Page 74 of Chess Not Checkers
“Are you in chess club, Shepherd?” Dahlia asks, making me tear my gaze away from Jasmine’s next move.
Move your knight,I silently coach her in my mind.
“Oh, um, I wanted to be in it, but it’s been hard to go with football season,” I answer, hoping Dahlia won’t ask if I’ve played against Jasmine.
“Very nice,” Grayson compliments.
I turn my head and internally cheer. She did it! Every move she’s made so far has been exactly what I would have recommended.
“Told you I’ve gotten better,” she drawls while he makes his next move.
“That doesn’t mean you’re good enough to beat me, little prodigy,” he says in a voice that sounds suspiciously like aStar Warscharacter.
Jasmine’s eyes flick up to meet mine at the wordprodigy. I let a smile slip, which she returns before looking back at the board.
“Well, I bet Jasmine would love to play against you,” Dahlia says casually.
Jasmine freezes for a second before making her move. I turn my attention to Dahlia, who’s wearing a not-so-innocent smile. Levi, however, is glaring at his wife. Is Jasmine’s sister…trying to set us up? I press my lips together to keep from laughing at the irony.
“Maybe after she beats Grayson, I can give it a go,” I say casually, instead of taking her bait. I know she meant outside of this moment.
Grayson looks up at me from his spot on the floor. “And to think I liked you after you beat me last time. You young people have no respect for your elders.” He tsks and shakes his head.
“Oh, so now you’re claiming to be an elder?” Jasmine asks with a grin.
“I resent the idea of looking old, but I’ve always been an old soul,” Grayson answers before moving his bishop.
He’s trying to close in on her king, but it looks like she can beat him first if she makes the correct moves. Jasmine grabs her rook. Her eyes flick up to me. I give the barest tip of my head. She makes the move. Grayson makes a sound like he’s impressed, then does exactly as I—and Jasmine—predicted by moving his queen. A smile blooms across Jasmine’s face. She moves her bishop.
“Checkmate!” she cheers, and I come up out of my seat a little but quickly sit back down.
She looks at me, beaming, and there’s no holding back my answering grin.
“Nice win,” I say, though I want to tell her how proud I am of her and how painfully gorgeous she is while she plays chess. Mostly I really,reallywant to kiss her.
“Thanks,” she says, then gives Grayson a haughty look. “Would you like a walker or a cane, old man?”
“I want to be outraged, but I’m too proud of you,” he says, and I watch as Jasmine’s face shifts from playful to emotional.
Grayson stands up and gestures to her to do the same. He walks around the coffee table and holds his hand out for a handshake. She goes to take it, but he pushes her hand away and wraps her in a bear hug instead, lifting her up off the ground.
“You really thought I was going to give you a handshake after that win?” he says with a laugh, pulling back and shaking her shoulders a little. “You’ve come so far, kid.”
Jasmine blinks a few times, trying not to cry. “So, all those hours you spent teaching me were worth it, then?”
Grayson’s face changes, taking on a seriousness I suspect is rare for him. “What are you talking about? Every second was worth it because I got to hang out with you. I don’t care if you lose every game—” He tips his head to the side. “Okay, I might be alittleoffended that my teaching skills were so poor.”
Jasmine giggles while tears stream down her face.
“But I didn’t start teaching you chess so that you could pay me back. I did it to get to know you better,” he finishes, then pulls her in for another hug.
Sloane looks at them with proud tears shimmering in her eyes. I glance at Levi and Dahlia, who are smiling at the exchange. I hope that one day soon Jasmine will get to talk to them about these feelings too. She deserves to know just how unconditionally loved she is.
When she pulls out of his embrace and our eyes lock, I see how much she needed that moment. I grip the couch. Every part of me wants to jump up and tell her how proud I am of her, too, and hug her tight. We must stare at each other a touch too long because Grayson turns over his shoulder and catches what I know is a lovestruck look on my face.
The corner of his mouth hitches up in a knowing grin, but he doesn’t say a word. We’ll have to hope it stays that way.
Chapter thirty-seven
