Page 77 of Grant’s Blaze

I looked up the length of his chiseled torso until I got to his expressive blue eyes. At the moment, those eyes were all but begging me to just go along with him and not make a scene.

For once, just don’t make a scene.

“I would like that, thank you,” I said as calmly and sincerely as possible given the fact that I was seething inside. He was going to have some mighty explaining to do the minute we were out of earshot.

About twenty yards from the house, I said through gritted teeth, “Explain yourself, Tree.”

“Baby, that’s something you don’t want to get in the middle of, unless your friend wants to explain it to you.”

“What?”

“You have to just trust me. And trust Elijah. He knows what he’s doing. He knows what she needs. And she’s trying to figure out what she wants.”

I narrowed my gaze before retorting, “And you know that exactly…how?”

“It’s best if we all just stay out of it right now until they come to an agreement.”

“I have no fucking idea what you’re talking about.”

“That’s exactly why you should stay out of it, okay?”

“Wait. Is this…” I lowered my voice dramatically. “A sexual thing? Is he forcing her to do something she doesn’t want to do? So help me God, Grant, I will castrate him. She is so fucking pure and naïve. She’s such a good girl. She shouldn’t be tangled up with a man like him.”

He just listened to me dog his best friend and then stared at me. And stared some more.

Finally, he said, “You done?”

“I think so.” I tugged my dress down. Smoothed the hem. I couldn’t meet his stare now for some reason. But then after a few moments, all my ire came rushing back. “Grant! You don’t—”

“Stop.” The stare.

He pulled me into the tightest embrace, and I wished we were back in the water, blissfully floating with no cares in the world.

Grant held me at arm’s length and bent forward to look me in the eyes. “Do you trust me? After everything we’ve been through, do you trust me?”

“Yes.” That was the easiest answer I’d ever given in my whole life. “Grant Twombley, I trust you more than I’ve ever trusted anyone. Ever.”

“Then hear what I’m saying. Stay out of that.” He looked over my shoulder and down to the pool area where we’d left Elijah and Hannah sitting together. “Unless your friend wants to talk to you about it, stay out of it. That’s between them. Okay?”

“Fine. Okay.”

“Now, are you ready to go? I have something I want to show you, and it’s only there for a certain amount of time, so we have to leave now if we’re going to see it.”

“You know I’d follow you anywhere, anytime, to any place.”

He tucked his head down and gave me a gentle kiss. “Perfect answer, little Blaze.”

Chapter Sixteen

Grant

With a quick thump on the roof before I got in, I signaled to the driver we were ready to shove off. We said our goodbyes, which were delayed significantly when Abbi brought baby Kaisan out for everyone to oooh and ahhh over.

Rio held the infant for about five minutes, maybe less, then promptly handed the swaddled boy off to the next pair of anxious arms. We would definitely have to discuss that later. I wasn’t sure which detail of the experience had her up in her head, but something definitely did.

Not that I fully blamed her for her heightened nervousness. The entire visit was a strain on her nerves. Socially seeing her former sister-in-law for the first time since the woman had her committed to an in-patient mental health facility, and then being able to mend their rift, was enough to call the day a win.

She and Abbi hadn’t spent any time together lately, but they were smiling and talking when they were near each other today. It was the beginning of their healing, so I was claiming the visit as a success.