“Not yet.” His grin spread so wide it reached the corners of his eyes. “It’s time for the big finish.”
“Absolutely not.” I giggled, trying to wriggle out of his arms, but he was much stronger than I was. I shrieked his name as he picked me up around my waist, spinning us around. I threw my head back with laughter, feeling lighter and more liberated than I had in ages.
When he returned me to the ground, he pulled me close and pointed to the top of the refrigerator where Mama sat looking at us as though we’d lost our damn minds. She meowed with disgust, narrowing her golden eyes.
“I’m so glad Mama was here to witness your defeat,” I teased. “How does it feel to lose at your own game?”
“I don’t know.” He pulled me closer, his laughter fading to a contented smile. “Because it kinda feels like I won.”
I felt all the boundaries I’d tried to put up softening as I allowed him to wrap me in his arms. I sighed, breathing in his calming warmth. He rested his head on mine, and I began to question the game I’d been playing with myself, trying to deny my feelings for Jax. I sensed a crack in the foundation of the walls I’d built around me, but somehow that felt a lot like winning too.
Chapter 12
Jax
“You really don’t have todo all this,” I said, watching Liv flit about the kitchen, rummaging through her kitchen cabinets. She stacked ingredients alongside pots and pans, preparing to make a recipe she appeared to have memorized by heart. The countertops were already adorned with the muffins, pumpkin bread, cupcakes, and snickerdoodles she’d made.
“I want to,” Liv assured me. “Poor Dallas. He seemed a little sniffly a couple of days ago at the festival.”
“He said he thought it was probably just a cold.”
“And my great grandmother’s chicken and dumplings are perfect for fighting off the common cold.” She tossed a smile over her shoulder at me as she pulled some chicken from the refrigerator.
Mama trotted past us and started meowing wildly at the back door, her paws clawing at the glass.
I shook my head and chuckled at Mama. “What’s got her riled up?”
“Who knows?” Liv shook her head and turned her attention to whatever she was searching for in the pantry. “Sometimes she gets a wild hair and wants to go exploring out by the firepit. Do you mind letting her out?”
I moved to the back door, opening it for Mama, and she darted off the back deck. I leaned against the counter, watching Liv work. “I know Dallas has quite the appetite, but you’re making enough to feed a small army.” I gestured to the plethora of treats.
“I can’t very well take Dal a care package and leave the rest of the guys out.” She set to work on the chicken. “Now they’ll all have dinner and plenty of snacks. I also picked up some vitamin C and Gatorade for Dallas. Don’t let me forget to grab those before we leave later.”
I nodded and flashed her a coy grin. “Do I get to benefit from any of this care package?”
“Who do you think the snickerdoodles are for, silly?” She raised her brow at me. “And I’m keeping a small pot of the dumplings here for us.” She suddenly seemed self-conscious. “If you want to come back with me, of course.”
“You know I do.” I thought my heart might jump right out of my chest and into her hands. Not only had she made my favorite cookies just for me, but she’d assumed we were eating dinner together. Things between us felt like they’d been progressing, especially since the festival, and I was beginning to think she could see the potential in us that I saw.
“Dallas is going to love this. The rest of the guys will too.”
“I’m happy to do it. The guys are your people, and you’re one of my people, so now they’re my people too.” She shrugged. “I like to take care of my people.”
“I love that about you.”
Her creamy skin turned slightly pink. “When I was growing up, my mom was always cooking for people. Food was her love language.”
“So that’s where you get it.” I grinned. I felt a small tug at the corners of my heart, reminding me of those moments lost with my own mother.
“My mom was the type of person who showed up with food for every occasion. It didn’t matter if someone just had a baby or a death in the family or if they were sick. She had a dish for all of that. I used to help her in the kitchen, making chicken and dumplings, casseroles, and cakes all the time. I remember standing on a stool to help her cook when I was too small to reach the counter. She was always patient with me, letting me taste the cake batter or take half the day rolling out dumplings. Those are my favorite memories of her.”
A smile spread across my face as I imagined a mini Liv standing beside her mother, one finger dipped into a mixing bowl.
“What?”
“I was just picturing little Liv. I bet you were cute. You still are.” She chewed her lip, and I couldn’t help but think about what it felt like to kiss her the other night.
Suddenly, Mama’s loud meow interrupted my thoughts.
