“Oh you guys. Did you torture a bunch of teenaged girls? Setting fires and egging cars?”

“We never set fires.”

Liv began laughing anew at the thought of the four Chase boys terrorizing their babysitters.

“It was all Shane. I just followed along. I’m totally innocent.” He put his hands up, struggling against a laugh.

“Oh no more. I’m going to choke on something,” she gasped out through the laughter. “You innocent?”

Marc realized as they laughed together that something really essential had passed between them. Had changed. She wasn’t Matt’s ex-girlfriend anymore. She was his friend. Totally separate from her former relationship with his brother. Free from that. What they had was unique to the two of them and it all sort of clicked into place.

“Okay, so innocent probably isn’t the best word choice. But Shane is an instigator. He may be the sheriff now but it’s only because he was such a lawbreaker when we were kids. Oh, Daddy used to get so mad. And my dad rarely gets riled up. Momma, well she’d grab for whatever son she could grab a hank of and hold on to, screeching the whole time. Once she had your ear, you were done with, and you may as well just submit or she’d never let you go. But Daddy? He’d bide his time until we all thought the coast was clear and then he’d corner us in his study or the kitchen and man we’d get it.” He smiled at the memory.

“Your mother is something else. I love her to death but she scares the hell out of me.”

“I’d say she was all bark and no bite but that’d be such a lie. She’s fierce for such a tiny scrap of woman. Taught me a lot about courage. My father taught me about justice and honor but Momma taught me courage and tenacity.” Marc wondered what she’d think about him and Liv and realized the moment he thought it that his mother would be all for it. Liv had already passed inspection and been approved. It was Matt who f**ked up.

“I love the way she terrorizes John. The mayor that is. This whole Founder’s Day event has been fun to plan but every time she enters the building he tries to jump out his office window. He tries to charm his way around her but she sees right through him and he just gives in with a heavy sigh.”

Marc didn’t like the first name thing. Wondered if she had a thing with the mayor and then discarded the idea. John Woodward was not the kind of man who could hold a woman like Olivia Davis for longer than three minutes. He certainly couldn’t match her in bed. John was too timid and gentlemanly. Marc knew what Liv needed between the sheets. Passion. Energy. Creativity and if he wasn’t wrong, a bit of a dominant hand.

“You going then? To the picnic and parade?” Marc asked, he hoped not too eagerly.

“Wouldn’t miss it. Should be a big shindig and your mother has worked really hard with the historical society. And I love a good party.” She crumpled her napkin and grabbed her bag. “I need to get back to work. It was nice to hang out with you today.” She put a hand on his shoulder to stay him. “Don’t get up. I’ll see you later, Marc. Have a nice afternoon.”

“I’ll see you Friday,” he called out, relieved his voice hadn’t cracked at the weight of awareness of her as a woman. Holy moley, he wanted her bad. Seeing her laugh like that, her head tipped back slightly so her neck was exposed, all creamy and supple made him want to lick all the way from shoulder to earlobe. Wondered if she would give a little shiver of delight. Wondered what she’d taste like.

Groaning, he put his forehead in his palm. This couldn’t be happening to him. He was not going down like his older brothers had. No way. But he would taste Olivia Davis. To get her out of his system, of course. Once they’d had each other a few dozen times the desperate need he felt would wear off. Yeah. That was it.

* * *

Torture. That’s what it was and she had to end it. Liv looked at Marc Chase as he sat on a blanket with Becky Sue Radin. The teeny little blonde stared at him like he was a cupcake. And Liv loved cupcakes too, but since Marc hired on as her personal trainer she hadn’t had one. That was clearly her problem. A lack of cupcakes. It was all Marc’s fault. Cupcake deprivation had led her into sexualizing everything.

Huffing out a breath in frustration, she turned her attention back to Bill Prentiss, who’d been telling her all about his prize winning steer. Fascinating. Okay, she was being unfair. Bill was a perfectly nice man. Owned a ranch outside town. Made a good living. Worked hard and was quite a handsome specimen. Marriage material even.

He held her hand gently, respectfully and paid attention to no other woman but her. These were good things and if she wanted forever, she’d have to stop this ridiculous attraction to men like Marc and Matt Chase, who didn’t think ten minutes ahead of their little misters.

No, Liv Davis was done with the sweet talking ladies’ men of the world. They might be fun as all get out between the sheets but there was more to life than between the sheets.

So she smiled at Bill and flattered him because he deserved it. It was all her issue that she had some kind of messed up gene that found unworthy men attractive. She had to stamp it out. Retrain herself. Yes. That’s exactly what she needed to do. Retrain herself.

“Bill, I’ll be back in a few minutes. I just need to check in on the ladies around the corner to be sure they’ve got enough ice and everything they need.”

He stood when she did and she cocked her head, smiling. He really was a nice man and she’d be a fool not to go out with him again if he asked.