Page 26 of New Girl in Town
I had bigger things to worry about than whatever my ex-husband had sent me. Our divorce papers had been finalized and my copy was safely tucked into a drawer of my bedroom. Whatever he was sending now was unnecessary. What was I doing taking the time to read the contents?
Turning away from the table, I wrapped my arms around myself and re-focused my energy back to my present situation.
I was getting coffee with Grant. He’d seen me kissing Ben the night before.
“Right,” I whispered, running my hands through my hair, and readied myself for whatever might come up on my coffee date.
Dylan’s letter wasn’t important. This was. Or at least I insisted to myself the entire way to the front door of my building. This was my life now.
I opened the door and saw Grant leaning back against the brick of the building, arms crossed over his chest, making me all too aware of how good the man looked in flannel.
“It’s just around the corner. It’s nice out, so I thought we could walk.”
“That sounds perfect.” I fell into step beside him and braced myself for awkwardness, but Grant was of a different mind.
“How’s work?” he asked, smiling down at me.
“It’s good,” I told him. “There’s a lot of new procedures to learn and people to meet, but I really like it.”
“Is it nine to five?”
“Pretty much. I’m excited to have my weekends free to explore.”
“We should go on a hike,” he said, but at the horrified expression on my face he laughed and said, “Fine, a drive through the mountains?”
“That sounds like a plan. I’ll go on a drive, but a hike…”
“Not an outdoor girl?” Grant said, and I shrugged.
“It’s not that I’m not outdoorsy, but there’s snow.”
“It’s Colorado.”
“It’s everywhere, Grant.”
“A lot of people travel here to see it,” he said, trying not to laugh.
“They also ski. I know, I know. I’d rather be curled up inside, nice and warm. I’m game for spring and summer here, though. And I’m up for a nice drive through the mountains.”
“Let me know when you’re free, and I’ll pick a route with good views.”
I nodded, and because I was a sucker for punishment I said, “It’s a date.”
Grant chuckled beside me. “Sweetheart, it’s whatever you say it is.” His fingers grazed the side of my hand, and it was all I could do not to fall over my feet in shock at the butterfly-light touch.
So slight was the brush of his fingers that I wondered if I had imagined it, but then Grant offered his hand to me and asked, “Hold my hand?”
“Yeah, okay.” I only hesitated for a second, but Grant did not, and a moment later he took my hand.
“Do you have plans for this weekend? Going out with Mel?” Grant asked as we walked along like he wasn’t holding my hand and making my heart feel like it was about explode out of my chest. His hand was strong and warm around mine, and I felt giddy.
“Sorry, what?” I asked, lost in the fact that his thumb had begun to rub against the back of my hand.
“Are you going out this weekend?”
From anyone else the question might have felt like fishing for information, but from Grant it was just a question. I loved that. He wasn’t pressing the issue of Ben and the kiss he’d seen. He was holding my hand, chatting, and offering to show me the sights.
Of all the ways to have a direct connection to my vagina, this was it.
