“I’m bad at this for a reason.” My cheeks were still burning.
“We can’t all be the best at everything. Trust me, I’m a pretty forgiving person.” She gave me a smile and then bit into her own dinner.
She had to be if she was still talking to me after how I’d acted when I first found out. That also had to extend to Brooke. I had tried not to think much about the person I met when Ifirst came into town, but the information I did have stuck out hard. I remembered meeting her and being so shocked that she was related to Grace. I remembered how Grace rushed to fix her sister’s problems.
And I internally vowed never to be one of those problems.
I could do it too. If only I could keep my mouth shut.
This dinner was proving that it was harder than it seemed.
15
GRACE
Strawberry Springs Neighborhood Watch
Tammy Jane:Our cowboy man is back. Spotted him today.
Comments:
Atticus Thompson:So not a lot is going on in town news, I guess.
Jackie Anne:Speak for yourself! I need eye candy. My garden is in BLOOM, if you know what I mean.
Mollie Wilson:I’m showing this to Cain IMMEDIATELY.
Jackie Anne:Please don’t show my son my thirst. I’m begging.
Jade Clark:Jackie, how the hell do you know anything about thirsting?
Jackie Anne:I’m not a regular old lady. I’m hipwith the times.
Dean grewquiet as we ate. I could see him glancing at me as he took bites. For a while, I let him sit in the silence, but I wouldn’t let it go on forever.
“You’re having thoughts over there,” I said. “You can share them, you know.”
Dean looked up at me like a deer in headlights. I could tell he didn’t love being read by me, but that didn’t mean that I wasn’t going to enjoy it. This whole time he’d been like a brick wall, one that I wouldn’t allow myself to break through. Now I had a chance.
“I was letting you eat.”
“What fun is a silent dinner?” I asked. “We can talk. We’re supposed to be getting to know each other, aren’t we?”
“We . . . are.”
I waited for him to say something, but he looked like he was struggling with it. “Dean, seriously. Ask me anything.”
I knew that he never stuck around with women. So having a conversation with one that he’d slept with couldn’t have been easy. I decided to break and throw him a bone instead.
“Did you ever see yourself doing any of this? Being a dad?” I asked.
“No.” The answer was so immediate that I knew it was the truth. My shoulders slumped even though I didn’t want them to.
“I thought you didn’t. I knew I would have kids someday, so while it was a shock, I was able to adjust. But I guess it’s not the same for you.”
He shrugged. “I’ll get used to it eventually.”
“I want you to know that I’m not trying to mess up your life. I seriously would have left you alone if that’s what you wanted.” I would have been pissed, but I would have done it.