow. “That’s not a no.”

She shrugged. “I guess it’s a ‘we’ll see.’”

“‘We’ll see’ works for me.”

She sent Mac a small smile as Maverick stirred in the bouncy seat that he currently slept in close by on the floor. Happy for a distraction, she got up before Mac could move, grinning as she headed the baby’s way, loving the smiling caterpillars on his onesie. “It looks like someone’s waking up.”

Maverick smiled up at her with the Monroe dark-blue eyes. Her dad and Burke had had them, too.

“Good morning, handsome.” She bent over, unsnapping the safety belt, then picked him up, nuzzling her nose against his soft skin as she snuggled the baby like she’d longed to do ever since Will had called in the middle of the night to tell her that his son had been born. “You’re such a cutie, buddy.”

“I’m a cutie,” Everly told her.

“You better believe it,” Lydia said, sensing some sibling jealousy. “You’re my best girl.”

Everly nodded, focusing on her breakfast again, clearly satisfied with Lydia’s answer.

Mac sighed. “We’ve been dealing with that for the last few weeks.”

“It’s pretty normal. Baby brothers are a big adjustment.”

Mac nodded. “I know. Usually, she’s pretty good with him, but the other day she H-I-T him on the arm.”