Page 64 of Catch
“Okay,just remember that they're gonna freak out when they find out who you are. Then again, Grams and Gramps already know. Or wait, maybe they don’t. Or they do and they don’t care. Fuck, I don’t know.”
We were parked outside my grandparents’ house, and I was nervously rambling about all the things I thought Loxley might need to know before we walked inside.
Loxley blinked at me, amused, but I wasn’t deterred and barreled on. "Easton, though, might be a little pissed. He’s one of those guys who’s had tickets to your shows for weeks, and hasn’t been able to go because, well, you’ve been hiding in my house. Don’t take it personally—he’s an idiot. Everyone in there will back me up on that. Except maybe Gramps, but that’s just because they bonded over a broken lawn mower one summer and now they think they’re soulmates."
She snorted. Loudly. God, I loved that sound.
"You’re probably gonna recognize my oldest brother too. Please don’t fall in love with him. He has a terrible attitude, especially about butter."
Loxley raised an eyebrow. “Butter?”
“Don’t ask. There was an incident. And now that I am thinking about it, I do need to apologize for it because I have recently learned the abominations of butter. But the point is, he’s grumpy and rich, and he shows up to Sunday dinner in a helicopter like a Bond villain. Don’t let it impress you.”
She leaned her head against the seat, watching me with one of those half-smiles that made my heart do something real embarrassing in my chest.
“Grams and Gramps are going to give me a ton of shit,” I added, rubbing my hands on my jeans. “But I can handle it. And if atanypoint you feel uncomfortable, just give me the signal and we’re out.”
Loxley held up her right hand like she was taking an oath, then slid her left into mine.
“I’ve already promised not to fall in love with your brother,” she said solemnly. “Grams and I will bond over apple pie. I’ll apologize to Easton for being a national burden, and yes, I remember the codeword.”
I grinned. “You’ll say, ‘Do you have any Milox?’ and I’ll make an excuse to get us out of there.”
“Exactly,” she said, patting my arm. “Now for someone whoforcefullytold me I was coming to this dinner, and then, let’s be honest, aggressively proved his point on the kitchen counter, you’re acting really nervous.”
I winced. “Touché.”
She had offered to stay home more than once, but I’d practically begged her to come. She didn’t understand that I wanted her there with every fiber of my being. I just hoped shewouldn’t hate it. My family wasn’t subtle, and they sure as hell weren’t normal, but they were everything to me.
“Alright,” she said, squeezing my fingers. “Let’s do this.”
I took a deep breath, snorted in an attempt to seem casual, and stepped out of the Jeep. We met around the front and I grabbed her hand, leading her up the wide wooden steps of the porch.
Pausing at the door, I contemplated if I should knock. I had never knocked. This was Grams and Gramps’ house. But I was considering it until Loxley tilted her head and said, “Were you serious about the helicopter?”
Instead of looking up, I just nodded. I knew she had finally seen West’s mode of transportation.
“Yeah. I told you my older brother is loaded, right? He thinks it’s cute to fly from the rooftop of his penthouse in Atlanta straight to the pad he had installed on Grams and Gramps’ property.”
“I guess that’s efficient….”
“It mainly limits the amount of time he has to spend in Harmony Haven. Which hehates.Unlike Easton and I, who love this town.”
Before she could ask anything else, the front door swung open and Grams appeared, arms flung wide.
“Youmade it!” She hugged Loxley’s neck like they were old friends and kissed my cheek with way too much enthusiasm. “Don’t just stand here, come in!”
The smell of roasted something hit us instantly—meat, spices, and something distinctly sweet, like caramelized apples.Did she make a pie?
Inside, Gramps was pouring wine into mismatched glasses like it was the most important night of his life. He glanced up, smiling at Loxley, but acting like I wasn’t literally standing next to her.
“Welcome! Welcome!” Gramps held out a glass to Loxley. “Red or white, sweetheart? Or do you want something that burns going down?”
“She’ll take wine,” I said quickly, intercepting the whiskey. Whiskey was our thing, and I was suddenly feeling like I didn’t want to share that with anyone else.
“Red is great,” Loxley told Gramps with grace while somehow also eyeing me with mirth.
As she lifted her glass to her lips, West burst in from the kitchen wearing one of his tailored suits and sunglassesindoors, like a full-blown douche canoe.
