Page 4 of Good Girls Don't Kiss and Tell (Rock Canyon, Idaho 7)

Eric was contemplating a speedy exit himself when he heard his mother yelling his name.

The guys started heckling him about his mommy calling him, and Eric flipped them the bird as he walked up the driveway to the house. He came up behind Gracie while she was headfirst in the back of her CRV, wearing a lacy white dress, tights, and cowboy boots. Her blonde hair traveled past her shoulders now, covering up the collar of her jean jacket and he had to admit that he liked it better than the shorter do she usually sported.

“Need some help?” he asked.

She jumped a mile in the air with a scream and dropped the brightly wrapped package in her hands.

“Geez, do you have to sneak up on people? Do you understand that if I was holding Gemma and Travis’s cake, you would have been the reason it was smashed to bits?”

Eric held up his hands in surrender. “I was just offering to carry stuff in for you. No need to bite my head off.”

Gracie’s cheeks turned a deeper shade of red, and he hated that he noticed how it brought out the green of her eyes.

“I’m sorry. It’s been a rough day. I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”

Eric was surprised by her apology. Most of the time, she would snap back at him, something snarky that would set his teeth on edge. He wondered if she was coming down with something.

“It’s fine, we all have them. Do you want some help or what?”

Gracie tucked a stray curl behind her ear, revealing the smooth line of her throat.

Christ, get it together, Henderson.

“Sure, can you grab the presents while I get the cake?”

He reached past her to pick up the packages, and their shoulders bumped. He was close enough to smell the fruity scent of her hair and notice the shine in the blonde strands, almost as though she sprayed it with glitter.

“Are you having fun?” she asked abruptly.

Eric couldn’t stop his laugh. “At a baby shower? Sure, I’m having a blast.”

“Oh come on, it hasn’t even started, so it can’t be that bad.”

He shot her a challenging look. “All my friends are wearing diapers that may or may not have fake poo in them on their shirts.”

Gracie juggled the plastic cake container into her arms, shaking her head. “It’s a game. Two of the diapers have a brown circle in them, and if you have one of them, you get a prize. How is winning ever a bad thing?”

Eric closed the hatch for her. “This kind of thing is just not meant for men. You ladies would have more fun sitting around giggling, and oohing and awing over baby clothes without us.”

“Oh my God, how sexist are you? We don’t all do that.”

They walked into the house to find Gemma showing the ladies who were already there some of the things she’d bought for the baby. When she held up a matching set of white shoes, the whole room erupted with cooing sounds.

Eric turned to face her with a grin. “You were saying?”

Chapter Two

“Apparently, Gemma and Travis Bowers’s baby shower was the place to be on Saturday. Amid the adorable owl decorations, there was drama…drama…and oh, yes…MORE DRAMA!” - Miss Know-It-All’s Gossip Column.

Gracie sat on the couch with a pad of paper and a pen, writing down all the baby gifts and the giver’s name for thank-you notes. It was a little embarrassing that Eric had been spot-on about all the excitement over the teeny-tiny baby items. Normally, Gracie would have been doing the same thing, except she was very much aware of Eric leaning against the wall off to her side. She’d caught him smirking at her a few times, and she was determined to show him that not all women were simpering simpletons when it came to baby items.

Also, she was trying not to look at him anyway. Just a few weeks ago, she’d almost convinced herself that she might have feelings for the bearded oaf. And after their history too.

It was no secret that the two of them had been fighting since Eric kicked her out of Buck’s at eighteen for using a fake ID. She’d had the biggest crush on him and wanted the chance to get close

to him. He thought she was only flirting with him to stay for Travis’s gig. Either way, the two of them had been fighting ever since.

And kissing. There’d definitely been some hot and heavy moments over the last few years, and when they’d finally called a truce, things had been good. Really good.

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