And the kiss he’d imagined never actually happened.
The day couldn’t possibly get any better.
After the exertion of the Creek Walk and hardly eating anything during the last forty-eight hours, Grant suddenly felt ravenous. It had been years since he’d been around for one of Poppy Creek’s town-wide barbecues, and his mouth watered just thinking about the monstrous hamburgers and surplus of inventive side dishes.
As he finished toweling off, Grant scanned the town square, searching for Eliza, wondering if he could somehow finagle sitting together. His breath strangled when he caught sight of her across the lawn. As she stepped out of her pink swim shorts, his gaze traveled the length of her long, lean legs to her sleek black one-piece. How was it possible she could look so alluring in such a simple, modest outfit? He tried to swallow, but his throat had gone completely dry.
“You’re making a big mistake.”
Startled, Grant whirled around to find his mother standing behind him. She wore a scowl like an accessory, complementing her Gucci sunglasses.
“Geez, Mom. You scared me. Practicing your ninja skills?” Grant teased. Even her pinched features couldn’t dampen his good mood.
“This isn’t a laughing matter,” Harriet scolded through clenched teeth.
“Right. It’s a very serious matter, indeed.” Grant tossed the towel on the back of a folding chair and slipped on his T-shirt. “What monumental mistake am I making this time? Am I supposed to wait thirty minutes to eat after I swim? Or is it the other way around? I can never remember.” He chuckled at his own lame joke, but the laughter died in the breeze as Harriet’s glower intensified.
“Do you think you’re funny? Because I don’t. Especially not after the stunt you pulled today.”
“You mean tackling Colt?” Grant asked sheepishly. Okay, he did feel a little bad about that. But it hardly seemed deserving of a tongue-lashing from his mother as if they were sixteen again.
“We all know who that was about,” Harriet hissed, sidling in closer so no one would overhear their conversation.
“Who?” Grant asked innocently. Had he been that obvious? Did Eliza know? And, ultimately, did he even care if she did?
Seeing Colt with Eliza had solidified Grant’s feelings. And not simply because of his jealousy. Colt had forced him to confront the truth. He wasn’t over her. Not even close. And while he may not have wanted to admit it at first, he’d come back to Poppy Creek to see if there was still something between them. It took almost losing her again to get his answer. Now, if only he knew what to do about it….
“Stay away from her, Grant. I mean it.”
Grant flinched at her frigid tone. “You make Eliza sound like some… I don’t know. Like a felon or something.”
“There are things about her you don’t know.”
“Like what?” Grant felt the frustration build in his chest, stifling the joy he’d hoped to savor for as long as possible. “What is this all about?”
Harriet lowered her voice another octave. “I’m not at liberty to say. But you have to trust me. She’s not who you think she is.”
A chill ran up Grant’s spine despite the late afternoon sun beating down on them. “What are you talking about?”
“Just stay away from her. Or I’ll have to take matters into my own hands.”
“Mom, you’re starting to sound a little crazy. This is some kind of joke, right?” Grant attempted a laugh, but the fierce look in Harriet’s eyes as she raised her sunglasses silenced him. Running his fingers through his hair, Grant sighed. “Look. I appreciate your… concern, I guess. But I’m telling you, you have the wrong idea about Eliza.”
Harriet crossed her arms in front of her chest, parting her lips, ready to challenge him.
“But…” Grant interjected quickly, hoping to end the conversation, “if it makes you feel better, I won’t go rushing into anything. Okay?”
Grant leaned in to kiss her cheek, and Harriet stiffened. “Try to relax, Mom. It’s a beautiful day. Have something to eat.”
He squeezed her shoulder before heading across the lawn to join the guys around the grill with Jack. But as he put distance between them, the odd exchange echoed in his mind, stirring an unsettled feeling in the pit of his stomach.
What exactly did his mother know that he didn’t?
* * *
As Eliza loaded up her plate with five different pasta salads, she hummed softly to herself.
The moment she saw Grant tackle Colt into the swimming hole, she knew he still had feelings for her. She could see it written across his face when their eyes locked across the water.
