Page 26 of Beautiful Mess

“You know, she’s going on a date with some doctor on Friday,” Everett announces, humor dancing in his gaze.

So, that’s what they were talking about that night.

“Good for her.”

“That doesn’t bother you?”

Yes.“Why would it? As long as her new boyfriend doesn’t make her later than she already is to our meetings regarding the PTA shit, I don’t care.”

What I don’t say is how confusing whatever this is between us. Sam was right when he said that I don’t do strings or feelings. It’s less messy and more straightforward that way. Spending one night only with a beautiful woman is easy because I don’t yearn for more from them. But I can’t help but mentally compare the way I’m feeling right now to how I typically feel when it comes to women. Despite being pissed off and jealous over her accepting a date from that fucking guy, I find myself replaying the moment we shared before that more times than I’d care to admit. I find myself wanting to see her, wanting to find excuses to talk to her—though, thankfully, I’ve refrained from doing that—and how aggravating it is that we haven’t seen each other since the auction.

I can’t seem to wrap my head around what it is about Grace that makes her feel so different.Why her?The number of times I’ve made myself come in the shower, with Grace’s name on my lips and the memory of her losing herself on my fingers at the forefront of my mind, is honestly ridiculous.

“Alright, well, since you clearly don’t want to talk about this,” Everett murmurs as he retrieves a velvet box from his pocket, “I’ve got something to show you guys.”

A grin tugs on my lips as he opens the box.

“Holy shit, you’re poppin’ the question,” Davis drawls.

“When’re you doing it?” I ask him, knowing without a doubt Gemma will say yes. They’ve been together not quite a year yet, but it’s clear how in love they are.

“Next weekend.” Everett’s smile is beaming. “We’re taking Sutton up to the mountains for a few days, and I’m doing it then.”

“Does Sutton know?”

He nods. “I asked for his blessing before I bought the ring.”

“Shit, man, congrats.” I pat him on the back.

“Well, she hasn’t said yes yet.”

“She will,” I offer reassuringly.

The four of us toss back another round of beers before calling it a night. For the entire drive home, my mind is hyper-focused on the date she’s apparently going on. With the guy who’s way too boring and not good enough for her. There’s no fucking way he would know how to satisfy a woman like Grace. She needs a man who isn’t afraid to put her in her place. She may be afraid to admit it out loud, but I can see it every single time we spar back and forth. I saw it that night in the hallway.

Grace needs aman,not a boy. She needs someone who can fuck the sass right out of her.

That man is not some doctor who looks to be younger than her.

That man isme, and it’s about damn time she realizes that.

Eleven

Grace

“What brought you to Blossom Beach?” I ask Winston, taking a sip from the Riesling he ordered for the table before dinner arrived. I’m typically more of a Pinot Grigio girl myself, but that’s okay.

Winston wipes his mouth with the napkin, setting it back in his lap when he’s done, his pale eyes lifting to meet mine across the table. “Dr. Schumer actually went to med school with my dad, and they’ve remained friends all these years. When Dr. Thomas first started talking about retiring, Dr. Schumer mentioned it to my dad, and it was perfect timing because I’d been wanting to leave the practice I was at in Charlotte.”

“Did you grow up in Charlotte, then?”

“I did.” His smile is warm, and I find myself mirroring it. Winston is nice. He picked me up and met me at my door with a bouquet of roses, which was thoughtful. Then we drove to an Italian restaurant just outside of Blossom Beach. The food is great, and it’s a place I’ve been wanting to try since it opened last year.

The small talk in the car and while we waited for our food was a little awkward, but what first dateisn’t?Especially when we don’t know a whole lot about each other. We’re nearing the end of the meal, and I’m glad I decided to come tonight. The evening has been…fine, if not a little boring. But fine is good. Getting out of my comfort zone is good, and I can’t expect fireworks on every first date. I used to try my hand at dating a lot more in the years following my divorce, but living in such a small, close-knit town, there’s only so many options. After a while, it felt pointless, like I was hitting a brick wall. Going on dates with men you grew up with, went to school with, or see every week at the grocery store or the post office is a little more uncomfortable than it’s worth, especially when none of them ever went very far.

“How long have you owned the bakery?” Winston asks, taking the check the server just dropped off.

I blow out a breath as a smile tugs on my lips. “Oh, it’s been a while now. Almost ten years, actually. I opened it when my daughter was a baby.”

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