The Bromance Book Club (Bromance Book Club, #1)(13)

“I haven’t found any part of getting divorced to be fun yet,” Thea said, taking the opposite end of the couch.

“Hence, the wine,” Liv said, stretching her legs out until her feet rested on Thea’s lap. The fact that her legs were long enough to do that didn’t help Thea’s mood. How had Liv gotten lucky enough to get their father’s tall, lean build, and Thea got stuck with the stature of a Smurf? Anytime Thea complained about being short, though, Gavin always said she was perfect because he could prop his chin on her head when he held her.

“You look like you’re having second thoughts,” Liv said.

“I’m not.”

Liv tilted her head and narrowed her eyes, as if she didn’t believe Thea’s denial. “You’re making the right decision.”

“I know.” Thea took a small sip to cover the twinge of guilt about all the things she hadn’t told Liv. And wouldn’t. Thea pointed at the pockmarked wall to change the subject. “This might have been a bit impulsive.”

“I know. That’s what I love about it. The feisty version of Thea clawed its way out with a roar.”

Thea raised her eyebrows. “The feisty old Thea?”

“Yeah. Remember her? The one who went through a phase of painting naked and once handcuffed herself to a bulldozer to protect a tree on campus? I’ve missed her.”

Thea stared at the wall and the small progress she’d made. “So have I.”

When was the last time she’d done anything impulsive? Of course, being impulsive was partly to blame for how she got here. One throw-caution-to-the-wind romp in the back seat of Gavin’s car was all it took for sperm to meet egg. And just like that, the mistakes of her own family were repeated. An unplanned pregnancy. A shotgun wedding. A move to the suburbs. A husband who was never home.

Speaking of . . . “You RSVP yet?” Thea asked. Their father was getting married for the fourth time in December.

Liv snorted. “What’s the point?”

Thea nodded. “I’m thinking about writing maybe next time on the card, but that just seems mean.”

“Which makes it perfect.”

“What the hell is wrong with these women? How does he convince them to totally ignore his track record?”

“He shows them his bank account.”

It really was the only thing that made sense. No woman in her right mind would look at his pattern of chronic infidelity and think, Oh, yeah, husband material.

Liv downed the rest of her wine. “She’s thirty-two.”

“Who?”

“Our new stepmother-to-be.”

Thea’s mouth dropped open. That was only six years older than her. “Oh, Mom is going to love that,” Thea said with a snort.

“Speaking of our lovely mother,” Liv said, “she called me twice today.”

Thea straightened. Neither she nor Liv had talked to their mother in months, each for their own reasons.

“I haven’t called her back,” Liv added.

“Think she knows about the wedding?”

Liv shrugged and took a drink of water. “No idea, but I am not going to be the one to tell her.”

Thea winced. Yeah, that wouldn’t be pretty. But neither would the alternative explanation. “Maybe she heard about Gavin and me.”

“Doubt it. She would’ve said something about it in her voicemail.”

“Or called me directly.” Nothing would have made their mother happier than the failure of Thea’s marriage.

All your years of judging me, but you’ll see. You think you’re so in love now and that nothing will ever go wrong. But someday he’ll break your heart, and you’ll have to apologize to me.

That had been her mother’s advice on Thea’s wedding day.

Thea let her head fall back against the cushion, eager to change the subject. “How’s Alexis coming with the café?” Liv was helping craft the menu for a friend who was opening a cat café and coffeehouse.

Liv gave her a knowing look but played along. “Good. She’ll be open sometime in late January, I think.”

“Have you decided if you’re going to let her use Gran Gran’s sugar cookie recipe?”

“Not yet. Part of me still wants to save them for . . .” She shrugged. “You know.”

Her own restaurant. It had always been her dream.

Well, always was a stretch. There were several years when the only thing Liv dreamed about was finding new and inventive ways to rebel. Bad grades. Bad attitude. Bad boys. Liv reveled in them all during her teenage years. Restless like a man chasing a worm with a bell on it, as Gran Gran used to say. Which, honestly, Thea never quite understood but figured it meant Liv was in search of something that didn’t exist.

And that was really something to which Thea could relate. Neither one of them had emerged from their messed-up childhood unscathed. They’d just hidden from their scars in different ways.

But no matter how much Liv wanted to open her own business, she had repeatedly turned down Thea’s offers for a loan. Liv did things on her own or not at all, even if it meant enduring the hellish abuse of her tyrant boss.

“Thank you for being here,” Thea said, rolling her head to look at Liv.

“You don’t have to thank me. You were there for me more times than I could ever repay you for.”