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“Charades?” “Hide and seek?” “Touch football?”
Hutch glares at Cimmeron, who suggests football. “Stella’s practically ready to pop. You want her running around playing football?”
Cimmeron lifts his hands in front of his chest. “It was just a suggestion.”
“I have an idea,” Livvie says from her spot in the reclining chair.
Everyone’s heads swivel to her. I bite my tongue, hoping she doesn’t say anything too juvenile.
“What’s your suggestion?” I ask her.
“How about Truth or Dare?”
Half of us groan, the others laugh or cheer.
I wince. “I’m not sure if that’s the best game for us,” I say. “How about we play later tonight after everyone’s gone.”
Livvie’s face drops and she stares at her lap, nodding.
“I’m game,” Babs says, straightening her shoulders and looking at everyone. Then she cocks an eyebrow. “Provided that the dares are PG. I’m in no mood to be streaking around the block.”
Everyone laughs, and Livvie lifts her chin, grinning at Babs.
“I’m in,” Cimmeron says. “I’ve got questions some of you have been avoiding. I aim to get some answers!”
Hutch grins. “And I have some dares I can’t wait to give you.”
“Ooooh! Sounds like a challenge,” Stella says. “I’m in.”
“Me too!” Lucy says, flipping her long ponytail over her shoulder.
Pretty soon, everyone has agreed to play. We arrange our chairs to be in a circle on the grass. When everyone’s situated, I gesture to Livvie. “Since this was your idea, why don’t you start?”
A grin fills Livvie’s face, and she stares at me, a glint in her eye. Then her focus darts to Babs.
My stomach drops. Uh-oh. This is not going to bode well for me.
“I chose my dad,” Livvie declares. “Truth or Dare?”
I contemplate the pros and cons of both, then finally say, “Truth.”
Livvie’s grin broadens.
Crap.
She levels her gaze on me. “Are you in love with Carrie?”
I stare at Livvie and swallow. First off, how did she know Carrie’s name? I hadn’t said anything to her. And second, if I lie, half the guys here know I’d be lying and they’d call me on it. That would be even worse.
Behind me, the guys choke on laughter. The girls gasp. My gaze jerks to Babs. My face is about to catch on fire any second now. Hutch and Cimmeron might need to put out the flames.
Babs’s eyes are wide and her face is beet red too, her mouth gaping. She’s not laughing either. Crap. Did Livvie offend her? Did I misread Babs’s cues? Does the idea of me liking Babs upset her. A million scenarios race through my head, none of them good.
“Well?” Livvie says, cocking an eyebrow.
“I…uh…” My gaze meets Bab’s. My stomach churn more than pre-game on Rose Bowl game day. I may actually puke.
I look to Hutch for support. He backs away, his hands in front of his chest. “I’m not touchin’ that with a ten-foot pole.”
