“Ha. You wish.” Grant left and returned with a sketchpad and pencil.
Cade frowned. “I thought we were here to help set up for your party in another” —he checked his phone— “two hours.”
Grant waved his concern away. “We have time.”
Damon didn’t know whether to laugh at Cade’s annoyance or show off his muscles for Piper and Grant. “You’ll make me look really dastardly, right?”
“Totally,” Grant said, sketching madly.
Piper sighed. “I’ve lost him. Come on, Cade. You can help me decorate.”
“Sure thing.” He moved closer. “You’re still naming one of the kids after me, right?”
Grant grinned but didn’t look up from his sketchbook. “Of course. You know we’d have never gotten together without your help.”
“Ha. I knew it.”
Grant shook his head. “My brother has such a fragile ego.”
“You didn’t need his help?” Damon asked. Frankly, he didn’t recall Grant ever being that outgoing or charismatic, though he could sure hit a ball out of the park.
“Nah. Piper’s niece was sneaky enough to help me snag my girl.”
“Huh. Maybe I should get her numbers, you know, in case I need help snagging a woman for myself.”
Grant chuckled. “Maybe you should. But play your cards right and impress Jenna tonight, when she’s here for the party, and the seventeen-year-old might take pity on you. You have muscles but not much between the ears. Probably from all those fights you hockey dweebs get up to on the ice.”
“Laugh it up, ball boy. Because this Sunday, my team will crush yours. I don’t care how many pros you have on your team. I’ve got, ah, well, some people who will have my expert guidance. Prepare to lose big.”
Grant glanced up, amusement shining in his dark eyes. “Want to put your money where your mouth is?”
“Definitely.”
They shook. Then Damon got a look at the villain Grant had been sketching. “Holy shit. That’s terrific. But make him a little more evil. And bigger arms. Yeah, like that. And can he have a weapon that looks like a hockey stick? Maybe give him a sidekick who’s tall, big boobs, with long, dark hair.” After a pause, he added, “And freckles.”
“Freckles?”
“Make her really evil too. Like, a sexy terror.” Damon nodded. “One who’s got the hots for the villain. Yeah, she’s totally into him.”
Grant sighed and went back to work.
CHAPTER 7
At eight o’clock Wednesday night, with just one more day until Thanksgiving, Marlie plopped on Jeff’s couch, guarding a large bowl of buttered popcorn while Jeff fiddled with batteries for his remote.
“Seriously? You don’t have any extra batteries?”
“Shut up. You’re just here to eat my food and watch my TV. You don’t get a vote.”
She sniffed and turned back to the popcorn. Dinner for champions.
Truth be told, after Damon had left her at Bragg’s Tea Shop, she’d felt a little depressed. She had the rest of the week off, so she should have been ecstatic for some down time. An evening with her best friend, especially, should have perked her up.
Yet all she could think about was waiting an entire day and a half until she saw Damon again.
Even more depressing, he hadn’t tried to send her a dick pic all day.
“What is your problem, Depressa VanBoring?”
