The Magnolia Chronicles: Adventures in Modern Dating(75)

"What do you need right now?" Rob said, his words low enough to stay between us.

I shook my head and let myself lean against him. "This."

"Yeah?" His lips brushed the shell of my ear. "Are you sure you don't want to fake a sprained ankle? I'll get you out of here. You won't have to deal with him anymore."

Exhaling slowly, I let my eyelids fall. One of the many problems with concurrently dating two men was losing track of the information I'd shared with each of them. It was never more evident than right now as Rob knew all about my history with Sam. Ben knew the rough sketch but Rob knew the details and he knew who Sam was—and wasn't—to me.

He knew and he stayed right here with me.

He knew this weird, tenuous, strained but polite but also distant situation called for a calm response. That goddamn indifference. He understood how swagger only widened the chasm. He knew I needed this to be better but that I couldn't do the fixing. I couldn't be the one apologizing this time.

And he knew I needed someone to stand with me rather than someone to stand for me.

"How did you know?" I asked. "How did you know I needed this?"

He chuckled in a quiet way that vibrated through his chest and straight into me. "I didn't know so much as to repay the favor."

I turned my head to glance over my shoulder at him. "Which favor is that?"

"You had my back at the engagement party."

I frowned, shook my head. "I didn't do anything. I was there with you but I didn't do anything."

He wrapped his arm around my waist. "And I'm not doing anything but being here." His lips landed on my temple, stayed there long enough to chase away some of my lingering embarrassment. Some of it. "What about that ankle? Should we get it checked out? I know a beer garden not too far from here with brews perfect for treating imaginary injuries."

"Maybe later," I said, patting his hand. "It wasn't terrible, with Sam. I think we patched a few things up. There was that awful moment where I tackled him but it was nice of him to own that one."

"It's about time," Rob said under his breath.

I glanced up to find Lauren smiling down at us. "Sorry about all this," I said to her. "I didn't come here with the intention of instigating anything."

She waved her hand. "Don't mention it. Some people exercise, the Walshes yell at each other." To Rob, she said, "I'm Lauren Walsh and you're supremely tolerant of both this day and those shenanigans you just witnessed."

"Not at all. I'm Rob Russo," he replied. "I heard there were boxes to unpack and things to assemble, and I'm happy to do it."

She laughed, shaking her head. "And we are thankful for every hand on deck today," she said, shooting a glance across the yard at Ben. "If you don't mind, I have a perfect project for Mr. Brock. Can I steal him?"

"Take him," Rob replied quickly. "Keep him. He's all yours."

"You're just adorable, aren't you?" Lauren murmured. "Stay there for a bit, Gigi. You've been running around fixing trees and plants and god knows what else before Sam went all…you know, Samish. I hope everything is all right on that front. I hope you're all right."

"I am," I said, and I meant it. I was all right without the resentment and contempt and burned bridges. Without the indifference. I was better. "I might have space in my schedule to take on a few of Sam's properties."

"Make him work for it, girl." She glanced to the group of twentysomethings congregated near the front door and then eyed Ben again. He was having a conversation with Matt that seemed largely composed of hand gestures. "It's truly the perfect project. If I can convince him of it."

The magical intuition of Lauren Walsh was not to be underestimated. The woman noticed things to which the rest of us were blind. And in this moment, I was certain she saw me and Rob and Ben and all the things we didn't say out loud. She saw and she knew, and now she had a plan.

"I've never doubted you before," I replied. "I'm not about to start now."

With a nod, Lauren stalked toward the group near the door. She peeled off a man and woman and led them toward Ben and Matt. She was quick to gather the men but Ben wasn't going without a spirited discussion as always.

He pointed at me, asking, "Are you good? I can stay. I'll do whatever you want, Gigi."

"Oh, sweetie," Lauren cooed. "You have such a good heart, worrying after her like that. She'll join us in a few minutes."

Ben blinked at Lauren, his irritation melting by the second. "Okay." He nodded, glanced back at me. His lips tipped up in a smile. So unlike him. It lasted all of ten seconds before his gaze stumbled onto Rob and he went full glower. "I'm watching you, Russo."

"As always," Rob replied.

Lauren allowed none of this, quickly directing him into the garage with the rest of her crew, leaving me and Rob alone on the grass. He ran his hand over my knee, thumbing away the streak of green.

"I'm not sure what's happened here," he said. "But I feel like it's a lot."

For the second time today, tears filled my eyes. This wasn't about finally crossing a threshold with Sam or letting go of all my grudges—because yeah, they were grudges. It wasn't about the Walshes rallying around me. It wasn't Lauren taking Ben into her care. It was none of this but also all of it.