Page 28 of You Complicate Me

“Damn,” she muttered. The slippery little bastard should have probably considered law school instead of art school.

Good old Brad could take a few lessons in executing a proper stink-eye from Grace’s mother.

Sarah Montgomery was a formidable woman, Nick thought. Sure, on the outside she looked harmless with her cloud of soft blond hair that reminded Nick of cotton candy and five-foot-nothing stature. But the look in her blue eyes could only be described as glacial as she eyed the man who stood between Grace and Brad, whom she obviously saw as her best shot at a grandbaby daddy.

What the hell was he doing here? Families always made him feel uncomfortable, like an outsider. Like the orphan he was. He didn’t belong here.

But then he thought of his sister’s beaming face when he’d seen her earlier and remembered exactly why he was here. He sighed. Damn it. Bailing wasn’t an option.

On his left, Grace’s stomach growled again. He grabbed the bread basket and shoved it toward her. She smiled gratefully up at him and he felt gut-punched, suddenly knowing he could tolerate anything Brad and Sarah could throw at him if it meant earning even one more of Grace’s smiles.

Bailing definitely wasn’t an option.

“So, Nick,” Sarah began, and Nick mentally cringed, thinking, shit, is it my turn to talk again? “What is it that you do?”

She didn’t say “other than defile my daughter,” but it was clearly implied by her tone.

“Jesus, Sarah,” Gage muttered. “You know what he does. Why don’t you back off?”

At least Gage didn’t look at Nick like he was gum stuck to the bottom of his shoe. It was really kind of pathetic how grateful for that Nick was.

Physically, Nick and Gage weren’t that different. About six-two, 190 pounds, dark hair, light eyes. That’s where their similarities ended, though. Gage was a year younger than Nick and about to finish his residency at Johns Hopkins, which kind of made Nick feel like the not-so-proud owner of the lowest IQ at the table.

He hated feeling that way, too. Nick was proud of his military service and of his current job, but sitting at this table full of white-collar professionals made him feel decidedly unaccomplished. Not that he could let those feelings show. Nick had no doubt Brad would use that weakness against him however and whenever he could.

Sarah placed a splayed hand over her chest and shifted a wounded gaze toward Gage. “What did I do? Am I not allowed to ask questions?”

“I told you what he did before we sat down, Mom,” Grace said, giving her mother a sharp look. “We know you’re fishing.”

“Like Brad Pitt in A River Runs Through It,” Gage confirmed, reaching around Nick to snag the bread basket from Grace, who looked like she was considering stabbing his hand with a fork.

If the rest of the family didn’t arrive soon so they could start the meal, Nick feared she was going to go all Donner Party on their asses.

Brad, sitting across from Grace, raised a brow. “You can’t blame us for being curious, Grace. You show up at a family event with this…man. You can’t be surprised that we have questions.”

As Nick toyed with the idea of dragging Brad into the men’s room and flushing his head in a toilet a few times, Grace swayed forward like a viper preparing to strike.

“You know what, Brad? If I was a good person, I’d tactfully remind you that you lost the right to be curious about my social life when you dumped me for a woman the color of Cheetos whose bra size most likely exceeds her IQ. But I’m obviously not a good person. So I’m just going to remind you that I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself, and your concern is neither needed nor wanted. You may leave at any time if you don’t approve of the choices I’m making for myself.”

“Hear, hear,” Gage said, raising his wine glass.

“Amen to that,” Michael muttered, leaning across the table to touch his glass to Gage’s.

Brad cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses. “I really don’t know how many times you expect me to say I’m sorry, Grace.”

“You never said it,” Nick muttered.

The bastard had the nerve to look down his smug nose at Nick. “Excuse me?”

“Can’t think of one.” Gage chuckled as Nick added, “But I said that you never apologized to Grace.”

“He’s right,” Grace said. “You said you intended to win me back and that you realized you still loved me. You never said you were sorry.”

Brad sputtered for a moment. “Well, I should think that goes without saying.”

“Guess it has to in this case, huh?” Michael asked, ripping into a roll.

“Boys,” Sarah cut in sharply. “Leave Grace’s husband alone.”

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