“Yeah, but you know how that goes with him…”
Boy, did I ever.
As if dating a Barrett wasn’t bad enough, I’d married a man he refused to acknowledge, let alone accept. Even in death, he hadn’t budged in his disgust for Scott.
“You can do no wrong, Liv…” I muttered, meaning every syllable. She could announce she was joining the circus, and Dad would support her. “Hire a DJ and play the song you want. It’s your big day — not his. He had his. A long, long, long time ago.”
She was marrying Alex, a doctor that made our parents swoon. She’d have beautiful, well-bred babies someday and continue to be their pride and joy even if she played 70s porn tracks during the reception.
She giggled, studying her hands despite having thick rubber gloves up to her elbows. “Daddy has a temper.”
“Liv, he’s never even raised his voice at you. You’ll be fine.”
While I could do no right, Liv did no wrong, skating by with average grades and shunning college for cosmetology school. I eventually got my degree, but Dad still scoffed at it and my career.
Her shoulders sagged, eyes defeated. Forever sensitive, a hint of honesty always sent her into a spiral, probably from the coddling. Coddling that I was guilty of as well.
“Liv-” I plopped my rag into the bucket and tore off my gloves. “I’m sorry. That was insensitive.”
True, but insensitive.
“I tried talking to him about you,” she admitted, gnawing on her lip. “I don’t know what his problem is.”
“You don’t need to worry about it, Liv. I’m used to it.”
As much as it sucked to admit, it was true. I was used to being the outcast. The troublemaker. The mistake. I wore it with pride, happy to be nothing like him. The only things we had in common anymore were his big, brown eyes.
“But he’s so hateful to you, Jos.” Her eyes misted with tears. “I can’t look at wedding stuff without my heart breaking for you… for you and Scott.”
“We did it our way, Liv, and I loved it. I’d do it all over again.”
And I would. Dad skipped our day, but I had the people that mattered with us, and I’d cherish it forever.
“But it’s not right! You shouldn’t accept that! You deserve better!”
“I do,” I sighed. “And that’s why I stay away from him, Liv. He loves Linc, and he can keep loving Linc, but he won’t rob me of sunshine anymore.”
“I wanted him to do a dance with you too.”
I stared at her for a long moment, took in each blonde curl that rebelled from her bun, her perfect lashes, and porcelain skin. She was too good for our family. She always had been, and I hated that I hadn’t been able to pry her away to California.
“Liv, I don’t want or need to dance with him.”
Every little girl dreamed of it, but I’d given it up years earlier, somewhere between him backhanding me outside of a police car and shipping me off like some sort of burden.
“I’ve wanted it for you for so long.” She wiped a stray tear away with the back of her gloved hand. “Mom does too.”
Mom never talked to me about Dad, excusing his behavior at every turn. That's what good political wives did. They glossed over the shit behavior of their spouses.
“Liv, I want you to have your day. Let me be there for you as your maid of honor.”
I sighed, reaching back for my gloves before freezing, hearing Linc giggling, his feet tapping around the deck.
“Lincoln!” I called, standing and making my way across the kitchen towards the backyard, my heart in my throat when I looked out the glass.
Lincoln was jumping around the deck with a dog. The pink collar gave her owner away, and the instant fear was replaced with frustration, knowing I had to be the bad guy who hiked across the street with it.
“I’ll be right back. Luke’s dog is here.”
I stepped onto the deck, the big-headed beast turning my way, one ear cocked high in the sky.
“This is my friend, Mommy!” Linc introduced, proud as could be of his fur-covered buddy.
“That’s Luke’s dog.” I glanced back at the brown and white pup, her head almost too big for her muscular frame. “And he’s probably looking for her. Go inside with Aunt Liv while I take her home.”
I wasn’t looking forward to it, but it had to be done. After our last run-in, I wasn’t wading into another conversation with Linc present. God knows what would fly out of either of our mouths.
He scowled, crossing his arms defiantly. “YOU ALWAYS TAKE MY FUN!” he screeched, his tone sending the dog scampering down onto the grass.
“Lincoln David, you’re scaring her!” I ground out, not wanting the frighten her further. “She’s Luke’s dog, and she needs to go home. He’s probably worried sick.”
He glanced at the dog, a pit bull mix if I had to guess, and then back to me, dropping his hands into balled fists. “I hate this place, and I hate you.”
“Go inside. We’ll talk when I get back.”
He continued to glare, his little chest huffing, tears shining. “You always do this!”
I held my ground while he came down from his fiery tantrum, hands slowly unclenching as his breathing steadied. We’d been circling his temper ever since he raged into his terrible twos like a bull in Pamplona, and after two years, I was a pro.
“Go inside, bud. I need to take her home, okay?”
“Can you tell Mr. Luke I said hi?” he asked, his voice breaking my heart in two.
“Absolutely, babe.”
He plucked his tablet from the armrest of his chair and headed inside, shutting the screen door gently rather than letting it slam, eyeing the dog as he did.
“Come on, dog!” I called as I headed onto the grass, the tank following close behind, muscles just
