Page 13 of Good Girls Don't Kiss and Tell (Rock Canyon, Idaho 7)

Sam left the room, and Gracie smiled, running her hand over the soft skin of the child’s cheek. “Looks like you and I are going to have a slumber party, pipsqueak.”

* * *

Eric pulled into Hall’s Market parking lot just before they closed, and two things stopped him in his tracks.

Gracie was right across the aisle, chatting with Hope Weathers, who was putting a box in the back of Gracie’s car.

And the second was that Gracie was balancing a dirty child on her hip.

Curious, Eric crossed the way, watching out for the icy ground. “Hey, ladies.”

Hope turned and gave him a wide smile, her blonde hair up in a messy bun. “Hey, Eric. Happy Thanksgiving.”

“Happy Thanksgiving.” When he turned his attention to Gracie and the kid, the little girl buried her face in Gracie’s neck. “Who’s this, Gracie Lou?”

“My new friend,” was all she said before addressing Hope. “Thanks for bringing those down. I’ll wash them and give them right back to you.”

“It’s no hurry. Emily is grown out of them, and we aren’t having anymore, so whenever.”

Eric’s brow furrowed. What in the hell is going on?

Eric noticed the grocery bags in the back of the car, and the box of diapers. “You baby-sitting or something?”

Hope laughed. “I’ll let you get her in the car and deal with Curious George over here. Call me if you need anything.”

“I will.”

Hope walked to her car, and Gracie went to the passenger side door, calling over her shoulder, “Close that for me, will you?”

Eric’s jaw about dropped, but he did it anyway.

He heard the kid crying, and Gracie’s voice went up an octave. “Oh, don’t cry, love. I’m going to start the car, and we’ll be home in just a few minutes.”

She closed the door and actually walked past him to the driver’s side and climbed in. He approached and knocked on her window, but she didn’t bother rolling it down until the car was running.

“What’s up?” she asked.

“Are you going to fill me in? Who’s the kid?”

Gracie arched her brow at him. “I’m sorry, are you my father? Boyfriend? Husband?”

“No, but I—”

“Then I don’t have to tell you anything.”

She slowly rolled up the window, and just before she put the car in reverse, she stuck her tongue out at him.

Eric stood there dumbfounded.

What in the ever-loving shit was that about?

Chapter Five

“Most women seem to think that a man who keeps coming back after being rejected is crazy, but I like to think of it as determined.” - Miss Know-It-All’s Gossip Column.

After a long soak in the bathtub and being scrubbed from head to toe with baby shampoo, Pip, as Gracie was referring to the little girl, smelled and looked so much b

etter. When Gracie had first undressed her, she got a really good look at the ribs poking up under the skin, and as she washed away the dirt, she saw bruises in different shades of yellow, purple and blue on her arms and legs. She’d taken pictures of the injuries to show Pip’s social worker when they met and tried not to cry.

---