Page 96 of My Silver Lining

I didn’t want to.

“Hey, Mack!” I called out.

“I’m in the kitchen. Come check it out.”

We came to a stop and took it all in. The large, sleek black island sat in the middle, with white quartz countertops. The rest of the cabinets were a rustic wood and stained walnut.

“Wow. The white countertops really pop against the dark wood and the black, and when you add in the copper, it’s so chic.” Lulu ran her hand over the copper hood, which had been her suggestion.

“Yeah, this turned out incredible, Rafe. With the wood floors and all the natural light coming from the windows in this great room, it’s magnificent.” Mack finished washing his hands and then dried them off with a few paper towels. “How are you doing, Lulu? You were the talk of poker night yesterday.”

She quirked a brow. “Is that so? What were they saying?”

“I play cards with a few guys from the club, and they were talking about how the Chad-Six brought in two ringers with you and Henley,” he said over his laughter. “Apparently, you’re dominating at pickleball. But they said you really get into their heads with your smack talk.”

“Let me guess. The Cocks brothers and Gary Rite are in this card group?”

“Wilcox,” I said, as I barked out a laugh and hooked an arm around her waist to pull her close.

“Whatevs. They are ridiculously whiney. Let me give you a little tip, Mack. All you have to do is reference the size of their package, and they freaking fall apart. It’s too easy.”

Mack covered his mouth with his hand to contain his laughter. “I’ll keep that in mind. They also warned the other guys not to mess with Rafe, or they’d get the wrath of Lulu.”

I waggled my brows. “What can I say? My girl is very protective.”

Lulu turned around in my arms and pinched my cheeks, making me yelp. “Hey. You’re my pickleball partner. You have to have your partner’s back.”

“You sure that’s all it is?” I nipped at her ear.

“Yep. Come on, Rafael. Let’s check out these appliances.”

We spent the next thirty minutes looking at everything in the kitchen. The floors were also down throughout most of the house. The bathrooms were next, and the new slider would open up the entire wall to the river in the backyard.

When we were done checking out the house, we said our goodbyes to Mack and made our way over to the club to get ready for pickleball.

“The house is really coming along. Sounds like you’ll be back in right around the time I’m leaving,” she said, as she grabbed her duffle bag from the back seat when we pulled up to the club.

“Yep. Mack thinks it’ll be right around then.”

“That’s exciting,” she said, bumping me with her shoulder.

“Yeah,” I said, but there was no real passion behind the word. Yes, I was looking forward to finishing my home. No, I wasn’t looking forward to Lulu leaving.

“Hey, Rafe,” Jolie said as she walked toward us. I’d gone out with her a few times more than a year ago, and she played a lot of tennis up here. I’d introduced her to Lulu more than once, and she continued to act as if she didn’t see her standing there.

“Hi. How are you doing? You remember Lulu, right?”

“You must. We’ve met multiple times, and I’m not that forgettable,” Lulu said, not hiding her irritation, and her smile looked forced.

“I wouldn’t say you’re forgettable either,” Jolie smirked and then moved her hand in front of her as if she were drawing an invisible line around Lulu. “There’s a lot going on here.”

“Oh, I see. You’rethat girl.” Lulu crossed her arms over her chest, her lips turning up the slightest bit.

“And what girl would that be?”

“The kind of girl that cuts others down to feel better about herself.” Lulu quirked a brow. “Next time, just say hi. You can put the claws away. I’m leaving in a few weeks, so I’m not a threat to you. It’s not that deep. But the way you’ve treated me, I’d say you’ve shot yourself in the foot. Rafael is a very loyal guy. He won’t forget.”

Jolie’s eyes widened. “I, er, I should have said hello. Sorry about that.”

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