Page 55 of Fairy Tale Lies
“They, of course, wouldn’t,” Greta grinned. “They did speak to Cindy about taking items not her own. It scared her senseless, and she refused to speak to me for almost a week. I, on the other hand, had a serious case of hero worship. For years, I’d wanted nothing more than to be a police officer.”
“A police officer? Yet you’re dating my extortionist son.” His father laughed, clearly smitten with Greta.
He couldn’t blame his father.
“Your son’s a reformed extortionist, and I never became an officer, so we’re okay.”
Jacob rose from his seat, taking Greta’s hand. “On that note, it’s time to get you away from here.” Peering at his dad, he smiled good-naturedly. “And get her away from you before any more damaging stories are told.”
“Oh, there are many. I could tell her about the summer you were four and we bought a kiddy pool. Couldn’t keep clothes on the boy, the neighbors called him—”
Jacob covered Greta’s ears, laughing. His father chuckled, standing when someone called to him. Jacob lowered his hands and guided Greta farther back into the yard.
After a couple of steps, she leaned in close. “What were you called?”
He sighed, but there was suppressed laughter. “The Little Nudist. Most of those neighbors are still here, and the nickname has stuck. At least they’ve stopped with the ‘little’ part.”
She stopped walking, a smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. She glanced from the zipper of his jeans and back to his face. “How would they know to drop it? You haven’t stopped streaking through the neighborhood?”
“No!” He shrugged. “Well, there was this time when I was fourteen…”
Her brows almost reached her hairline, and she crossed her arms over her chest, an amused expression firmly in place. “Fourteen?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. He’d been such a dumb teenager.
“Yeah, um, a group of us, including a guy I want to introduce you to, stole some of our parent’s liquor. We got drunk and played a game of dare. The more we drank the crazier the challenge. I had to run down the street. Naked. At six in the evening. My mom and dad locked the liquor after that incident.”
Greta’s eyes widened before she went into a fit of laughter, leaning with hands on knees. Jacob waited, rubbing her back, not minding in the least his teenage idiocy amused her.
Her melodic laughter was balm to his soul.
When she could stand straight again, he led her toward the garage at the back of the property. His friend Tanner and his band were setting up. Greta glanced at the equipment and turned to Jacob, smirking. “Are you hoping the music will drown out all the people willing to tell me your wonderful stories?”
Damn, this playful side of her was hot. He leaned in and planted a kiss on the corner of her mouth. “Yes, partly. I also want to dance with you. The guy with the guitar is Tanner. He used to be my neighbor.”
“Did he take part in the drinking and daring?”
Jacob snorted. “Yes. He had to climb to the roof and piss off it, or something equally idiotic.”
She shook her head. “Boys.”
“Yup.” No sense arguing. As kids and teens, they’d done some incredibly stupid things. “Anyway, his band, ThreePence, has an important show coming up and wanted to try a couple of new songs. Get everyone’s input on what works and what doesn’t.”
Greta took in the band, her gaze traveling over each member. “Wow. Tanner is the epitome of a rocker.”
“What? No. You’re looking at Jayce. Tanner’s the one with the acoustic guitar. Has the short brown hair.”
As if sensing eyes on him, Tanner glanced their way and waved. Jacob raised a hand in greeting then pointed to each band member, telling her about them. “Maggie’s the singer and creator of the band. The drummer’s name is Lincoln. He’s a good guy. Jayce plays bass. He’s a jerk, and, for reasons I cannot grasp, Maggie used to date him.”
“Did she dump him for Tanner?”
Jacob studied his friend. He was leaning in close to Maggie and laughing. To be honest, he’d wondered if something was going on between the two of them. “No. What makes you think that?” He was curious how Greta had come to the same conclusion in such a short time.
“Mostly the way they watch each other. Now I know what Allen meant when he referred to our furtive glances during your days at Swift.”
Jacob smiled, remembering. The torture, the longing. The fear. “Yeah, I couldn’t stop staring. I couldn’t believe you were there.”
He’d thought his midnight fantasies had somehow crept into the light of day.
