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Tom chuckles, relaxing as he lowers himself back to his chair. “Even I’ll wager on that.” He takes out his keys and drops them onto Liam’s with a smile of challenge. “My pickup is yours if you win.”
“I wasn’t betting my car,” Liam says. “I remember back when I was a boy, my parents would have parties, and all the husbands put their keys in a bowl. At the end of the night, the ladies picked out a set, and that’s who they went home with.”
Tom reaches for his keys with a disgusted grunt. Liam grabs his wrist so fast we all jump.
“Uh-uh, Tommy, you tossed yours in already. You needn’t worry. I plan to rig the game so you’ll end up with darling Celeste.” He turns to me with a teeth-baring grin. “I intend to discover all Miss Daisy’s hidden—”
Tom hits him. All I see is a blur and then Liam’s chair toppling. Then Tom’s on his feet, grabbing Liam by the collar, and I’m jumping between them—which, in retrospect, is never the smart thing to do when two guys decide to go at it.
Getting between them isn’t easy, with Tom gripping Liam by the shirt front. I manage it, though, wedging in with “Enough!”—my hands raised. Tom stops immediately. He wasn’t about to hit Liam again—he had him where he wanted him. Liam’s the one who’s swinging, and his fist glances off my shoulder. Tom lets go, and Liam thuds to the floor. He starts to lever up, going after Tom, but I’m right there, blocking him. Liam exhales, snorting like a bull, and gets to his feet, glowering at Tom.
Liam glances at Celeste, who is sipping her scotch, unconcerned.
“Don’t look at me,” she says. “You deserved that, and you know it.”
Liam rolls his shoulders and finds a smirk. “Seems someone can’t take a joke.”
“You’re angry with me,” Tom says. “So take it out on me. Insulting Daisy isn’t a joke. It’s an asshole move.”
“Well, like I said, he is an asshole,” Celeste mutters.
“I made a joke about playing for keys,” Liam says. “Teasing that I wanted Daisy to end up with mine. I think the real insult would be if I said I didn’t want her.” He turns to me. “Right?”
I let my eyes call him a jerk while my lips say simply, “As jokes go, I’ve heard better.” Then I turn to Celeste. “I’m going up to my room. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Walk me out?” Tom murmurs as I pass. I hesitate, but his eyes beseech me, so I nod, and we head for the front door, leaving Celeste and Liam in the kitchen.
