“Um… are you guys sure? Sharing isn’t against Secret Picnic rules, is it?” Cassie met Eliza’s gaze, as if sensing her unease.
Eliza flashed an appreciative smile, wishing she could hug her on the spot.
“Nah.” Reed waved away her concern. “It’s not that rigid. What do you guys say? Can you agree to play nice?”
“I’m game if you are,” Colt told Jack.
“It’s a deal.” Jack extended his hand, and the two men shook on it.
“Honestly, you’re both unbelievable.” Penny gathered her thick auburn hair into a low ponytail, securing the tie with an agitated snap.
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Colt gifted her his most irresistible grin.
“Don’t,” Penny mumbled under her breath. Although Colt didn’t seem to notice.
Eliza tried to suppress the wailing alarm reverberating inside her head that screamed,Run away! Run away, now!
The short walk to Larkspur Meadow would only take ten to fifteen minutes, but they’d be out there most of the afternoon eating lunch, then participating in the traditional picnic games. Heaven forbid they got paired for the three-legged race! She had to find a way out of this nightmare before things got any worse.
“Mom, Uncle Luke said I could carry the picnic blanket.” Ben proudly hoisted a rolled-up quilt more than twice his size over his slender shoulder, unaware that Luke walked behind him supporting most of the weight.
Dismayed, Eliza’s gaze darted to Grant, then back to her son.
Too late.
The day had now become much,muchworse.
* * *
Grant wasn’t sure what he expected when he showed up for the Secret Picnic, but it sure wasn’t to get roped into spending the day with Eliza.
Orher son.
Eliza seemed to be equally uncomfortable with the prospect. Without so much as a fleeting introduction, she relegated her son to eating lunch with his grandparents. The little guy looked mildly disappointed until Eliza told him he could invite a friend to go along.
As Grant watched him skip toward Hank and Sylvia Carter, a strange weight settled in his stomach. But he wasn’t sure if the heaviness stemmed from relief or regret.
Or maybe a mixture of the two.
Grant never hid the fact that children were outside his comfort zone. But something about meeting Eliza’s son intrigued him. Grant wondered how much he took after his mother. He clearly resembled her in appearance. But would he have the same infectious laugh? Or a similar kindhearted propensity to befriend every new kid in town? For some reason, it made Grant supremely happy to imagine Ben as the spitting image of Eliza. But whenever Grant’s mind wandered to Ben’s father, his brain shut off, as if guarding him from the inevitable pain such thoughts would cause.
Suddenly somber, Grant hung back as Colt took command of the group, leading them to the trailhead just past Main Street. No one else seemed to mind Colt’s assertiveness, but it irked Grant whenever he assumed control. Mostly because, when push came to shove, Colt shirked any ounce of responsibility. Even as a teen, he’d relished being in charge as long as it didn’t cost him anything.
Which is why Colt’s interest in Eliza baffled Grant to no end. Sure, she was as gorgeous and effervescent as ever. But the single mother angle didn’t fit Colt’s MO, not even a little bit.
“Are you glad to be home?” Penny fell into step beside him, disrupting his thoughts.
“Yeah, mostly.” Grant smiled, grateful for the distraction. He’d always liked Penny Heart. She’d been quiet in school, perpetually glued to a book. An introvert himself, Grant could relate. Plus, she never fell for Colt’s affable charm like the other girls. A fact Grant admired.
“How’s business?” she asked. “You were pretty big news around town when your company was featured in that fancy San Francisco magazine. What was the headline again? ‘Super’ something.”
“‘Superstar Startup,’” Grant chuckled. “Believe me, I didn’t pick the headline. Business is doing well, though. I landed my biggest client to date last week. Landon Morris with—”
“Morris Bio Tech!” Penny’s eyes lit up in excitement. “I love what he’s doing in the sustainability field. Plus, he’s not bad on the eyes, either.”
“Trust me, I work with the guy. I don’t need the reminder.” Grant grinned, holding up a protruding branch so she could step underneath.
“Hey, you didn’t turn out so bad yourself.” Laughing, she nudged him playfully.
