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Livvie snickered. "Aww, that's cute."

Tea pointed at me. "Don't get any ideas, mister."

I held up my hands. "No, ma’am.” I grinned. "What about Tay-Tay, though?"

She smiled. "I'd like that."

"You sure? It's not too hard?"

She shook her head. "Luke would get a kick out of Harry. She's his kind of person. He was the single most inappropriate person I've ever known."

Liv couldn't know who Luke was, but her expression told me she understood from context. "Well, I’m glad you feel that way, because once a nickname sticks around here, it’s a done deal, and Harry has decided you're Tay-Tay."

"But there's already a Tate."

Liv just shrugged. "She's mostly Auntie Tee." The way it came out sounded like Anne-Tee-Tee. Her phone rang, and she glanced at it, then made an oh crap face. "I'm super late for an appointment, kids, so I gotta skedaddle. The house is yours. Just take the lockbox off and make another key. If you need anything else, just call me. Love you!" She kissed me on the forehead, and then Tea.

Tea looked dazed as Livvie waltzed out. “Well, she's amazing."

"Isn't she?"

She nodded. "Your family has just…pulled me in."

"You're one of us, now, babe. A Badd girl for life."

“I could get used to that.” She wrinkled her nose. "Can I keep Tiernan, though? I kinda like it."

I laughed. "Sure, of course. Doesn't make you any less of a Badd girl." I paused. "Speaking of bad girls, what happened to your sister?'

Tea shrugged. "I dunno. She does this."

"Vanishes?"

She nodded. "Yup. She probably went back to the East Coast and forgot to tell me. She's the smartest person I've ever known, but she's also a bit of a space cadet." She pulled her phone out. "I should call her, now that you mention it, though. Just be sure."

I sat back in the booth as the phone rang. After several rings, Tania picked up, and I could make out both sides of the conversation.

"Tania?"

"Tater-Bug! I forgot to let you know I came home."

"I figured. You okay?"

“Yeah, mostly."

"Tania."

"Your boyfriend's cousin, Kieran."

“Yeah?" Tea looked at me, knowing I could hear; I winced because Kieran was one hell of a handful, the most unpredictable person I knew.

"I'm not ready to dump Jake yet, but I can't stop thinking about Kieran. He's crazy! I've never met anyone like him. I never know what he's gonna say."

"Did you guys…"

"No, god no. Close, but no. I couldn’t and wouldn't do that to Jakey-Poo. Our lips were, like, this close, but no. I also don't think he's ready. He needs a bit more time to cook." A cackle burst out of me, which I muffled way too late. “Jax is listening, huh?"

“Yeah, he is."