Page 81 of Beauty
Her eyes light up, but behind her, Beckett makes a growling sound. “She’s a great softball player too.”
“My Addie girl knows that hockey is the superior sport,” Gavin says, sweeping an arm around her shoulder.
Genuine happiness courses through my veins as the decades-long battle continues. My oldest brothers have been arguing about this for as long as I can remember.
“Before you boys get into this,” Liv says, using the mom tone that instantly causes us all to toe the line, “circle what you want so we can call in the food. I’m starving.”
I snag a pen from the collection in front of Addie and quickly mark my selection, then pass the menu off to Gavin to do the same. None of us argues with Liv. She’s a saint as far as I’m concerned.
Beckett disappears for a moment, and when he returns, he’s cradling a bottle of red wine. I don’t need to see the label to know what it is. My brother only stocks one type of wine, and that’s the Jackson pinot noir his wife was drinking the night they “accidentally” got married in Vegas. He serves his wife first, then offers me a glass, which I eagerly take.
I take a sip and close my eyes, willing my muscles to relax. When I feel marginally more at ease, I turn back to Addie. “I’ll help you with your homework if you agree to help me with hockey.”
Her lips curl up on one side. “Deal.”
Gavin grunts. “I can help you with hockey. I taught this one”—he squeezes Addie’s side, making her squeal—“everything she knows.”
“Actually, Uncle Brooks did,” she teases.
“I’m sticking with her,” I tell my brother. “Now go. We need girl time.”
Shoulders slumped, he retreats, dragging his feet the whole way and grumbling about being forced to watch baseball with Finn and Beckett.
Liv calls in our order, then heads upstairs to change, leaving Addie and me on our own. After her math is done—the girl was mostly on her own; turns out math has changed—she grills me about hockey jargon to see what I know.
After she tries to explain a term involving the word hat, we determine that I know absolutely nothing.
“Am I a lost cause?” I ask as we head into the dining room for dinner.
She shakes her head. “Don’t worry, Auntie. I’ve got you.”
“What’s Millie up to?” Liv asks once we’re all seated, our plates full.
Gavin sets his wineglass on the table. “Napping. The pregnancy is taking a lot out of her. Especially since Vivi never stops.”
“It’s wild to think that next year, they’ll all be in kindergarten,” Liv says wistfully. “They grow up so quick.”
Gavin shoots me a wink and shovels a bite of food onto his fork. “That’s how we feel about Sienna.”
Liv shifts in her seat, giving me an expectant smile. “So how was the first day?”
Based on the way Gavin’s expression goes pensive, it’s safe to say he’s already heard from his GM. “It was fine. I met Ezra.”
Beckett holds his fork aloft and frowns. “What happened?”
In those two words alone, I can hear the protective big brother fighting his way out. But that’s not why I came over. So I school my features. “Nothing. He seems nice. Said he’s happy to help me get adjusted.”
My oldest brother practically sags with relief. “Good.”
“He’s lucky he didn’t have to deal with a CEO like you,” Liv tells her husband. She picks up her wineglass and swirls it gently. “Just ask Cortney how much he prefers my style of CEOing.”
Beckett scoffs. “I was a great CEO. Very helpful.”
“You were better at interfering than helping,” she says pointedly. “If you’d asked Cortney, he probably would have told you he didn’t need your help.”
Beckett narrows his eyes. “Does he or does he not come into your office to ask for your opinion?”
She shrugs. “He does.”
