Page 169 of It's Always Us

“I told him,” Maggie says, standing. “But I think she’s dating that blockhead, who doesn’t know his right hand from his left, just to torture him since he WAS BLIND.”

“Seriously.” Hank’s face turns red.

“Steal the girl, man,” Mark interjects. “Find your play and make it.”

Shane points a baby spoon at Mark. “He doesn’t need your input.”

“I think he does. Look,” Mark points at me. “I slid in at sixteen, and I got the girl . . . forever. You can’t give up. This is your last chance. She’s going to be here, and you have to man up and do something about all this . . . ” Mark waves his wand around. “Pent up sexual tension.”

“I’m leaving.” Hank stands, shoving his chair away.

“You can’t leave.” Maggie steps in front of him, bouncing the newest member of our giant family. Little Quinn already has Shane wrapped around her pinky, and the rest of us aren’t any different. “This isyourgoing away party.”

“Like hell, I can’t. I didn’t want a party, and you all are—”

There’s a loud commotion, and a parade of kids spews out onto the deck with Teddy in the lead, running toward the pool. I clutch the stack of plates just in time to keep them from crashing to the ground.

“Cannonball!!!!!” Teddy yells, taking a running leap.

Shane swings an arm out, snatching Aiden, and throws him over his shoulder like a wooden barrel. Sean and Andie bring up the rear with Ax and their little beauty, Lydia. Bree and Liv each have a hand on the girls waddling to the pool with their little diaper butts.

Sean retired after last season and is now the offensive coordinator for the Colorado Moose. He and Shane coach together, and we are all practically neighbors, which means there’s no privacy in this family.

Shane points at Hank. “Sit down. You will suffer through this one final time. Mark, not another word. He doesn’t need your input.”

“I’m just saying, it’s the eleventh hour. You’re leaving in a few days. You’ll miss your chance. Take it from me. Living without the one you love is like living with your chest gutted and everything inside spilling out.”

Mark swings his arm around me as I set another plate on the table and presses a kiss to my lips before returning to Master Griller.

Hank huffs. “Dude, shehasa boyfriend, and no one is suffering. We’re friends. I’m leaving.”

“That guy is an asshole,” Sean pipes in, putting Ax on his shoulders.

“Is he coming?” Andie asks. “I need to know. I might punch him.”

“Ugh,ishe coming?” Maggie groans. “I’m texting Simone and asking. We didn’t invite his incapable, chauvinistic ass.”

“Firefly, if you want Hank to remain at his own party, let it be,” Shane says, stopping her.

Maggie glares at him but shoves her phone in her back pocket.

“Why isn’t anyone all up in Cole’s business?” Hank throws his hands in the air.

“Because he’s not here.” Half the group responds in unison and Hank drops back down into the chair, surrendering.

Maggie turns toward him. “Don’t worry. If he weren’t required to be at the Stingray’s camp, we’d be all up in his face about what’s actually happening in Miami.”

Hank groans. “You all seriously need to get a life. I can’t wait to get out of here.”

“But you are our life,” Andie sings sweetly.

“Hey,” Mark jumps back in. “You’re going to miss us when you’re on the other side of the world, realizing there’s no one that loves you like we do.”

This is my family. All of them, and I never want to be anywhere else.

When we aren’t cheering for Mark, we’re watching Shane and Sean coach the Moose, Hank’s soccer games, or Bree and Liv’s dance shows. Cole’s games are streamed at one house or another, which just so happen to be within five miles of each other. It’s football and sports and activities All. The. Time.

And when I have a little quiet time, I sneak away to the garage and work on whatever my current rusted-out project happens to be. I finish one, and Mark’s friends have another delivered. Restoring these old cars and trucks is everything I’ve dreamed of.

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