Page 57 of Catch
I threw on the first clothes I could grab, my mind already racing. There was no reason for anyone to be here that early. I mostly kept to myself, aside from the occasional visit from Easton. But ever since he’d met Jesse, those visits had become fewer and farther between. Linc may stop by, but he was on duty, I knew that for sure. And West? A workaholic who lived in Atlanta? No way in hell he’d be pounding on my door like a lunatic on a Friday morning.
As I moved through the house, I suddenly became hyper aware of the evidence that Loxley was there. Her fuzzy house shoes sat abandoned by the couch. One of her oversized sweaters hung over the back of a chair. A scattering of notes covered the coffee table, her scrawled handwritten lyrics on the pages. And, at some point, she must have ordered a tiny pink vacuum, because I damn near broke my neck tripping over it.
The sight of it all sent a strange warmth through me, which was weird, because I didn’t need a pink vacuum. The proof that she was there, in my space, fitting into my life like she had always belonged, was suddenly a peaceful feeling.
But that also meant whoever was at the door was about to find out that I wasn’t living alone anymore.
Still half-dressed, I didn’t bother peeking out first, I just yanked the door open, stepping into the frame to block the entrance.
Only, the second I saw who was standing there, my stomach dropped, because they were the only two people I wouldn’t send away.
“Gramps, Grams, come on in.” I sighed, stepping aside. “Must be important if you’re banging on my door like maniacs.”
Grams didn’t even acknowledge my greeting before she reached up and patted my face in that absentminded way she always did, as if checking to make sure I was eating or sleeping enough.
Gramps followed her inside with a gruff nod. “We just thought it was time to check on you.”
I exhaled through my nose. “I wasn’t gonna miss Sunday dinner again, I promise.”
Grams completely ignored me, already making a beeline for the kitchen as she rustled through the bag she’d been carrying.
Gramps chuckled, shaking his head. “Oh, we were on our way to the grocery store, and your Grams here decided it would be fun to stop in.” He smirked. “She even baked you an apple pie.”
I rubbed the back of my neck. “Oh… well, I appreciate that. I missed y’all. Things have been crazy with this new mission the captain put me on.”
Grams reappeared from the kitchen, her hands on her hips, wearing a knowing smile that instantly put me on edge.
“Yeah,” she said, her voice laced with amusement. “About that.”
I swallowed.Shit.
Her eyes twinkled, that infuriating, all-knowing smirk widening. “Rumor has it you completed that mission.”
My stomach clenched.
Gramps chuckled under his breath, clearly enjoying himself.
Grams took a slow step forward, her smile turning downright smug.
“And I’m dying to hear all about it.”
“It’s classified,” I shrugged, keeping my face neutral.
Grams wasn’t buying it. She casually picked up Lox’s sweater from the chair, running her fingers over the fabric before holding it to her chest with an approving smile.
“This is cute,” she mused. Then, without missing a beat, she added, “It matches the condoms I left on the counter in the kitchen.”
I damn near choked. Coughing and sputtering, I reached out to snatch the sweater from her, but she held onto it like she had all the time in the world. Meanwhile, Gramps wasno help whatsoever, his deep, rumbling laugh filling the room as he leaned against the doorframe, clearly enjoying the show.
“This was funnier when you did it to Easton,” I muttered under my breath, knowing there was no point in denying anything.
Loxley’s things were scattered everywhere. Her presence was impossible to hide. And if I looked anything like Ifelt, it was obvious I had “just gotten laid.”
Grams just smirked, victorious.
And I had a sinking feeling I wasn’t getting out of this conversation unscathed.
Chapter Thirty
