Page 53 of The Billionaire Is Back

Her face falls, and I realize she probably thinks I’m going to tell her last night was a mistake.

“Grady, I?—”

“No, I mean?—”

“Is that Grady Barber?!” I look over Claire’s shoulder to see her mom, all chipper and meticulously coiffed for so early in the morning.

“Mrs. Sweeney. Lovely to see you.”

Claire steps aside so I can shake hands with her mother.

“Oh, Grady. I still want you to call me Helen. Give me a hug, silly.” She takes me in a warm embrace. I spent so much time at this house growing up that Helen was basically my second mom. This is another homecoming.

“It’s really good to see you, Helen.”

“Well, my goodness, don’t you look handsome in that suit. Why are you standing on the porch? Jake isn’t here,” she informs me. “But he should be coming by any minute.”

“Oh, great.” Ignoring the twinge of guilt at Jake’s name, I tell her, “I actually came by to give Claire a ride.” I hastily add, “Back to her car.”

Mrs. Sweeney looks confused.

“Grady gave me a ride in a parking lot last night,” Claire explains and then realizes what she just said. “Froma parking lot. My car battery died. After he took me sailing and didn’t murder me.”

Helen looks even more confused now. Two dogs come bounding down the stairs, and suddenly there’s a face in my crotch, but it isn’t Claire’s. Which is a good thing, I guess, because her mom is standing right behind her.

“Oh, you went sailing? You didn’t tell me. Dudley! No!”

Dudley the golden retriever is not taking no for an answer.I can smell Claire on you!he’s thinking.

“Dudley, no!” Claire takes Dudley by the collar and pulls him away from my junk.

A smaller dog is still sniffing around my ankle, which I’m pretty sure is a part of me that didn’t touch any parts of her last night.

“Yeah, Grady’s giving me the business.Advice. He’s giving me advice about my business.”

“Well, that’s so kind of you, Grady. Whowouldn’twant you to give them the business?”

“Mom!”

“Advice. The business advice. From a billionaire. Come in, Grady. Join us for breakfast.”

“Don’t you have to get to work?” I ask Claire, really wanting to get her alone. I just need five minutes to talk with her in private so I can blow her mind.

“I’m closed on Tuesdays,” she says. “I thought you knew everything about my business.”

“I guess there’s still a lot I want to learn about your business.”

She doesn’t smirk like I thought she would. “You can come in. I just made coffee. And I just pulled some scones out of the oven, if you’re interested.”

“Oh, Grady! You have to try Claire’s scone. If you want to know what heaven tastes like, just split one open when it’s warm and butter it up,” her mother gushes.

Claire slaps her forehead.

I clear my throat. “Sounds good.” I pick up the furry little dog and bring him inside.

“That reminds me, Grady,” Mrs. Sweeney says as she leads the way back to the kitchen, “I was just thinking about you yesterday, actually. I have a new commercial listing, in case you’re looking for a local real estate investment.”

“Mom!”

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