Page 60 of Small Town Frenzy
“Have you told our parents?”
He chuckles like I told a joke. “They’re going to be upset,” I say, telling the truth. I laugh a little just to down play the dramatics, though.
Taking hold of my upper arms, he says, “You have Jacob and . . . Savvy?—”
“Oh wow. You’re giving me Savvy.” I roll my eyes, knowing I’m lucky to have her whether I ever marry or not.
“You know what I mean.” He lowers his arms and glances at the reception festivities as they do the Cotton-Eyed Joe.
“You mean since I don’t have a man in my life?”
The guests yelling, “Bullshit,” while they dance and sing is quite the statement as we muddle through our own conversation.
Will says, “Didn’t look that way the other day in your office.”
He’s not wrong. Griffin has captivated almost every thought I’ve had this week. Before he returned, he was still a frequent mind visitor. The tides have turned from fantasy to reality in such a short time. He’s here. He’s real and appears to be staying, at least for the time being. And the anxiety I had leading up to him finding out about Jacob has all butdisappeared. I’m okay taking this journey with Griffin. “You’re right, and I don’t want to hide from you guys.”
“Why would you have to?” His smile sinks into something more suspicious. “Is it because he’s a Greene?”
My heart shouldn’t drop to the bottom of my stomach, but it does. “Greene isn’t a dirty word.”
“It is around here.”
The party is going swimmingly. I flip my full attention to him and cross my arms over my chest. “And why is that exactly?”
“Shit, whatever happened, it was long before we were a thought.”
“That’s the thing. No one seems to know what happened a generation, two, or even three ago, but people around town reference it like it was some great war with no details.” I look at him, wondering if I can trust him. Such a horrible thing to believe about your brother, but sometimes I’m not sure where his loyalties lie. And that’s the real issue, right? Our family is divided. We’re rarely on the same side. Except apparently, hating the Greene family is supposed to unite us.
Jacob’s a Greene as much as he is a Dover. It makes me question if that changes how my family will feel about him. Maybe Will is right, and it’s time to leave instead of feeling responsible for fulfilling the obligations of our parents’ demands.
How has everything changed so fast? It’s a whirlwind of emotions. I think I need to take one thing at a time. My top priority is Jacob and talking to him about his father.
There’s only one way to see if trust still exists between us. I won’t tell him anything about Jacob until it’s solidified, but I do have other information to drop. “Will?” When hiseyes greet me, I ask, “Will you keep Griffin’s last name a secret?”
“Not wise, Buggy. They’re going to find out. Wouldn’t you rather be the one who tells them?”
“No, I wouldn’t, if I’m being honest. Nothing will change their reaction, so my trying to convince them he’s a good person won’t put a dent in their aggravation.”
I can see the moment his eyes get over shadowed by deviousness. He grins, and then says, “You help soften the blow about me moving to France full-time, and I won’t say a word about your boyfriend.”
Boyfriend?
I’ve never thought of him as a boyfriend before. That might fit someone else I just started dating, but it doesn’t encapsulate what Griffin and I are together. Everything is bigger and better with him. We’re even co-parents, for God’s sake. The thought alone has me smiling, though that secret is staying under lock and key for the time being.
So yeah, boyfriend just won’t do for what he means to me. Or my son.
But this isn’t relevant for the deal being struck. His silence is, though. “When are you breaking the news to them?”
“Not sure. I’m taking suggestions.”
“Hmm.” I glance over at him but don’t stare. My brother was a big hit in high school with my friends. Annoying. He’s always been the golden child to my parents. Their first and proudest accomplishment. This news will send them to an early grave. Maybe that’s his plan. Will always had a slightly evil side to him, which has me asking, “How did you know Griffin’s last name was Greene?”
Shaking his head like it’s obvious, he replies, “They used to have a billboard off Ranch Road 23. Peachtree Pass’s prideand joy, all-star baseball player. Don’t you know, it’s the home of the great pro-baller?”
“I didn’t know that. I don’t even know where Ranch Road 23 is. Why were you in Greene County back then?”
“The girls were hotter over there in high school, and I’m not related to them.”
