I wanted to argue more—I was a professional at arguing after all—but this was a disagreement I wasn’t going to win. And I was smart enough to know when to back down before I lost.
As luck would have it, Addison and Maddox came outside from the garage at that moment. I was saved from having to concede to Tommy.
“Hey, Maddison,” Tommy said.
“Maddison?” I asked.
“It’s their couple name,” he said and stood as I stared at him
He was an odd duck. One minute, he was saying fuck to me, and then another, he was giving our friends a couple name.
7
Tommy
“I’ll be right back,” Maddox said and kissed his wife on the cheek. He looked at me. “You want to go with me to pick up the boys?”
I loved his boys, but I was more interested in watching Olivia try not to be embarrassed around Addison. “Nah, I’ll stay here.”
“Beer’s in the fridge,” he said to me before he hopped in the minivan and took off.
At the same moment, I heard Olivia come up behind me.
“How long have you been here?” Addison asked us.
“A few minutes,” I said before Olivia could answer.
Addison smiled at her friend. “Hey, you listened to me for once about not coming early.” She turned around as Olivia made a choking noise. “Come inside. I’ll pour us some wine.”
I didn’t immediately follow because I was trying to hold in a laugh, and I didn’t want Addison to notice. Olivia did though, and she elbowed me in the gut as she walked by.
“Oof.” I rubbed my abdomen as I trailed behind the two women. Olivia was stronger than she looked.
In the kitchen, Addison pulled a beer from the fridge for me and grabbed wine and wineglasses for her and Olivia.
I didn’t know if Addison could sense the weird tension in the room, but I could, so I decided to step in. “Who’s all coming tonight?”
“You and Olivia, obviously. Also, Maddox’s mom, brother, sister, and niece.”
“That’ll be nice.”
Addison slid a glass over to Olivia, who picked it up and downed the whole thing.
Addison’s eyebrows flew up practically to her hairline. “Everything okay?”
“Hmm?” Olivia said.
She glanced at me, but there was no way I could tell her she needed to chill out without Addison noticing, so I purposely eyed her empty wineglass in hopes that she would get the message.
“Oh,” Olivia said. “Yeah, everything’s fine.”
She smiled awkwardly, and I tried not to cringe.
Addison filled up Olivia’s glass with more wine. “Do you want to go and sit in the living room or in the backyard? It’s shaded out there, so it’s not too hot.”
Olivia almost spit out the sip of wine she’d just taken. “Outside.”
Addison laughed. “I didn’t think you’d care so much. Outside it is,” she said as she walked to the sliding glass doors.
Once she was out of earshot, I leaned over and whispered to Olivia, “Get it together. If you can stand up in a courtroom with criminals and judges, you can talk to your friend. Besides, sex is natural. Everyone has it.”
I could be mistaken, but I thought I saw a shiver.
“You’re right. I just can’t stop…picturing it.”
“And it’s turning you on?”
She whipped her head around. “No.”
I grinned. “Liar.”
I stepped around her and went outside to join Addison. I took a seat across from her at the round patio table so that Olivia and Maddox could sit on either side of her.
Olivia walked out with her head held high and sat down between Addison and me. But she made sure to shoot me a dirty look.
I took a big swig of my beer. “You’re right. It’s not too hot out here. But for some reason, Olivia’s face is already red. Maybe you should put on sunblock.”
Anger flared behind her eyes, and I was pretty sure she wanted me dead, but I didn’t care. I was having too much fun.
“Tommy’s right. Your face is a little pink.”
“I’ll be fine,” Olivia said with a forced smile.
There was a commotion from the house, and Addison turned to see her husband and kids. “I’d better go help Maddox.”
The second she walked away, Olivia kicked me under the table.
I laughed and shook my head. “You’ll have to try harder than that if you want to hurt me.”
She elbowed me once more.
I laughed again.
She narrowed her eyes before she reached under the table, and I felt pressure on my leg.
“Did you just pinch me?”
Her jaw tightened. “Grr. Doesn’t anything hurt you?”
I grinned. “Nope.” I frowned. “I mean, besides the obvious. I am a man.”
Olivia’s eyes sparkled, and just as her arm swung out toward my crotch, all four Wolfes came outside.
Thankfully, I was fast, and I caught her hand before it collided with my junk. But since I was afraid she’d do it again, I clamped my hand down on hers, trapping it between my palm and my upper thigh.
“Hey, Spencer. Hey, Thane,” I said as Olivia tried to pull her hand away. I increased my hold.
Thane smiled at me, and drool slid over his cute little chin.
“Tommy,” Spencer said and rushed over to me.
I reluctantly let go of Olivia.
“Yook,” Spencer said. “Car.” He held up a Hot Wheels toy.
“Cool. Can I see it?”
“No.”
“Spencer,” Addison said, but I laughed.
“It’s okay.”
“Spence, go play, buddy,” Maddox said, and Spencer ran to the sandbox out in his yard.
“Let me see Thane,” I said, holding out my arms.
Maddox handed him to me as he sat down beside me.
“Hey, buddy.”
I got another smile and more drool.
“What are you men doing out here?” Olivia asked as she peered at the yard and the work Maddox and I had been doing there.
“Tommy and I are putting in egress windows, and then we’re going to redo the basement. We’re hoping to put a family room down there along with another bedroom and bathroom, so guests have somewhere to stay.”
“That sounds like a lot of work.”
Maddox shrugged. “I already did our bedroom and the kitchen. It is a lot of work, but it’ll be worth it when it’s done.”
I set Thane’s butt on the table, so he could face me. “Except no one wants to stay at your mommy and daddy’s house,” I said in a baby voice. “No, no, no. Mommy and Daddy have too much sex, and their room is going to be right above the new guest room. Mommy and Daddy had better buy earplugs.”
Thane giggled as if he actually knew what I was talking about.
Maddox and Addison were rolling their eyes, but Olivia looked horrified.
I made a face at Thane because I had gotten the exact reaction out of her that I was looking for.
“Quit talking to my six-month-old about sex, Tommy,” Addison said. “And if you stayed in our guest room, we would be sure not to do anything while you were there.”