A lopsided grin traces its way across Grey’s lips. “I’m not denying it.”
“Prove it. Dixie Davis, the country star, is seated two seats ahead. Go ask her about her dogs.”
“What if she doesn’t have dogs?”
“Trust me. She does.”
“Why would I want to know about her dogs?”
“Ask her and you’ll find out. Maybe even make a new friend.”
“Maybe I don’t want a new friend.”
“That’s a problem.”
“What if she asks me about my #BruiserButt?”
A belly laugh grows inside. I try to restrain it, but there’s no stopping the tsunami of laughter that pours out of me.
A few people turn their heads as I shake in my seat, trying to laugh as quietly as I can.
“If I go ask Dixie Davis about her dogs, will you stop laughing?”
“Can’t make any promises. Oh, and be sure to offer her a cookie recipe.” I wink, but it’s more of a twitching eye movement because I can’t stop the hysterics.
Grey gets to his feet under the guise of having to use the bathroom. I’ve been to Dixie’s house in Tennessee. She’s my friend Mila’s grandma. Todd cut her out of my life and I should reach out and catch up. Dixie is a born entertainer, on top of being a singer and dog lover.
Before he goes on to have the best conversation of his life, he says, “Oh, and you’re not going anywhere. We fly together.”
Since the incident the night before with Todd, he’s become undeniably protective. It’s like I have my own bodyguard. Cue the lights and music because this feels like the beginning of a movie—or a dream, though I have to admit there is nothing soft or marshmallow-like about Greyson Adams.
He’s all hard muscle and observant eyes like he doesn’t miss a trick, and if he did, it would hit the cement wall of his muscles.
Todd’s sudden appearance and threats shook me up, but his behavior isn’t entirely surprising. Early on, I saw glimpses of his jealous side, but it wasn’t until after our almost-wedding that I realized I was mistaken. I was witnessing envy.
The flight attendant advises passengers to power down our phones for takeoff. I would’ve preferred to leave mine in Concordia altogether. I’m one text or voicemail away from blocking Todd’s number, though thankfully, I haven’t heard from him—or his lawyers—since before the incident yesterday.
Grey comes back with a smile. “Snickerdoodles?”
“The dog or the cookie?”
He lifts his hands and shrugs, but then his eyes crinkle at the corners as if he belatedly understood something from his brief convo with Dixie.
After he lowers into the seat, he nudges me with his elbow. He must’ve glimpsed the name attached to the latest textmessage. Todd seesaws between trying to sweet-talk me and threatening me, but that’s hardly anything new.
“Any of those from Todd?” Grey asks.
“I don’t want to talk about it. I’m not proud of the mistakes I made and the way Todd can make me feel about the size of an ant.”
Grey’s eyes float over me with warmth, understanding, and not the judgment I expect—not that Heidi or any of my other friends ruled me guilty of ruining my life, but my father sure did.
“Do you know much about ants?” Grey asks.
My brow furrows. “That’s an odd question, but no. Not really.”
“They might be small, but they’re mighty. Cool fact number one,” Grey says. “There are over ten thousand kinds of ants.”
“I guess that’s cool.”
