“Would you like to stay for dinner?” Andy called after her.
Stunned into silence, Bobby Jack stared first at Andy, then at Grier.
“Oh, that’s all right,” Grier said. “I better get back.”
“No, really. It’ll be fun,” Andy insisted. “We’re cooking out on the grill.”
Bobby Jack started to speak, then stopped. This was the first time she’d made any mention of the plans for the night being anything close to resembling fun.
Andy jogged out and took Grier by the arm, tugging her back towards the house. “Come on, really. You could use some good home-cooked food, I bet. You probably don’t get that in New York City.”
Grier looked at Bobby Jack, as if certain he would axe the idea. But he surprised even himself when he shrugged and said, “We have plenty.”
Grier opened her mouth, as if to protest again, then promptly closed it. “Well, then, thanks.”
Andy led the way to the kitchen. Flo was stretched out on the rug next to the table. She lifted her head, looked at Grier and thunked her tail once in greeting before promptly going back to sleep.
“Once Flo’s called it a night,” Andy said, “she doesn’t get up for much of anything.”
“I never realized hounds were so laid back,” Grier said.
“Unless Daddy’s heading for the truck. And then you’ll never beat her to the front door.”
Grier laughed. “Is there anything I can help with?”
“You can cut up the onions,” Andy said with an impish grin.
“Sure,” Grier said. “They don’t make me cry.” She began peeling, and then used the cutting board and knife Andy passed to her for slicing.
Watching them, Bobby Jack felt at a loss for what to do with himself so he got busy in the backyard getting the grill going.
He came back a few minutes later to find that Darryl Lee and his three boys, Jake, Joe and Jameson had arrived. He wasn’t sure who looked more shell-shocked, Darryl Lee or Grier.
Andy made the introductions with the boys, and they politely shook Grier’s hand, each adding on a nice-to-meet-cha.
Watching Grier’s reaction to Darryl Lee was like watching a cage door close behind a lioness. She was clearly determined to find a way out. And yet, it was as if Andy had picked up on this, and was heading her off at the pass.
“Grier’s staying for dinner, Uncle Darryl Lee.”
“Is she now?” Darryl Lee asked with that woman-snagging smile of his. “Well, surprises never stop around here, do they?”
Grier looked at Andy. “You know, Andy, I really do have to —”
“Are you finished with those onions yet, Ms. McAllister?” Andy interrupted.
Bobby Jack couldn’t begin to guess what Andy’s agenda was, but it was clear that she had one.
“Darryl Lee,” Bobby Jack said.
Darryl Lee looked up and gave Bobby Jack a nod. “Thanks for having us over, brother.”
“Hey, boys,” Bobby Jack said, ruffling their hair and giving them a hug.
“Hey, Uncle Bobby Jack,” each of them chimed in unison.
“Can we go play out back?”
“Sure you can,” Bobby Jack said.
“Y’all be careful on those swings,” Darryl Lee called out after them as they headed for the door.
“Dreama couldn’t make it?” Bobby Jack said pointedly.
“Bobby Jack, you know dang well Dreama and I have been living apart for the past two months.”
“Oh, that’s right,” Bobby Jack said evenly.
“Where’s that pretty little nurse you’ve been seeing after church on Sundays?” Darryl Lee asked, deadpan.
Bobby Jack pinned him with a look. “I would imagine she’s at home.”
“Well, you should have invited her tonight. Then we could have coupled things up,” he said with a suggestive glance at Grier.
Grier raised her eyebrows. “I don’t think so.”
Andy stood watching all of this as if she’d just stumbled across a steamy soap channel on the cable box.
Disgusted with himself for participating, Bobby Jack opened the refrigerator door and pulled out a platter of hamburger patties.
Darryl Lee looked at them, then glanced at Grier. “You still vegetarian?”
“Yes, I am, but I’ll be fine with tomatoes and onions.”
“I’d be happy to fix you something else,” Bobby Jack said.
“Actually, I love tomato sandwiches,” she said.
“All right then,” he said and headed outside for the grill. The boys were romping and playing on the swing set, making enough noise to warrant a pair of earplugs if he’d had them.
A minute later, Grier appeared beside the stone based grill. “This is really awkward,” she said. “Would you mind if I—”
“If you want to go, I totally understand. But don’t let him run you off.”
The idea seemed to sting because she said, “Don’t worry. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.” But something in her tone told Bobby Jack differently.
“I remember when you two dated in high school.”
“Some things are better forgotten,” she said.
“Darryl Lee’s always had a way with the girls.”
“Girls plural,” she said.
Bobby Jack laughed. “I never did think you seemed like his type.”
“You barely ever saw me. How would you know whether I was his type or not?”
He hesitated, and then, “I knew who you were.”
The admission seemed to startle her, leaving her at a loss for words. “Oh, I, well, you were older, and I guess I never dreamed you knew I was alive.”
“A lot of guys knew you were alive, Grier.” He glanced at her face, saw the color staining her cheeks.
“You’re making me blush,” she said.
He laughed, flipping a burger. “Well, it’s true.”
They looked at each other, wary, assessing. And maybe that was the moment that it clicked deep inside him. Some little spark of something that he hadn’t felt in a very long time. Attraction. Real attraction.
Darryl Lee slapped open the back porch door and took the stairs to the patio two at a time. “Y’all got it going on out here?”
He looked at them both as if wondering what they’d been up to.
“Just about,” Bobby Jack said. He placed another round of burgers on the grill and then closed the lid.
The three boys ran up, Joe tugging at Darryl Lee’s sleeve. “Daddy! Will you and Uncle Bobby Jack give us a piggy back fight?”
“Awww, I don’t know if we’re up to that tonight, son.”
“Dadddy, pleaassee!”
“Bobby Jack?” Darryl Lee said.
“Okay.”
The two youngest boys went first, Joe hopping on Darryl Lee’s back, Jake climbing aboard Bobby Jack’s.
Andy came outside and stood beside Jameson while the two boys began jerking Darryl Lee and Bobby Jack all across the yard as one tried to unseat the other.
Grier and Andy laughed, watching them, and Bobby Jack found himself catching Grier’s gaze more than once before he and his brother ended up in a heap on the grass, giggling boys piled on top of them.
I've decided the kind of man I want
in
my life doesn't actually exist.
Why bother continuing to look?
Grier to her assistant Amy just last week
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Grier was starving by the time they sat down to eat on the stone patio. Andy had covered the wrought iron table with a beautiful country French tablecloth. The table held plump sour dough buns warmed in the oven, a platter of tomatoes and onions, a roasting pan of sweet potato French fries. The grilled burgers held court in the center.
Bobby Jack said the blessing before they ate, and Grier couldn’t be sure, but she thought Andy had deliberately seated her next to him, putting Darryl Lee at the other end of the table, surrounded by his boys. Darryl Lee seemed to have noticed because he was looking at his brother now with a suspicious glare.
“Let’s eat,” Bobby Jack said, picking up a platter and passing it to Grier.
She took one of the buns and began making her own veggie sandwich, noticing as Andy copied her choices.
“What’s it like to live in New York City, Ms. McAllister?” Andy asked.
“Please, call me Grier,” Grier said.
Andy nodded.
“It’s exciting, most of the time.”
“Isn’t there always something new and fun to do?”
“There are a lot of things to do there, that’s for sure.”
“Do you just meet like the most incredible people every day?”
Grier smiled. “Well, not every day.”
“I think it would be an amazing place to live.”
“It has its good points and its bad,” Grier conceded.
“Isn’t that what you always wanted, Grier?” Darryl Lee piped up. “To live in a big city?”
“I suppose so,” she said.
“Or was it that you just wanted to live somewhere other than here?” Darryl Lee added.
“There’s some truth to that, too,” Grier answered.
“Timbell Creek isn’t exactly the most exciting place on earth,” Andy said.
Grier glanced at Bobby Jack who looked as if he wanted to argue, but restrained himself. “There’s a lot to be said for living in a place where you know everybody and somebody’s always watching out for you,” she said.
“We have another word for that,” Andy said. “Busybodies. This town’s full of them.”
“Now, Andy, is that fair?” Bobby Jack spoke up.
“Well, it’s true,” Andy said.
“Most of those people just care about you.”
“Yeah, well, I could do with a little less caring,” Andy answered.
“When you live in a big place like New York,” Grier said, “you kind of have to get used to fending for yourself.”
“I would like that,” Andy said. “What do you do there? What’s your typical day like?”
“I doubt if all the men at this table really want to hear about that,” Grier said.
“Well, I do,” Andy objected.
“Go ahead,” Bobby Jack said, “we’d like to hear.”
The boys were done with their burgers now, and Jake asked if they could go play.
Darryl Lee said, “Sure, son,” and the three bolted up from the table and resumed their wrestling in the middle of the yard.
“I usually work with people interested in refining their look, whether they’re pursuing an acting career or applying for a higher level job and want to go at it with a new level of confidence.”
“Have you worked with anyone who’s gotten famous?” Andy asked.
“Yeah,” Grier said. “I have.”
“Who?”
She unraveled a couple of names while Andy sat back, staring at her with her mouth open.
“You’re kidding!”
“No,” Grier said, laughing. “Everyone has to start somewhere.”
“But he’s such a great dresser now.”
“You should have seen the plaid pants he wore to our first meeting.”
Andy laughed.
“So you basically teach people how to dress?” Darryl Lee said.
“Well, it’s a little more than that,” Grier replied. “It’s about feeling good in your own skin, I guess. Being who you are.”
“That seems like a good thing to do for people,” Andy said.
“Well, sometimes people really do have it figured out. They just haven’t let themselves realize it yet,” Grier said.
“If you were going to do a makeover of Uncle Darryl Lee or Daddy,” Andy said, smiling mischievously, “what would you start with?”
“Well, it ain’t easy to improve on perfection,” Darryl Lee said.
“Right,” Bobby Jack said, shaking his head. “She could start with taking some of the air out of the tires of your ego.”
Again, everyone laughed.
“Well, you know what they say,” Darryl Lee said, “if you got it, flaunt it.”
“You sure enough do that,” Bobby Jack said.
“Grier, you still haven’t answered,” Andy said.
Grier smiled and shook her head. “I’m not touching that one with a ten foot pole.” She glanced at Bobby Jack, feeling his gaze on her, suddenly aware there wasn’t a single thing she could think to do to improve that man’s effect on anybody. His dark green eyes had this crazy kind of warmth that rolled over her like a first sip of hot chocolate, leaving her with only the very pointed awareness that she wanted more. The thought jolted through her, and she sat up straight in her chair, as if she had spoken the thought out loud.
“We’ve got brownies for dessert,” Bobby Jack said. “I’ll get them.”
“Grier, would you mind going in and getting the ice cream?” Andy asked.
By now, Grier was convinced that Andy had a little matchmaking up her sleeve.
“I’ll be glad to help with that,” Darryl Lee shot out.
“Oh, I’m sure Grier doesn’t mind,” Andy said. “Do you, Grier?”
“Well, no,” Grier said, standing and following Bobby Jack into the kitchen.
He looked at her as soon as the door closed behind them. “Sorry. I have no idea what she’s up to.”
Grier tried to laugh. “That’s okay. Teenagers.”
“Teenagers,” he agreed.
He pulled a pan of brownies from the oven, the dish still warm. “Vanilla ice cream’s in the freezer.”
She opened the door and pulled it out. “Do you have a scoop?”
“In that drawer over there.”
She retrieved it, then took the lid off the ice cream and stuck the scoop inside.
He turned around with the brownies just as she turned with the ice cream, and their shoulders brushed. They both jumped back as if electricity had jolted through them.
“Sorry,” he said.
“Sorry,” she said.
They stared at each other for a frozen second, and Grier felt something warm and curious uncurl in the middle of her stomach. Good heavens, he had the most beautiful mouth. She couldn’t stop looking at it, even as the moment drew out into something defining, an admission of sorts.
Okay, I find you unbelievably attractive.
She felt the response from him as well. And knew the moment it revealed itself how utterly crazy it was to even acknowledge it.
“I, we better get this back out there,” she said, making her way for the door.
He didn’t answer her, but appeared at the table a few seconds later with the tray of brownies.
“Um, that looks wonderful,” Andy said. “Daddy makes the best brownies.”
“Doesn’t he though?” Darryl Lee said, eyeing his brother knowingly.
“I’ll slice them,” Andy said. “Hey, boys, y’all better come and get it!”
The three boys came running, and Andy made them each a bowl and topped it with ice cream.