“No matter how much you may want to, Logan, you can’t act out right now,” Nina tells me, eerily calm. “No matter how much you want to, it won’t do you or Magnolia any good.”
“He hurt my baby girl. What the fucking hell do you want me to do? Stand by and let it happen again?” I roar.
Olivia’s fingers lace through mine as she tilts her face up to me. “No. We make sure it never happens again. You let Nina and I do our jobs.”
“In the meantime, you don’t have to worry about him being anywhere near Magnolia. Not if Monica goes through with dropping the custody suit.”
I close my eyes and blow out a long breath, trying to get my shit together.
“Do you trust me, Logan?” Liv asks so calmly it’s as if she’s more comfortable in the chaos than she is in the calm. Her thumb runs over my temple until I open my eyes.
“With my life, Olivia.” It’s the truth, without question.
“Do you trust me with hers?” she pushes, that damn defiant look back in her eyes.
I wrap my hand around her wrist and press my lips to her palm. “Yeah, Liv, I do.”
“Good.” She pushes up on her toes and kisses my cheek. “Then trust me to do my job.”
OLIVIA
To all the people who like to say we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it, I politely say,no. Sorry. I’m a classic overachiever and overthinker. I’ve already crossed the bridge, decided there was a better option, built a new bridge, and rerouted my directions at least twice before you even realized the bridge was closed. We are not the same.
—Olivia’s Secret Thoughts
Some women go to their moms with boy troubles.
I go to my mom for career-trajectory troubles.
Not exactly the same thing, but Mom and I have never been simple women.
Growing up, my sister wanted to work with athletes, my brother wanted to be the athlete, and I wanted to be Mom. Even now, walking the halls of the Philadelphia Kings offices is inspiring. A woman in a traditionally man’s role. She wasthe original badass, and she did it in a way that embraced her femininity too. She refused to change to meet anyone’s expectations... something I’ve been lacking lately.
Something it’s time to rectify.
With two pink coffee cups in hand from the local bakery, I smile at her assistant but don’t stop before knocking on her office door. “She’s expecting me.”
“Livvy?” Mom calls out as she opens the door. “Hi, sweetheart. Come in.”
“Hi, Mom.” I hand her the dark roast with a shot of espresso and a pump of mocha. “Got you your favorite.”
“Buttering me up, Liv? That’s not your style.” She looks over at the couch. “Is this an official meeting that requires my desk to be between us?”
“No. Not at all.” I cross the room and drop onto the leather couch. “I’m actually here for advice.”
Mom sits next to me, not completely convinced I’m not about to try to renegotiate a contract. Like I’d ever spring that on her.
“How’s Maggie?” she asks and sips her coffee. “Your brother was a nightmare when his arm was casted the first time, and I think he was eight at the time.”
“She’s cranky. She hates the cast,” I tell her as I pull out my phone to share a few photos. “It’s been a really long week already, and we have at least two more before her follow-up.”
“She really is just the cutest little thing.” A smile tugs at her lips as she skims through the photos. “And how’s Logan doing?”
“It’s been a rough week. He’s always been a little overprotective, but he’s taken that to a whole new level.” I don’t tell her I’m surprised he didn’t give me a hard time about coming into Philly today.
“You can’t blame him, Liv. We protect what we love.”
I nod without saying a word.
