Page 99 of Counter Attack

“I didn’t mean to say that.”

“So, you don’t love me?”

“No! I do...” Nathan searched for words that wouldn’t make everything worse. “I don’t want to scare you away or give you an excuse to run.”

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Alex shifted her gaze, trying to regain her equilibrium. Nathan’s declaration had not only taken her breath, it had rocked her. She didn’t have to ask why he thought she’d run—he evidently had talked to her grandmother.“If you keep running from love, you’ll end up all alone.”Gram’s words echoed in her heart.

Alex couldn’t help it. At the first sign a relationship was getting serious, she found an excuse to end it, usually with an “It’s not you, it’s me” speech. Which was basically true.

Nathan cupped her chin, turning her to face him again. “You okay? I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“You didn’t.” She shivered, for once thankful for the bulky body armor. “It’s just—” The phone chimed again, releasing the tension in her body. “You better see what that is.”

He seemed as relieved as she was. “Kayla is stopping by here. ETA is five minutes.”

“Tell her to come around to the back and come in. I’d like to introduce her to my grandparents.” Alex led the way into the house through the mudroom and into the kitchen. “Lasagna smells good, and is that garlic bread I smell?”

Her grandmother turned from where she stood at the stove. “It is. Where’s Nathan?”

“Should be right behind me. He had a text to answer first.”

“I’m here,” Nathan said as he entered the kitchen and took a deep breath. “Something smells good.”

“You don’t have to butter me up. I already have a plate set for you.”

Nathan hugged Gram. “Thank you. I get tired of my own cooking.”

Alex gaped at him. “You cook?”

“I’d starve if I didn’t.”

“I figured you were a regular at Pete’s.”

“Uh-uh. I want to live long enough to enjoy my old age,” he said. “But if he ever has something besides hamburgers and country-fried steak and fried okra and everything else fried, I might reconsider.”

Gram cackled. “Ethel’s been trying to get him to do that for the last ten years. I’m worried about you if you seriously think Pete Harrel will ever have a healthy menu.”

“He may. I heard him tell somebody he was going to have stent surgery next week.”

“Doesn’t surprise me—he’s probably responsible for half the heart attacks in the county.” She turned to Alex. “Would you get your grandfather? He’s in his office.”

“Yes, ma’am. Oh, and there’s a young woman stopping by in a few minutes,” she said.

“I’ll set another plate.”

“She may not have time to stay and eat.” Although once Kayla smelled the lasagna, she might make the time.

Smiling, Alex walked down the dimly lit hallway to her grandfather’s office. For a few minutes, she’d been able to put Phame’s website and video out of her mind. But this home had always been her safe haven, probably because her grandparentshad always encouraged her, even when Alex feared she’d fail. Gram always said a person learned more from their failures than successes.

She knocked on Gramps’s door. “Dinner is ready.”

He looked up from his desk stacked with papers, books, and what looked like junk. “Good. I’m tired of looking at this mess.”

“What’s going on? Your desk has always been super neat.”

“Getting rid of case history files, notes, that sort of thing.”

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