“I’ve thought about it. From the moment Grace called me, and I heard her voice for the first time in so long, I wanted to tell her everything. But the truth will hurt her. I’m afraid she’ll feel guilty.”
“Why would Grace feel guilty?”
Grayden breathed out slowly, staring into his coffee mug like it was a code to decipher. “It’s a long, fucked-up story. Plus, aside from upsetting Grace, I would’ve sounded like I was making excuses for myself, and it’s not like I’m innocent in the whole thing. A lot of it wasn’t my choice. But some of it was.”
We sat in the quiet for a while longer until the coffee was gone. The words were on the tip of my tongue.What happened? What did you do?
But I didn’t ask any more questions, and Grayden didn’t volunteer anything either. I couldn’t decide if I was disappointed.
“I should get going.” He handed me his mug and stood.
I nodded. “I might not see you for a while. The holidays are pretty crazy at the coffee shop, and then we’re going to see Teller and Ayla in California.”
I was rambling about my schedule when there were so many other things I wanted to say. But he didn’t call me on it. Probably because he was holding back plenty too.
“Night, Piper. Happy holidays.” Grayden walked down the steps.
He turned back, as if he wanted one last look at me in the starlight. And then he was gone.
FOURTEEN
Piper
I pulledup in front of my mom’s old house and cut the engine.
It wasn’t my mom’s place anymore though, was it? It was Grayden’s now.
Grabbing the bag of pastries I’d brought, along with the to-go double espresso, I got out. The fizzy feeling in my belly increased at the thought of seeing him again.
The last time had been the night we had dinner at Hearthstone. Weeks ago. I hadnotbeen avoiding him.
I had just been…busy.
As I’d mentioned to Grayden, the holidays were always an action-packed time of year in Silver Ridge with all the festivities. Like brand-new holiday latte flavors, the annual toy drive Silver Linings hosted, and our obligatory Santa visit at the coffee shop.
Zandra’s grandfather, Manny Alvarez, had volunteered to play the big man this year. Which turned out to be a big mistake, after Manny made three kids in a row cry when he interrogated them about whether they were on the naughty list.Yikes.
Then Ollie and I jetted off to Los Angeles to spend Christmas with Teller and Ayla. We’d enjoyed the warm temperatures and the stunning views from Ayla’s house in Malibu. Ollie had lovedplaying in the Pacific Ocean, even though it was downrightfreezing, and Teller taught him to boogie board.
But now the holiday gauntlet was officially over, and it was way past time to pay my tenant a friendly visit.
I didn’t like the way we’d left things last time. That tension between us. Questions I wouldn’t ask and things he wouldn’t say.
But pastries and coffee would solve everything, right?
Approaching the house was a surreal experience. Grayden had lived here for three weeks, and it looked so different already. All the weeds were gone. The dry grass was trimmed back. The siding had been scraped in preparation for repainting, and the broken slats on the porch were fixed.
I noticed Grayden’s truck wasn’t out front, but didn’t think too much of it.
Until I knocked at the door and there was no answer. Dang it. But if he wasn’t here anyway, it wouldn’t hurt if I did a little more harmless spying, right?
The view through the front window revealed the inside of the house was transformed too. The mess in the living room had vanished, along with the dirty old carpet. Instead, planks of laminate covered half the floor, with boxes of more waiting nearby. The new overhead light fixture was sleek and modern, and tasteful roman shades had replaced the ancient curtains.
Thankfully, Grayden had left the shade up for me to snoop.
I imagined him busy at work, kneeling as he laid the new flooring. Probably in a tight T-shirt, tattooed muscles flexing. Ass prominent in his snug jeans.
I might’ve fantasized about him over the holidays. Once or twice.
