Page 90 of Tangled Kisses
Jimmy slides my drink over, and I nod toward the woman. “You want something? My treat.”
“Sure. That’s kind of you.” She orders a white wine spritzer, then gives me a wry grin as she settles onto the stool next to me. “Clearly, I don’t blend in here.”
“Trust me,” I laugh, “that was me a month ago.”
Her drink arrives, and she lifts it in thanks. “I’m Lauren.”
I tap my glass lightly against hers in a toast. “Reese.”
“So,” I ask, my curiosity bubbling over about this elegant stranger, “you and Griffin are friends?”
“More than.”
Not again. Not another one. I swear, I’m going to have to install a security perimeter.
Lauren catches my expression and chuckles, batting away the idea. “Not like that. But he’s helped me through some really hard times.”
Relief whooshes out of me, earning another giggle from my new drinking buddy.
She swirls her spritzer, her gaze turning distant. “I lost my husband a few years ago. He was on a million boards—museums, rotary clubs, country clubs, you name it. And after he passed, I kept getting invited to all these events. I hated going alone. The pitying looks, the whispers, or worse, people trying to set me up with the most atrocious men.” She shudders and laughs softly. “I started slipping into a deep depression. Until Griffin started coming with me.”
“So you two are close friends.” Odd that he’s never mentioned her, but then again, he doesn’t have a list of all the people in my world, either.
She nods, twirling a ring around her finger. “Yes. He taught me about his life, too. I’ve always been a rider, dressage mostly,but he introduced me to the kind of riding he loves. Long trails. Wide-open space. Horses just for the joy of it. Truth is, he kept me from being terminally lonely.”
“That sounds like Griffin.”
Her words are innocuous, but a thought slithers in before I can stop it. What isn’t she telling me about her relationship with my man?
God, Reese, quit it. Just stop.
The worst part? I’m not usually the jealous type. Never saw much point in it—people deserve their friends, whoever they are. But with Griffin, it’s different. Like every woman who’s known him in a way I haven’t is a shadow I can’t quite outrun.
She sips her wine, motioning to me. “How do you know Griffin? I assume you live here in Tangled Vines?”
Do I call him my boyfriend? My man? Lay a claim? Why is this so damn difficult?
I opt for simplicity. “We’re extremely close. We met at the ranch.”
“The ranch?”
“The Rockin’ Rodeo Ranch,” I clarify—and instantly catch the flicker of recognition in her eyes.
“Oh,” she murmurs, her brows quirking. “I see.”
I dismiss her assumption with a wave of my hand as a bright laugh spills past my lips. “Oh, no, I’d be terrible in that capacity. I’m the nurse.”
Lauren studies me for a moment before leaning in. “I may be overstepping, but since you two are so close, I have to ask. Is Griffin okay?”
“He seems to be. Do you know something I don’t?”
“He runs himself ragged and I’m concerned for his… psyche.”
Ah, that makes sense. “Well, he doesn’t do that kind of work anymore.”
Please don’t let her be another client, determined to lure him back to escorting.
“I’m aware. And I’m thrilled. He’s far too good a human being to be doing that.” Lauren crosses her legs, shifting slightly on the stool. “Although I must admit I paid for his services, too. But it was strictly as that of an escort, someone to attend events with me. There were plenty of women champing at the bit to hire him for other things, but between us, there was never anything more.”
