Page 55 of A Perfect Match
Bella doesn’t look convinced.She and Jackson mingle in the shop for a while as Jerrica and I tend to a new wave of customers.I’m not fully able to stop thinking about the hug in the back room nor the fact that Bella now knows my dirty secret.
At least I know it’s safe with her.For now.
They eventually leave and head to Bayshore Memorial to visit Mom for a bit.The rest of the workday flows uneventfully, and I’m sad that Kru doesn’t come inventing another spill for me to investigate.
Once the shop is closed up, I quickly bike back to Griff’s house to get ready for my overnight shift at the hospital.I take a quick shower, then I pack up a little overnight bag—my tablet, a notebook, a book, and a variety of highlighters just in case.Once I’m mostly ready in the living room, trying to think of anything I might have forgotten, I begin to drift to the back door.
I wonder if Kru is home.
Maybe he could meet me for just a few minutes by the fence.
The handle of the sliding glass door is in my hand.Just as I’m pushing it open, the front door opens and Griff comes in.
“Hey, Pipes.”
I turn quickly, popping on a bright smile.“Hey, Griff!You just come from the hospital?”
He shakes his head.“Nah, I had to head into Cleveland for a bit today.What are you up to?Were you about to head out back?”
The cool night air pouring into the house reminds me the door is still open.I hurry to shut it.“No, no, I…” Nothing comes to me.And the longer I fumble around for a response, the higher Griff’s brow raises.
“You’re not going to spy on your landlordagain,are you?”
The incredulity in his voice is a warning.I step away from the glass sliding door while I laugh off his suggestion.
“That is ridiculous.I’ve spied on him enough, thank you.I like the fresh air before I head to the hospital.”
“Be real with me.Does he bother you during the day?Does he come over to your shop ever?”
My heart starts beating a little faster as I recall today in the storage room.“He keeps to himself.”
“Good.I can’t stand guys like him.He needs to stay the fuck away.In fact, he should go back to Cleveland.”He rakes a hand through his hair and sighs testily.
“I think he’s going to be in Bayshore for a while,” I offer.
“Then you need to beextracareful around him.He’s got his hooks in you big time.First the building, now this dumb reality TV show.You see it, right?I have an idea of what he’s going for next.”
My heart, is the first thing that comes to mind.But I clamp my mouth shut.
“Your business,” Griff finishes, as though I had any interest in him continuing his tirade against Kru.“Your future.”
“I promise you,” I say firmly, “you don’t have to worry about him wanting my business.”
“I’m not worried abouthim,” Griff corrects me sharply.“I’m worried aboutyou.Look how much he’s gotten already.Who’s to say he’s not angling for even more?”
“I’d never warm up to someone like him,” I reassure Griff.
The words echo painfully inside me.
Because they’re a lie…and I’m not sure I’ll ever convince my brother of it.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
KRU
Seven days into Ray's and I've survived the delicious, chaotic, adrenaline-fueled blur.Even better, the place is humming like a well-oiled machine already.
Being cleared for sit-down service yesterday was the final piece falling into place, that last satisfying click when you complete a puzzle that took way too fucking long to finish.Regulars who'd been surviving on takeout these past few days could finally experience the ambiance I'd worked so hard to create.The TV crew is only hanging around for another day or two—their focus was on the renovation and opening, and now that we’re locked and loaded, Pat and the camera crew will be moving onto their next featured business.
