Page 158 of Liam

All the kids laugh as they rush the field to chase her.

The lyrics of “Tiny Dancer” get replaced with “Baby Baker,” shouted with the same enthusiasm.

And Tom Preston invites us all back to the lake to celebrate…life, I guess?

61

Addie

We arrive back at the Preston property later than everyone else because Dayna insists on “bringing food to the occasion.”

Really, I think she’s just trying to impress Tom, or maybe just show her gratitude for how well he’s treated me and accepted me as his son’s girlfriend.

Dayna gasps when the Preston lake comes into full view. “This is so much prettier than the pictures you sent,” she says.

“This is all theirs?” Griffin asks, slowing the truck to a stop right next to Roman’s. “Like, this is their lake?”

“Yep.”

He lets out a low whistle.

I point in the general direction of the trailer park. “I lived right on the other side of the fence over there.”

“That’s a huge contrast,” Dayna says, turning to me.

“Yeah,” I agree. “You can kind of imagine what it was like for me growing up, seeing how the other half lives.”

“Oh, Addie.” Dayna frowns. “That must’ve been so confusing for you.”

Confusing.

Huh.

I’d never been able to fully comprehend what it was like watching the Prestons from afar. At first, I thought it was jealousy, and that jealousy turned to hatred, but maybe I was wrong.

Confusingis much more fitting.

The entire Preston crew is on or around the dock when we walk up, bags of food in tow. Almost all the brothers approach, offering to take the bags from us. They unpack it all on the aged wood of the dock, and before Dayna, Griffin and I have even settled in, half the food is gone. Griffin chuckles, turning to Dayna. “That’s what it would be like if I coachedboys’baseball.”

“You ain’t lyin’,” Roman murmurs. He’d clearly just come in from the lake, because his hair’s wet, droplets of water still clinging to his flesh. Now, he’s sitting cross-legged on the dock, with Katie on his lap as she attacks his arm with a Sharpie. It’s clearly something they do often, because he doesn’t seem at all phased, and she’s having the time of her life while her parents are out on a jet ski.

“You coach baseball?” Lachlan asks around a mouthful of food. He’s half in the water, holding himself up with his arms on the dock.

Griffin nods. “College softball.” He pauses a breath. “Well, I did. State cut funding and the team’s gone now, so…”

Liam pops up beside Lachlan, shaking his hair out. I have no idea where he was or where he came from. He pulls himself up on the dock, dropping water everywhere, and sits behind me, wraps his arms around my waist. I would squeal from the wetness, but his touch outweighs all other senses. He presses hislips to my shoulder, then my cheek, my jaw, my neck, over and over until I’m squirming in his grasp, giggling like a fool.

“Gross,” Roman mutters.

I kiss Liam’s jaw and scoot lower, so I can lay my head on his chest.

“Lookie, Whoa-man!” Katie squeals.

Roman turns, lifting his arm to see the crooked lines Katie’s drawn on him. “I love it,” he tells her.

“More tattoos for Whoa-man,” Katie sings, then breaks out in a giggle.

“So, are you here to interview?” Lachlan asks, and I turn my attention back to him.

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