Heat creeps up my neck while I try collecting courage. “But he managed for the first twenty years in Silo Springs. How terrible were the last four?”
He keeps his eyes averted. “I’d say pretty damn bad. Whatever gave him a shred of happiness suddenly vanished. He stopped giving a shit. Can’t really blame him, Sutt. Life hasn’t been kind to Grady.”
The blow is swift and direct. Does my brother see more than he’s telling? Maybe I deserve it. I left Grady behind, knowing full well he wasn’t in a good place. But he’d made it perfectly clear I’d never be more than Jace’s little sister. Even so, the toxicity of abandonment slithers across my skin.
Moisture clings to my lashes when I blink. I should have tried harder, for Grady’s sake. A cramp twists my stomach and I drag in a sharp breath. If Jace doesn’t already know my true feelings toward his best friend, continuing this conversation is bound to expose me.
I almost gag around the boulder in my throat. “How long has Grady been making furniture?”
“Nice, Sutt.” Jace snorts over my abrupt change in subject. “That’s just a hobby.”
“He doesn’t sell any pieces?”
“Why?” He chuckles. “You in the market for some chairs?”
“Maybe. I really like his dining table.”
Jace gawks at me. “Grady let you inside his house?”
“Uh, yeah?” My voice takes on an unsure note.
“Huh. He never lets anyone go in there.”
I quirk a brow. “Why?”
“Fuck if I know. Grady is really private about it.”
“Okay? But it’s just a house.” That lie is easy enough to weave, even as the truth settles in my chest.
He shrugs. “Not to him. There’s some reason he doesn’t let people through the front door.”
I dig my boot into the dirt. “Grady called it a mess. Maybe he’s embarrassed to show people around.”
Jace shoots me a look. “Get real. You honestly think that’s a possibility?”
I tuck my chin. “No. He’s never cared what others think.”
“Only a select few,” he muses.
A flurry of romanticized flutters attacks my belly. “Oh?”
He rolls his eyes. “Stop fishing.”
Pretty hard not to when he’s giving me the bait. But I bite my tongue. “All right, I’m sure there’s a simple explanation. He probably doesn’t want anyone stomping into his personal space yet.”
“Nah, it’s more than that.”
Because it’s special for us.The sweet whisper warms my cheeks. That reality seems too farfetched, like the dream it used to be. I shove that giddy notion away. But testing the theory seems necessary.
“Have you been inside?”
“He let me use the shitter once when I was there lending a hand. I don’t think mom and dad have been invited over.”
I force my expression to remain neutral. What does that mean about me? My pulse is a stampede of wild horses, making it difficult to hear beyond the pounding of hooves. I try not to let that little kernel expand into something more. But it’s impossible. Grady barely hesitated before leading me into his place. This is big. So effing huge. I need to tread lightly, but remaining upright is a feat in this moment.
Jace plows forward with his revelations, unaware of my internal meltdown. “I shouldn’t be surprised. Grady is a massive prick to everyone except you. He’s never been able to deny you a damn thing.”
I let my mouth pop open on a strangled exhale. There’s no doubt my face is the shade of a ripe tomato. So much for keeping my attraction a secret. If I try to speak, the lid is bound to blow off this charade. I remain silent while the chaos in my mind rages on.
