Page 91 of Penalty Kick

“No, we’re good,” Gunnar answered. “At least I think we’re good.”

“We’re good,” she agreed, hugging him again.

“Great, then I’m taking our daughter back, ’cause there is girly shit to finish up.”

“I thought it wasn’t—”

“Gunnar,” Felicity said sharply, glaring at her husband.

“Right, got it. Only okay when you say it.” Hands raised in surrender, he took a step back, letting Talia lead the way.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

“Who ordered the part-time chicken?” Dalton asked, squinting as he read the scribbles on the container he pulled out of the takeout bag.

When Felicity had told her to come over for “Sushi Sunday” by the pool, saying that it would be not only a good distraction but some much-needed fresh air, she had failed to mention it was going to be a family affair.

It was a beautiful, warm, and sunny afternoon, and they had the whole rooftop pool area to themselves. Avery and Liam were in the pool, splashing around with Tanner, Felicity and Sax sat under an umbrella chatting away, while Gunnar and Cowboy stood over the cooler, beers in hand, deep in a debate over how Liverpool had played that morning. Felicity’s brother, Dalton, his fiancée, Zara, and Lulu, Dalton and Felicity’s younger half sister, had just arrived, complete with the multiple bags from the sushi place down the street. There was no sign of Theo, but it being her broadcast day for Sports Down South, the sports talk show she hosted, Talia wasn’t surprised by her absence.

Felicity had been right though. Being around the family was a nice distraction, even if it didn’t erase her hurt. Every part of her still felt hollow and raw, her mind still a jumble of thoughts and emotions. Every time she thought she was starting to come to terms with it, the images of Frisky wrapped around Dash flashed in her mind again. The whole thing was still so hard to wrap her head around. She thought she’d known him—the real him. She'd trusted him, with her heart and her body. Biggest mistake ever.

“PT, for Pad Thai,” Zara corrected, peering over his shoulder. “The chicken pad Thai is what I ordered for Lulu.”

“That makes more sense. Although, what’s the full-time chicken then?”

“FT is fried tempura,” Talia interjected. She ordered the dish enough to know the restaurant’s codes, although she never ceased to wonder why they noted the fried part. Wasn’t all tempura fried? “That’s Tanner’s.”

“I prefer full-time and part-time,” Dalton joked. “I like to know the commitment level of the chicken.”

“It’s dead; pretty sure it’s fully committed to the cause,” she replied.

“Touché.”

Talia sighed, looking over at Lulu who was deeply engrossed in her phone, thumbs flying across the screen at light speed, tapping out something. The teenager had a small but goofy smile tugging at her lips, like she was suppressing a giggle. The kind that only came from teenage girls who were up to something. Talia watched closely, waiting to see what it was that had Lulu aflutter. She didn’t know the girl—who was now her stepaunt, if that was even a thing—but she’d been the same way when she was fourteen. Hell, she’d been giggly like that a week ago where Dash had been concerned.

Her heart squeezed, just the thought of him making her want to cry again. It was moments like these that she had wanted to share with him more than anything. Hanging out poolside, not a care in the world. She could see him now, showing off in the deep end, splashing around with Liam and Tanner. No, she needed to stop. Needed to focus on something—anything—other than thoughts of him. Turning her attention back to Lulu, she figured out just what was the object of her attention.

Liam.

Lulu tilted her phone ever so slightly with the camera on, focused in on the Irish Viking standing in the shallow end, water droplets running down his skin, his bare chest on full display. She was discreet about it, casually tapping the button to capture her shot, everyone around her none the wiser. Damn, she was good. Thumbs furiously tapping out another message, Lulu didn’t even look up as Talia plopped down next to her.

“If you really want to make your friends jealous, we can ask him for a photo,” Talia whispered. Lulu jumped, quickly switching her phone screen off and turning it so it wouldn’t be seen. Busted. “He’d be happy to take one with you.”

“I…I…I dunno what you’re talking about,” Lulu answered.

“Secret is safe with me. I get it, he’s hot.”

Just not as hot as Dash…

“He’s the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Talia barked out a laugh. It was hard to think of Liam in that way, but she got it. If she were Lulu, she probably would have thought the same thing.

“Britt! Britt! Britt!” Theo exclaimed, bursting through the glass door from the elevator lobby out into the bright sun.

Hands raised high, she moved with all the grace of a toddler as she skip-hopped toward Cowboy. Leaping into his arms, she kissed him hard, still squealing.

“I know I’m irresistible and that you missed me, darlin’, but there are others present,” Cowboy said, placing Theo back on her feet. “Including children.”