“Gracie, you know you can ask me anything, right? Anything about what happened. My arrest, my prison time. All of it. I don’t want to keep secrets from you.”
She was still gripping my hands, but her eyes drifted to the window over the sink. “Do you want me to ask?”
No. Yes. No.
I was a coward for making this her decision. But that same old hesitation held me back. I never wanted to hurt Grace, that was a given, and thiswouldhurt her.
“It won’t be easy to hear. Or easy to say.”
“Then it can wait. You served your time, Grayden. That includes the years you spent after getting out, thinking we never wanted to see you again. We’ve been through enough sadness. We’re still going through it because Ashford is so damn stubborn.”
“I don’t blame him.”
Annoyance flashed across her features. “I kind of do, but I’m trying not to. Maybe when Ashford’s ready to listen, you can tell all of us about those awful years and what happened. But I justwant us to be a little bit happy in the meantime. Okay? I want you to try to make this work with Piper.”
“I will.”
Grace stood up, opening her arms. I got up and pulled her into a hug. Had to bend way over to do it because she was so small.
“Fair warning,” she said against my shoulder. “If you break Piper’s heart, I might have Dane hire someone to kill you.”
I chuckled into her hair. “And if she breaks my heart?”
“She’d better not. That’s all I have to say.”
THIRTY-EIGHT
Piper
After I finished chattingwith Ollie and Callum, I stayed in the backyard for a long time. My head and my heart were both a mess.
I’d told Grace I had feelings for her brother. She’d handled it surprisingly well. I, on the other hand, couldn’t stand still.
Could I have a relationship with Grayden? Let myself fall for him? Invite him, not just into my life, but into Ollie’s? Even if I could be willing to risk my heart, what about my son’s?
Just the fact I was considering it was mind-blowing.
After a while, Grayden opened the back door and stepped outside. He came over to me, his hands in his pockets.
“Grace took off. She wanted to see Dane. Said she’d like to tell him about us, and I said yes. Hope that’s fine.”
“Of course. Yeah.”
“How was your talk with her?” he asked.
“I was going to ask you the same thing. It was alright. She was surprised, obviously, but she understands now. Grace is the best.”
“She is.” Grayden shifted his weight, looking at me like he was trying to read something in my face. “Can I kiss you?”
“You don’t really have to ask at this point. We’re probably past that.”
“You seem pretty tense, though.”
“I’m not.”
My shoulders were up near my ears.
“Piper,” he murmured, and closed the distance between us. Cupped my face in his hands. “Whatever’s spinning through your head right now, it’s okay. We don’t have to figure it all out yet.”
