Page 102 of The Grump I Loathe
“She never responded to the invitation Grace gave Alannah?” Liam asked.
I shook my head. But could I blame her? She had me blocked on her phone, and I suspected my emails were going to spam. I’d resorted to sending everything through the mail, including the press release, and didn’t receive any acknowledgment. I’d known it wasn’t the apology she was looking for, but I’d hoped it might be enough to get her to listen to me.
“She didn’t show up when I invited her to the bring-your-family potluck, either.”
“Ah, yes, the new annual LockMill tradition,” Liam said with a soft smile.
After repealing the no-dating policy, I’d organized a potluck with all current and former LockMill employees at my house, remembering the way Eddie had always pushed me outside my comfort zone, encouraging me to connect with people, to have fun. That’s exactly what I’d done, but she hadn’t turned up, even after I’d begged Leigh to convince her.
“Do you feel like you did all you can do?” Liam asked.
“I thought I had,” I admitted, “but it was all too corporate.” Eddie’s words echoed in my head.This isn’t you telling the world you want me; this is you telling the world I was a good little employee.“That’s not what she needed from me.”
Grace ran past sporting giant turkey feet, holding a pair of binoculars.
“Finn said you set up an after-school program?” Liam said.
“I thought that might get Eddie’s attention.” I’d worked with LockMill’s outreach team to establish resources for local school children to start learning code and game design at the office on the weekends, resulting in a scholarship for five seniors every year.
I’d repurposed one of the infrequently used conference rooms and outfitted it with the latest tech to foster creativity and curiosity. I’d even called it the Lock-Sheppard Protocol. “She still didn’t have anything to say about that. But this time, finally, I think I’ve gotten it right. I just wonder if I’m too late.”
Liam sighed, looking at me the way he always did when he was in big-brother mode. He grabbed my shoulder and squeezed. “She’ll come,” he said, sounding so sure of himself. “You’ll get your chance.”
Falling for Mia had made him believe in love the way he never had before. And I wanted to believe him. When I’d learned that Eddie would be alone for Thanksgiving because Alannah was going to be out of town with Valentina, I’d arranged for Alannah to give her an invitation to the annual Lockhart family dinner with a tiny message at the bottom—laser gun required.
It was a Hail Mary, and if it didn’t work, I might have to call on Mr. Cheesers to help me out. How? I still didn’t know. But that rat had become a hit with everyone at the office, even the ones who’d been leery of him. Surely, she still felt the same.
In the meantime, I was hoping to pique her curiosity with the mention of a laser gun enough to get her here. Because like Liam said, all I needed was another chance. Just one more opportunity to tell her how wrong I’d been. To prove how right we could be—together.
“She’s here!” Grace bellowed, racing out of the living room, binoculars held over her head like a prize.
Holy shit!I turned to the window, my heart giving one great lurch as I recognized Beatrice at the end of the drive. She came.
She actually fucking came.
Grace lunged for the door. “I want to show her my hair!” The tips of Grace’s hair had been highlighted with a temporary purple dye. As Eddie had suggested, she’d been getting a feel for the different colors and had settled on a bright lavender for the holiday. Even I was sporting a lavender lock in solidarity of Grace’s new Eddie-inspired exploration. “She’s gonna love it!”
Liam caught her around the waist, scooping her up. “Why don’t you come hang out with me and Auntie Mia? See if we can’t get this baby out.”
Grace rolled her eyes. “Have you tried asking?”
Liam snorted. “No, we went straight for the hot peppers.” He caught my eye. “Go get your girl.”
While Liam escorted a perturbed Grace down the hall, I sucked in a deep, steadying breath, then threw the door open.
Eddie stood by the car door, laser gun in hand, looking awkward. She wore a jean skirt and a dark orange sweater, her hair pulled back, showing off that long neck and an enticing bit of collar bone. She was effortlessly beautiful, and I could have spent the entire afternoon just staring at her.
Instead, I walked down the drive to meet her. It took everything inside me not to sweep her into my arms. Not to grab her and pull her close, hold her until I’d memorized the shape of her body against mine. But her being here meant she was willing to hear me out. It didnotmean she’d decided to forgive me. So for the time being, I needed to keep my hands to myself.
“You brought one,” I said, smiling down at the laser gun.
“Had it lying around,” she said with a shrug. “Figured why not? Then again, I thought I might actually be being punked. Connor Lockhart, arranging something fun?” She arched her eyebrow as she stared at me. “Couldn’t be true.”
“Eddie…” I trailed off, the speech I’d prepared dying on my tongue. I’d spent weeks thinking about what I’d say if I got another chance, and now that my opportunity was here, staring me in the face, a prepared speech felt like a mistake.
She didn’t want some polished, buttoned-up version of me. She wanted the real me. The guy who wore sweatpants to bed and chose grilled cheese over a Michelin-star meal and actually, sorta liked Scarlet Rush—and not just because Grace did.
She wanted the guy who liked to dance.
