Page 30 of Something Borrowed

She pulled her hand away and fisted it in her lap, fingers tangling, reflecting her stress. “Do you regret getting involved with me?”

“Of course not.” His words were swift and sure.

And he meant it. What had started as a bit of stress relief and consensual sex had deepened, at least for his part. And he was pretty sure it had on her side too. If only she would let herself feel it. “You’re smart, funny, and I enjoy spending time with you, outside of the sex. I wouldn’t be asking for more if I regretted it.”

“Why do we have to change a good thing?” She sighed. “I suppose you’re right, though. We can’t just keep going on the way we are.”

“So why can’t we be more? Why won’t you trust me?”

“You’re a great guy, Grady. Really. But…” Her voice trailed off as words failed her. She hugged herself and stared out the window instead.

He groaned. “The dreaded ‘but’. God, now I know how women feel when we use it on them. Let me guess. It’s not you, it’s me. That’s such bullshit.”

“It’s not bullshit. Making partner involves long hours and dedication. You won’t be happy to have a girlfriend who is never available.”

“I never complained before. Why would I start now?”

“Because before it was about sex, and we were both busy. Now you want a wife and family, a white picket fence, a dog, all the trappings of suburbia. I’m not meant for that.”

Her voice sounded regretful, and he wasn’t sure if she was sorry to hurt him or sorry that she had made the choice. Either way, the argument was getting them nowhere except losing in the gathering of their list. Time to table the discussion in favor of showing her they could be a good team.

“What’s on the list? I have to know where I’m going, right?”

She glanced at him, startled at the sudden change of conversation. He gestured toward the paper balled up in her fist, and she blushed. She smoothed the paper and studied it. Her brow furrowed, and she frowned as she scanned the list.

“It makes no sense. This list is full of bullshit items.”

He tried to snatch it out of her hands, but she pulled it out of reach. “Focus on the road, genius. Head for the town. Apparently, there’s a carnival there that we’re attending.”

He relaxed, a glimmer of a plan forming in his mind. “Great! I love funnel cake.”

She darted him a sour look. “Of course, you do.”

ChapterThirteen

Grady parked in the community lot with the other islanders attending the fair. They both got out and stood at the back of the truck, Grady grinning broadly and Brigid scowling. A large Ferris wheel towered over the festivities, and cheerful music echoed over the crowds of screaming children. Brigid studied the scene with a hint of disgust.

“God, this is like hell, isn’t it? I never thought Caroline had a mean streak in her.”

“Hell? This is awesome! How did they get the equipment over here?” Grady inhaled deeply, the scents of the country fair wafting around him, taking him back to his childhood with his father. He couldn’t think of a better place to remind Brigid of who she really was, the fun person who she’d buried deep inside the lawyer persona, the shell she had donned to fit into the law firm where she worked. Caroline was a genius.

“Seriously? That’s all you can think of right now? When there are hordes of tired, cranky, sugared-up children running loose in there?” She shuddered, but there was a gleam of something in her eye, interest maybe, a glitter of life that he hadn’t seen in a long time.

“Would you rather forfeit and go back to the house?” He countered, an eyebrow raised, knowing she wouldn’t be able to resist the challenge.

She bit her lower lip, clearly trying to decide if she wanted to win that badly. He gave up waiting, grabbed her by the arm and hauled her down the aisle toward the entrance. Meanwhile, he snatched the list from her and held it high so she couldn’t get it.

“We should wait and come up with a plan. Give me the list.” She planted her fists on her hips and glared at him.

He gestured at the entrance, where Ethan and Delaney were already buying their tickets. He didn’t know where Anna and Wyatt were, but at least one team was there ahead of them.

“Screw the list. Let’s get in there and figure it out. I’ll bet all the teams are here tonight.” He pointed at the other couple, and Brigid cursed.

“I refuse to keep that lamp in my house. It’s gaudy.”

He grinned. “We have forty dollars to spend. Tickets are five each, leaving us with thirty. Let’s figure out what we have to buy and what we can get another way.” He consulted the list. “Food, we have to buy it. Unless you want to dig in the garbage.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Gross. You’d better be kidding.”

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