Her eyes lit up as she took in her family and friends, thedecorations, and the impressive three-tier cake her family had gotten for the occasion.
“Are you all trying to kill me?” she scolded. “My old heart can’t take it!”
“Lies!” someone called.
“Your heart is younger than mine!”
Edna laughed and blushed, waving off their comments with a chuckle as she resumed her slow trek across the room. I watched her progress toward the table where her immediate family waited.
She stumbled as one of the feet on her walker caught on a wrinkle in the carpet. A collective gasp went up. Damon lurched forward to catch her arm and help her stay on her feet.
“Oh my goodness!” she exclaimed, pressing a hand to her chest. “Thank you, young man.” She blinked owlishly at him. “Don’t tell me I have another grandson no one told me about!”
Marcus laughed. “Yeah, Grandma, did you forget about my brother? He’s going to be so hurt.”
Crystal slapped his arm. “Don’t even joke about it.” She cast a flirty look at Damon. “Granville is incestuous enough without making up siblings. Damon is just our hero for the day, apparently.”
Shit, was Crystal into him? I stepped up beside him, taking hold of his arm.
Jealous much, Mav? He’s not yours.
Damon smiled at Edna. “I’d love to claim you as a grandma. I bet I missed out.”
“You did,” Crystal said with a big smile. “Grandma was always baking, singing, kissing our boo-boos away. We’ve been so lucky.”
Edna scoffed, but her cheeks glowed pink. “I spoiled you allrotten.”
The whole room laughed at the exchange.
Marcus pulled out a chair and helped his grandmother take a seat at the head banquet table. My large centerpiece, with the big foil balloons in the shape of a nine and five floated to her left. I was so, so glad I hadn’t missed the delivery window. It would have been a shame to spoil such a special day.
While Edna’s family fussed over her, Damon and I quietly retreated to the side door. He pulled it open, waving me out.
“Such a gentleman today,” I teased.
To my surprise, his ears turned red. “Just being polite.”
I fell into step beside him as we walked toward his truck. “I appreciate what you did today. Crystal was right. You did a good thing.”
He turned a cocky grin on me. “I believe her exact word was hero.”
There was the Damon I knew and lo—loathed? I still disliked him, right? I mean, he was gorgeous and sexy, and I was desperately curious about whether he’d used that toy I’d pranked him with.
And this weekend, he’d be taking me on a date.
But…I didn’tlikehim, did I? I couldn’t. That would be a mistake. This date was just a challenge to him. Just a game. Wasn’t it?
Damon prowled closer, crowding me against the side of his pickup. “What do you think, Mav? Am I your hero?”
I gazed into his eyes, then studied the curve of his smirking mouth, looking for a sign of what he really felt for me. “I don’t know,” I said at last. “Are you?”
He leaned in closer, shoulder brushing mine. I held my breath, heart racing. But he only took hold of the door handle and opened the door for me.
“I guess we’ll both find out,” he said. “But first, I need you to be my hero.”
I blinked. “What?”
“Get in. I’ll tell you on the drive.”
