Page 68 of Good Girls Don't Kiss and Tell (Rock Canyon, Idaho 7)

“Yeah, that would be great.”

She turned and poured him a cup, adding a little half-and-half just the way he liked it. He took the cup from her. “What are your plans for the day?”

“Well, if you’re not busy, my parents asked if we wanted to do the tree today and decorate it tonight. We have a whole ritual, so if it’s too much—”

“No, that sounds great. I’d like the chance to make up with your mother.” Actually, he was dreading it, but he found that he was willing to put himself in the most uncomfortable situations if it meant being with Gracie.

“I did that yesterday,” Gracie said.

“Did what?”

“Smoothed things over with my mother.”

“And? How did it go?”

“It was pretty great, actually.” She pulled the waffles out of the machine and placed them on a plate. “I feel like yesterday was fantastic, as far as everything coming up Gracie.”

“Oh yeah?” He grabbed the butter dish on the counter and a knife from the silverware drawer. He started buttering the stack of waffles as she made them, standing shoulder to shoulder with her. “And how about your new fake boyfriend? Everything great?”

Eric caught the small smirk she tried to hide. “It’s okay.”

Well that was a kick in the gut. “Just okay?”

She shrugged. “Sure. I’m having a good time. As far as fake boyfriends go, you’re doing much better than Brad Gilbert.”

“Who’s Brad Gilbert?”

“The boyfriend I made up in eighth grade when no one asked me to dance at the graduation dance.”

“Why didn’t they ask you to dance?”

Her cheeks turned pink. “I sat on a candy bar during the ceremony in my white dress. When Gemma tried to help me get it off, it looked like I shit my pants. All the boys were making fun of me about it, and I ended up going home early. I told everyone that summer that I had a boyfriend in Canada named Brad Gilbert, and he would kick all their asses if they so much as looked in my direction.”

“Did it work?”

Gracie shrugged. “They left me alone, until we started freshman year and my boobs finally came in.”

“Well, I’m glad that I’m doing better than imaginary Brad.” He kissed the side of her neck and whispered in her ear, “And that your boobs grew.”

“For the most part. They still aren’t much to speak of.”

“I like ’em. I’m more of an ass man anyway.”

“Gee, thanks.” She unplugged the waffle maker with a jerk, and he could tell by her stiff posture he’d said the wrong thing.

He dropped the butter knife and snaked his arm around her waist. “Hey, now, what’s up?”

“Nothing. You basically just said you didn’t care that I wasn’t stacked ’cause I had a big ass.”

Eric’s jaw fell so far, it almost broke. “Holy shit, do women just hear what they want? I never said that! I implied you have a nice ass, and I even said I liked your tits, so what—”

Gracie started making a gagging sound. “Do not call them tits! I hate that word.”

“Fine, breasts. I was trying to make you feel better! That was the only goal.”

Her green eyes were watching him so intently, it made him squirm. Then she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck with a sigh. “Sorry. I don’t exactly have a stellar résumé when it comes to relationships. I tend to sabotage them before they even get started. Even the fake ones, apparently.”

Eric had never been really serious about anyone, except Megan Barlow, who he’d dated off and on for years after they graduated high school. She had moved to Montana after college, having no interest in settling down in Rock Canyon. No one had caught his eye seriously since.

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