Page 54 of Perfectly Grumpy

He spins the bracelet so I can see it better. “The girl in the hospital made it because that was my sister’s name.”

I stare at the bracelet for a long moment, my heart suddenly feeling the same sort of ache when I think of Mom. “I feel like I just barged into your personal life without asking.”

“Honestly? It’s comforting to hear her name and talk about her. Sometimes it feels like everyone has forgotten her.” Then he looks at me, the undercurrent in his gaze like a deep river. There’sso much more to him than I realized. “And we are supposed to be dating, so you should know this, even if it’s awkward. It’s one reason I am like I am.”

“You mean serious?”

“Yeah, but people take that for being grumpy,” he says. “I’m not.”

“I already knew that,” I say quietly. “The only thing you’re grumpy about is doing PR for me.” It feels important to let him know I see him—the real him, not just the Sheriff that everyone else sees.

“Okay, that I can agree with.” He laughs. “But I’m not grumpy. I’m logical. And being around you makes that harder.”

For a moment, we just stand there, grinning at each other and this moment between us.

A message dings on my phone from my sister, pulling me away.

Olivia

Could you pick up some pads for Abby and powdered doughnuts?

Tate looks over my shoulder before I have a chance to shut off my screen. “Did we forget something important?”

“Just doughnuts and…feminine products.”

Tate doesn’t even blink. “That’s a combination I never thought I’d be shopping for.”

He turns the cart and heads straight for the feminine products aisle with zero shame.

“I can get these, if you want to shop for doughnuts,” I say, giving him an out from the aisle most men avoid at all costs.

“And miss an opportunity to flirt with you while we shop for pads? No way,” he says, looking straight at me with a confidence that’s suddenly more attractive than it has any right to be. When did Sheriff Serious become Mr. Funny and Cute?

“It takes a bold man to admit that,” I say as we stop in front of the feminine products section.

“If I can flirt with you here, I can flirt with you anywhere.” He grabs a package off the shelf. “Besides, some guys bring flowers, I bring maximum absorbency for your family reunion.”

Just then, Tina walks by, sees Tate holding a box of pads, and mutters, “Brave man,” before she keeps walking.

I burst out laughing so hard, I nearly double over. It feels good to laugh without restraint, to forget about all the problems back at the lodge. Maybe it’s because we’ve both learned to wear our “I’m fine” masks so well that we recognize the cracks in each other’s. Or maybe it’s because I like a man who can confidently shop for feminine products while cracking jokes.

Either way, being here with Tate, I feel seen in a way I haven’t since Mom died.

“What can I say? I have good timing.” Tate tosses the package in the cart. “And I have a feeling it’s going to be all over Sully’s Beach by tomorrow.”

NINETEEN

Tate

“Where are you sleeping tonight?” I ask Lauren after unloading all the groceries from her trunk at the Bear Creek Lodge. We managed to survive the checkout line at Harold’s Market without running into anyone else, probably because we were the last customers to leave the store.

“I was supposed to room with Patty. I think Granny put my suitcase in there,” she says, picking up two grocery bags. “I guess nothing says ‘welcome to the family’ like sharing a bed with your dad’s girlfriend and her CPAP machine.”

I laugh. “At least you’re only sleeping there. You don’t have to be her best friend.”

She gives me a look. “Tate, women don’t just sleep. They havesleepoversthat involve sharing your innermost feelings. Believe me, I don’t want to know how Patty feels about my dad. I’m not ready for that level of vulnerability yet.” She grabs a blanket from the trunk and tucks it under her arm.

I take the rest of the grocery bags as we head toward the lodge. “So, are there any extra rooms available?”

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