"I'm sorry, Grace. Truly." He turned back to Hope and Paige. "In my defense, I tried to get her to pull over so I could tell her about the tire."
Paige scowled. "That's even creepier."
"Please, let me make it up to you, Grace." Damon looked contrite. "I was hoping you'd let me show you around town. We could check some things off your bucket list." He winked at her. "It's the least I can do."
"That's a great idea." Paige’s scowl instantly disappeared as she rocked up onto her toes.
Grace fell back a step. Going out with Damon was a bad idea. If he was as nice outside the elevator as he was inside, she wasn't sure she could withstand his charm, and the last thing she wanted was to fall for a guy who would walk away in two weeks.
"Um...I'm busy." She lifted her chin. "I offered to help Paige with wedding stuff today."
Paige waved a hand in dismissal. "My mom and Gabe are here to help me today. You should go have some fun with Damon."
Traitor.
Grace turned her glare on Paige. "If you don't need my help, then I really should finish unpacking."
She only had a half dozen boxes left. They were things that could sit in a closet for years and she wouldn't miss them, but it was the only excuse she could come up with.
"That can wait." Paige laid her arm across Grace's shoulders. "I promised to show you around town, and I feel bad that I haven't had time to do that yet. Now that school has started andthe wedding is so close, I'm not sure when I'll find the time. You should let Damon show you around."
"Paige is right." Gabe nodded at Grace. "You'll be starting your new job next week. You should do a bit of sightseeing while you can."
Hope even nodded her head in agreement.
Damon must be a decent guy if Paige and Hope were pushing her to go out with him. That was reassuring, but she still wasn't sure spending time with him was a good idea.
"I...should stay close to home, so I can keep an eye on Mom."
"Gabe and I will check in on her and make sure she gets lunch." Paige picked up one of her many lists from the table. "I actually have some things I need to discuss with her."
Grace studied Paige's face for a long moment. Last week, when she offered to help Paige, she had jumped at the offer, but now Paige acted like she wanted to get rid of her.
Grace shifted her gaze to her brother, who gave her a nod and an encouraging smile. "There will be plenty of time to finish unpacking later. You need to get out while you can."
While I can.
A weight settled in Grace's chest. Now she understood why they wanted her to go out with Damon. Soon, she'd be caring for her mother around the clock. They wanted her to enjoy herself before that happened.
She looked at Damon's handsome face. Anticipation filled his eyes, along with something else she couldn't quite decipher. A little thrill shot through her. Damon was a lot more adventurous than she was, so she had no doubt they'd have fun, but remembering all the things on his Dumb Things list, she wasn't sure she trusted his brand of fun.
"Fine." She let out a sigh. "I'll go out with you."
"You don't have to sound so excited." Despite his words, Damon smiled.
She rolled her eyes. "Just be glad I'm caving to peer pressure."
"Great! I need to finish my run and take a shower." He checked his watch. "Shall I pick you up in an hour and a half? I can take you to get new tires for your car, then I'll show you around."
"New tires?" Gabe turned to Grace. "What's he talking about?"
"I've been needing to replace my tires for a while now, but with the move, I just kept putting it off." Her procrastination had more to do with lack of time than money.
"Trade me cars, and I'll take care of it for you." Gabe pulled his keys from his pocket.
Grace rolled her eyes. "I know you're used to being the man of the house and taking care of everything for everyone. But newsflash, Hermano, I'm the woman of the house now, and I've already taken care of it." She smirked at Gabe. "My car is currently at Ken's Auto Shop getting new tires. A guy named Scott said they'd drop it off here for me when it's done."
Damon's brows arched, and he gave her a nod of admiration.
