“It’s not a big deal. Just when he assigned me to working with you, he said if you didn’t stop protesting by playoffs, he’d have to let me go.” I force a smile on my face and try to ignore everyone around us who are now also trying to look anywhere but at us and our awkward exchange. TK is cringing so hard that I’m almost positive Poppy is pinching him underneath the table. “He hasn’t really mentioned it since, so I’m not even sure if he was serious or not.”

The thick veins in Quinton’s neck strain and I know he’s trying not to make a scene. His distaste for Mahler is something I try to avoid whenever possible. Well, I try to avoid all conflict, to be honest. Hence my terrible decision-making skills.

He lets out a deep breath and moves his arm from the back of my chair to the top of my leg. “Alright,” he says. “We can talk about it later if you want.”

I nod in agreement.

Next to me, Vonnie finishes off her drink. “See, that’s how a relationship works.” She sounds a little unhinged and I have a terrible feeling that she is going to explode before the night is over. She’s been holding it in for too long, it’s bound to come out. “You guys talk to each other and value the other person’s opinion. That’s how things are supposed to be.”

I hate the broken look in her eyes and the way her voice cracks at the end of her sentence. I’m about to tell Brynn to find childcare so we can whisk Vonnie away to some private island with no cell service when Quinton reaches behind me and grabs Vonnie’s shoulder.

“You know if you need anything, I got you, right?”

She looks over, her throat working, but no words come out as her almost unrecognizable eyes—lacking both her long lashes and confident gaze—gloss over.

“Well, I’m glad you guys figured things out,” Brynn cuts in, sounding much less gloaty than she did moments ago. I know I’m not a member of the Lady Mustangs and I’ve only been around them for a short time, but the one thing that has been clear from the beginning is how much they care about one another. When one of them is hurting, they’re all hurting. And right now, the women surrounding Vonnie are breaking for her. And even though I hate being the center of attention, I will gladly take that for her. “I’ve seen a lot of bumpy roads, but you two may have beat everyone else out.”

It’s impossible not to laugh at that. “Bumpy” seems like such an understatement when I think back on just how much the man next to me drove me crazy. “You could say that,” I say through my laughter.