Page 17 of The Corner of Heartbreak and Forever
Grace’s eyes remained closed.
He slid his hand to the nape of her neck and whispered, “Breathe, Gracie. I’ll always be your greedy boy when it comes to your kisses.” She used to call himgreedy boybecause he could never get enough.
She blinked several times, as if she were trying to bring him back into focus, and then, without a word, she stepped from the truck. He walked her to the door, wondering what she was thinking. Heck, he didn’t even know whathewas thinking.
When they reached the porch, he leaned in to kiss her cheek, and she put her hand flat on his chest, stopping him from coming too close.
Flashing a shy smile, which felt familiar, and somehow also way too distant, she reached for the doorknob and said, “Thank you for tonight,” and walked inside, leaving him to wonder what she was thanking him for. The talk? The ride? The kisses?
As he opened the truck door, he glanced at her childhood bedroom window and caught her peeking out. His chest constricted as the curtains swished into place.
Welcome home, Gracie.
Chapter Six
GRACE TURNED OFF the hair dryer Sunday morning, and her sisters’ voices floated in through the bathroom door, which was ajar.
“Finally,” Sable said.
Groaning inwardly, Grace ran a quick brush through her hair and began putting on her makeup. “Don’t you have auto work to do?”
“Not on Sunday.”
Morgyn?Grace pushed the door open with her foot and found Morgyn lying on her stomach in the middle of the bed reading Grace’sTheatre Artsmagazine, her hippie skirt a colorful sea puddled around her knees. Her booted feet hovered precariously close to Grace’s pillow, and her long blond hair cascaded over her shoulders, pinned to her forehead by a slim tie-dyed headband. Beside her, Sable sat on the edge of the bed in cutoffs, boots, and a skintight red T-shirt, flipping through Grace’s stack of scripts. Even though she’d grown up with several no-boundaries siblings, after living on her own for so long, she found the intrusion jarring.
“Hey, M,” Grace said. “What are you doing here?”
Morgyn grinned. “You left the party with a very hot, very available man last night. Brindle said she’d kick my butt if I didn’t tell her all the details.”
It was bad enough that Grace had kissed Reed and hadn’t slept worth a darn. Did she have to face an inquisition, too? “Where is Brindle?” She leaned closer to the mirror as she applied eyeliner.
“She left the party with Trace last night,” Sable explained. “Right about now she’s either sleeping with Trace, or they’re breaking up again. It’s a toss-up, really.”
Grace finished putting on her makeup and stalked into the bedroom. She took the script from Sable’s hand and set it on the nightstand. “I noticed you weren’t here when I got home last night.”
“The party ran late,” Sable said as her gaze slid down Grace’s body. “Whoa. Looks like someone got a taste of the man buffet and wants seconds. You lookhot!”
Grace felt her cheeks flush and glanced down at her gray stretchy miniskirt and pink short-sleeve sweater. “It’s comfortable.”
“It’s what Brindle calls a take-me-now dress,” Morgyn said. “And those are killer ankle boots. I bet they cost you a pretty penny.”
“They’re nothing special,” Grace lied. They cost a bundle and she usually only wore them on special occasions. While she wouldn’t exactly call seeing Reed a special occasion, it wassomething.
“You definitely dressed forRenovation Man,” Sable said.
Grace didn’t want to talk about why she’d picked out her outfit. It was none of their business that she’d woken up hot and bothered, taken a cold shower, and still felt his lips on hers. Or that she remembered how much Reed used to love when she wore her short cheerleading skirt.
“Hey, I don’t blame you,” Sable said. “That guy can hammer me anytime.”
“Sable!” Grace pointed to the hallway.
Sable laughed. “Don’t worry, sis.Sisters before mistersand all that. I’d never go after your man.”
“So, it wasn’t just a hookup?” Morgyn sat up next to Sable. “You and Reed Cross?”
Ignoring Sable’s smirk, Grace said, “No, not me and Reed Cross. He’s afriend. I knew him in high school.”
Morgyn tucked her hair behind her ear, gazing innocently up at Grace. “Oh. I just assumed that since you two were inspecting each other’s tonsils in the creek you knew him more intimately than that. My bad.” She pushed to her feet, all innocent eyes and sisterly tease. “From the look in your eyes, either you have no recollection of kissing him, or you thought we hadn’t seen you.”
