“Right.Well.”Cassidy looked at David again and shrugged.“Maybe we’ll hear something from Zeus later.”
Audrey did notice that Cassidy didn’t say anything about asking her friends from D.C.about Noelle in front of Mason, or anyone else, as the night wore on.Not that anyone brought up Zeus and Noelle.It was like there was a silent agreement between everyone not to discuss them.
Poor Zeus.She hoped he had an easier time fitting into the group over time.
The rest of the night passed without incident until it was time to go.As she got into the backseat of their car, she saw Mason a little ways down the street ahead of them, and her stupid heart fluttered again.
If she was going to have a crush on one of her brother’s team members, why couldn’t she have a crush on one who was available?Or Mick.He was hot, if kind of a himbo.Of course, the fact that her grandmother had monopolized most of his time this evening would have put a damper on that crush, anyway.
Still.Jensen was hot.Even if he did seem into Jennifer.
Okay, maybe there really wasn’t a good alternative on the team.
Why couldn’t she justnothave a crush on anyone on her brother’s team?
“Well, that was fun,” Grandma said brightly as she buckled her seatbelt.She’d taken the seat behind David, while Audrey had gotten in behind Cassidy.She leaned forward to pat him on the shoulder.“Thank you for inviting me.I had a great time.That Mick boy is very cute.”
David glowered at her in the rearview mirror.
“Leave Mick alone, Grandma.”
“Why?”
“He’s too young for you, and I know you’re just… flirting… with him to get under my skin.”
“Maybe I’m flirting with him because I want him to get under my clothes.”
Groaning, David pulled out into the street, while Cassidy and Audrey choked on laughter.She didn’t know if she was more horrified or amused.God, she wanted to be her grandmother when she grew up.She’d forgotten what hanging out with her was like.The fact that she was actually their step-grandmother wasn’t the only reason Audrey’s mom had stopped talking to her; if she’d been a different kind of woman, the two would have had a different kind of relationship.But Audrey’s mom would not have been torn between horror and amusement; she would have just been horrified and possibly in need of fainting salts.
“Thanks for throwing me a welcome to my new home party,” Audrey interjected before Grandma could give David an aneurism.
“You’re welcome.I just wanted you to know that we’re glad you’re here.”Even though it was dark and his back was to her, she could tell he was smiling.“I hope we didn’t overwhelm you.”
“You didn’t, it was fun.I hope everyone else had fun, too.”
“I know Mick and I did,” Grandma said with a snicker.
“I think they did,” Cassidy spoke over Grandma, talking a little louder than normal to drown her out.“It’s nice for them to get together outside of work.I’m glad Zeus made it, although I wish he maybe hadn’t brought Noelle and he could have stayed longer.”
“Me, too,” David agreed, apparently on board with Cassidy’s plan to ignore Grandma.
Audrey glanced over at their grandmother, who had narrowed her eyes and was glaring at the back of David’s headrest.She looked like she was plotting.
“Is there something going on between Jensen and Jennifer?”she asked.Maybe some gossip would help distract Grandma from hassling David.At least while Audrey was in the car.Afterwards, David would just have to deal.
“Not really.They like each other, but she started dating the doctor who did the surgery on David after he got shot,” Cassidy said.“I don’t think they’re exclusive, though.”
“Not yet.Jensen needs to make a move if he wants to keep it that way,” Grandma said.“You snooze, you lose.He keeps trying to give Jennifer the wrong pickle.That’s why I make my intentions clear.I told Mick exactly what kind of pickle I want him to give me.”
They were at a red light, thankfully, so it wasn’t dangerous when David leaned forward and rested his forehead on the steering wheel.His shoulders moved as he took in a deep breath.Cassidy reached over and sympathetically patted him on the back.
“Mason seems happier now that he’s engaged,” she said, clearly trying to steer the conversation away from pickles.“He was smiling a lot more tonight than he usually does.”
“He doesn’t usually smile?”Since today was the first time she’d ever met him, Audrey didn’t really have a baseline.David had described all his teammates to her in the past, and he’d said Mason was serious, but that could really mean anything coming from David.Especially in comparison to some of his other teammates—Jensen seemed to never stop smiling, and Drew was usually smiling as well.
“When he’s watching other people do something, not usually in the conversations he’s having with other people,” Cassidy explained.“If that makes sense.He was definitely smiling more tonight, even when just talking.I noticed it while you two were chatting, right before Zeus and Noelle arrived.He wasn’t just smiling, he was laughing.”
“Maybe being engaged has him loosening up a little,” David said, straightening up and glancing over at Cassidy.With the light of the streetlamp from overhead, Audrey could see the sappy smile on her brother’s face.“I know falling for you loosened me up, and now I feel like smiling all the time.”
