Page 211 of Between Regrets and Promises

She pulls back, laughing. “I might have mom brain, but I’m not that dense.” Lennon rolls her eyes. Sophie and Maddie snicker while I give Hunter a shoulder smack of support. “So where’s the Hulk? He bail on us?” Lennon asks, crossing her arms.

“No, his flight got delayed. He said he’s coming right from the airport, though,” I tell her. Once I checked my phone after our shower, I got his message about it.

“Well, come in and say hi to Mom and Dad. They’re playing with Allie outside on her new swing set,” Lennon says as she leads us into the kitchen.

“A new swing set?” Maddie squeals. “Is there a baby swing for Aaron?”

“Of course!” Lennon answers.

Sophie gives me a kiss before following Lennon and Maddie out the back door.

“Homeownership looks nice on you,” I tease Hunter after he hands me a beer. “Husband, dad, homeowner. Who knew?”

“I knew,” he states proudly. He was so in love with Lennon long before they were together.

“So, Liam’s flight really got delayed?” he asks, searching my face. “Or did he getheld upagain?”

SOPHIE

Lennon, Maddie, and I talk with my parents and play with the kids outside while Mason and Hunter chat inside. The food is all ready to go, but they’re waiting until more people show up. Liam could arrive at any time, so we’ve learned not to wait for him anymore. He doesn’t usually mind either since he getsheld upa lot.

When my parents follow Allie to the teeter-totter, I stand next to Maddie who’s pushing Aaron in the infant swing. It’s not a regular baby swing, so he’s able to lie down and not have to worry about his head falling back.

“So any idea where Liam is?” I whisper loud enough so only she can hear me. “Have you talked to him since he left?”

Liam flew out on Thursday and was supposed to be back early this morning. He said it was a quick two-day job max, but he’s been acting very strange lately. I found that casino receiptin his pants pocket six months ago, and when I asked him about it, he brushed me off and said he stopped for a quick trip on his way to a job. However, I could tell he was lying, and I’ve been suspicious ever since, especially when I overheard him telling Mason he would be late with his portion of the rent a couple of months ago. Either he’s not making as much money as he lets on, or he’s gambling it all away. Whatever it is, I’m worried as hell about him.

“He told me he had to pick up a fugitive in Nevada,” she says. “We talked the morning he left, but that’s the last time. Why?”

I snicker, knowing she has no idea that I saw them that morning.

“What?” she asks.

“So you’re saying you haven’t spoken to him since before he left?”

“That’s right.”

I purse my lips, wondering if she’s going to tell me or not. When she doesn’t continue the conversation, I figure she’s not, and since he’s coming home today, we need to have this conversation now.

“So…was your make-out session the first time you two locked lips, or have you two been sneaking around for a while?” I blurt quietly, and her eyes immediately widen in shock. “Yeah, I saw you two.”

She tries holding back a smile, but I notice it. Maddie blushes too, which is ironic because she never gets embarrassed.

“I never kiss and tell,” she taunts, which is a lie, considering how much she talks about selling off her virginity. “And no, I don’t know what it means. He said we’d talk about it once he got back.”

I squeeze her arm, wanting to squeal out to the gods that my little sister actually kissed Liam. A guy she’s been not-so-subtly chasing for years. “How could you keep that from me?”

“I’m not foolish enough to think it changes anything,” she says with a shrug as she continues pushing Aaron who fell asleep. “Liam’s a player, and I finally broke through his hard shell, but that doesn’t mean he wants to settle down with me.”

“So Thursday morning was a goodbye kiss before he left?” I push, wanting more juicy details.

“I was grabbing food from the fridge to make breakfast, and he said he had to leave so he wouldn’t miss his flight. I was giving him the cold shoulder. I don’t want to get my heart broken, so I figured if I act like I don’t care, then I can’t get hurt.”

My chest aches, seeing her this vulnerable, which isn’t common for her. Maddie’s a tough girl, always sarcastic and blunt, but deep inside, she’s a marshmallow.

“I walked around him in the kitchen to grab a pan, and then he just grabbed my arm and spun me around. He pulled me into his chest and kissed me. Likereallykissed me. Then he said we’ll talk when he gets back, and that’s the last I heard from him.”

“Oh my God, oh my God!” I whisper-squeal, which makes Maddie laugh. “Well, from what I saw, it wasveryhot.”

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