“Are you suggesting I’m taking advantage of that?”
Jessica let the question sit before she shook her head. “But I don’t want to see her get hurt.”
At that, Lia couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m sorry, but that’s ridiculous. You think I’m going to hurt her?”
“So you think she’s going to hurt you?”
Frustrated, Lia shook her head. “I didn’t say that. Look, I’m not naïve. I know what I’m getting myself into, and so does Erin. We’ve been clear about that since the start. Frankly, it’s none of your business. I don’t care if you’re her sister; what happens between me and Erin is between me and Erin—no one else.”
Jessica ate another olive. “Okay. You’re right. Sorry, I know I can be intense. But Erin has looked out for me my whole life. Our mum walked out when I was five and she was eight, and although Dad never asked her to, she was determined to take care of me, to step into that maternal role. And from the look on your face, you didn’t know that, did you? She’s going to kill me.”
“I won’t tell her.” Lia reached for a bottle of water, some of her nerves easing. “She’s talked a bit about it. Just not in so many details.”
“Well, my point is, she’s been there for me my whole life. I want to make sure I can look out for her, too. You just so happen to be my first chance to do that. Don’t you have a stepbrother? Wouldn’t he do the same thing for you if he got his hands on Erin?”
Brett caring enough to ask Lia if she was seeing someone would mean acknowledging he wasn’t the only person in the universe. “That’s funny. No. He wouldn’t care. My family isn’t close. I don’t have much of a relationship with them, certainly not one like you and Erin have.” Permitting herself a glance over her shoulder now that Jessica had thawed, she smiled at the sight of Erin tackling Maisie to the ground and tickling her. “It’s nice that you do. That Erin and Maisie are so close.”
When Lia turned back, Jessica’s sympathetic eyes met her own. “I’m sorry.”
Lia shrugged. “It is what it is. I’ve made my peace with it. Family’s what you make it, right?”
“Right. For what it’s worth…” Jessica hesitated, biting at her bottom lip as she weighed whatever was on her mind. “I think Maisie already classes you as part of her family. The kid adores you.”
That warmed Lia’s heart more than anything else Jessica could have said. “You must be proud of her.”
“Every damn day. Oh, they’re coming back—don’t look too scared. Erin might accuse me of being mean to you.”
Maisie bounded back over, mud on her knees and a wide grin pulling at her cheeks. “You have to come play, too! Both of you. Mum, you can be on Auntie Erin’s team because I want Lia on my team.”
“You don’t want me on your team?” Jessica pressed a hand to her chest. “Your own mother?”
“We can’t put Lia and Auntie Erin together! They’re too good. They have to be on opposite teams.”
“Hm. I suppose I can accept that reasoning.” Jessica ruffled Maisie’s hair. “Come on. Let’s go warm up.”
Before Lia could follow them, Erin stopped her with the gentle press of her fingers against the small of Lia’s back. “Everything okay? Jessica didn’t say anything bad, did she?”
“Oh, so you do think leaving me alone with your sister—after you told her we were sleeping together—was a bad idea?”
Erin winced. “I didn’t tell her we were sleeping together, I just didn’t deny it when she asked me. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I shouldn’t have left you alone with her, but I didn’t think she’d say anything.”
“I’m pretty sure she orchestrated this whole afternoon so she could say something to me, Erin.” Seeing the tension held in Erin’s shoulders, Lia took pity on her. “But it’s fine. She only lightly threatened me.”
Erin whipped her head around to where Jessica and Maisie stood, using their jackets to mark out goal posts. “She what?”
“Don’t worry about it. Jessica and I are good.” Lia was struck with the sudden urge to wipe the alarm from Erin’s face away with a kiss and forced herself to take a step back. She couldn’t afford to be so lax in public. Especially around Maisie, who couldn’t know about them. She wouldn’t understand, would think they were in a relationship, that Lia was becoming part of the family.
Taking her place beside Maisie on their makeshift football pitch, Lia felt her first pang of longing. What would life be like if this were her future? Tapping the ball back and forth, avoiding Erin’s long reach and Jessica’s uncoordinated tackles, enjoying Maisie’s arms around her waist after she scored a goal? Long afternoons in the park eating homemade sandwiches and feeding birdseed to the ducklings in the shallow pond? Erin’s hand, warm on the small of her back, playfully threatening to push her into the water?
The mere thought of it all made her ache, but Lia was quick to reel herself back in. After all, she was there having fun with the Finch family without anyone making a big deal about it. Why couldn’t she spend her days off slipping out of Erin’s bed before picnics in the park?
Wanting that didn’t have to mean anything.
Did it?
Chapter 18
Champagne was sweet on Erin’s tongue as she sat back to enjoy the celebrations playing out in full force in front of her.
