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“What, no ‘that’s what she said?’” Sloane said. “Wow. I’m impressed.” She held her hand out for the dog. “Give me this cutie since Dad is monopolizing Penelope. I need to hold some kind of baby.”
Wishing he had a baseball hat, Sullivan held his hand up over his forehead to block the sun and followed Rick to the grill, setting his empty beer bottle down on the patio table on the way. “What’s the problem? You’re not used to seeing this much meat?” He gestured to the tray with raw burger patties.
“That’s your college life, not mine.”
Sullivan laughed. “Okay, that was a good comeback. I don’t even know how I didn’t see that one coming. I handed it to you.”
“You did make it easy. Listen, I wanted to ask you what is going on exactly? Half the town is talking about you showing up today with Eddie Hunt, looking like a couple. That you’re sharing a place while she’s in town. She’s here with you tonight. Which is great, she’s cool, and it’s nice to catch up, but me and Sloane are just wondering how to respond to people.”
Sullivan sighed. Trust the gossips to already be yapping. “It’s not like that. Eddie has a boyfriend back in New York. Her dad is the one who offered me a place to stay.”
“She has a boyfriend?” Rick slapped a burger patty down on the sizzling grill. “That’s too bad. You two look good together.”
“We do?” he asked, before he could stop himself. “Why do you say that?”
“It’s like opposites attract. She’s gorgeous, you’re hideous. She’s sweet, you’re a dick.”
He’d walked right into that one. He rolled his eyes. “It doesn’t matter. She lives in New York, has a boyfriend, and I’m the guy who can’t commit.”
“You could if you wanted to. You have,” Rick pointed out. “Hand me the spatula.”
Obediently, Sullivan gave Rick the spatula, even as he was tempted to petulantly walk away. He wasn’t going to do that anymore. He was going to be more open and mature. “Not this time.”
“Is it because of Pantygate?”
That made him groan. “That is the stupidest name or title or whatever you want to call it I’ve ever heard in my life. I can’t be the only guy in Beaver Bend who had a fire start from a lamp.”
“Don’t be so defensive.”
He wasn’t defensive. He was thirsty. “I need some water.”
“We just want you to be happy.”
As he walked away, he waved to acknowledge he appreciated that, because he did. “Good luck with your meat.”
An hour and a half later,they’d eaten dinner and half of his family were sitting in chairs around the patio, others playing corn hole under the string lights. There was a bonfire going in the fire pit. After ensuring that Finn was safe, sitting on his father’s lap, in a chaise chair, with a popsicle in his hand, Sullivan went to sit by the fire next to Eddie. He’d barely seen her since they’d arrived.
But she was talking to Torin alone and he needed to break that up, quick.
He hit his cousin on the shoulder as he sat down beside him. “Your mom wants to talk to you.”
Torin glanced up, studying him. “What? Why?”
“She said something about you being her partner for cornhole.”
“My mom hates cornhole. You’re bullshitting me.”
“Suit yourself. But Aunt Bridget is going to be pissed at you.”
Torin obviously wrestled with whether to believe him or not for a few seconds, before the threat of his mother being angry with him won out over his suspicions. “Shit.” Torin stood up. “Excuse me, Eddie.”
“Sure, no problem.”
He headed for the house and Sullivan took his seat.
“His mom doesn’t need him, does she?” Eddie asked.
“Nope.”
