Page 82 of My Lucky Charm

He smiles down at her, a look on his face that can only be described as pure love, and I have to turn away again.

“We’ll be right back,” Celeste says. And then, over her shoulder, she adds, “She’s got you wrapped around her little finger.”

He gives her a half-hearted what can I say shrug, and they walk to the elevator, which opens right away. Wouldn’t do that for me, I bet, the traitor.

And then, it’s just the two of us. Standing here, in his kitchen, trying to ignore the parade of elephants in the room.

He opens the refrigerator and pulls out a bottle of water. “We’re going to be late for the photoshoot.”

“No problem. I already called to let them know.”

He nods. “And Scarlett will have to come with us.”

“I was hoping she would,” I say. “It’ll be fun.”

A pause.

“So,” I fill the space.

He takes a drink.

“You have a daughter.”

He swallows and looks at me.

“Google didn’t tell me that.” In Google’s defense, I probably didn’t enter the right search terms to uncover this information.

“I’m surprised,” he says. “Google has a big mouth.”

“Right, but you have a kid.” I say this like it’s going to shock him. “And she’s . . . great.”

His mouth turns up ever so slightly, as if he can’t contain a smile at the compliment to his daughter. “She’s the best.”

“She gets to go to your games and stuff, right?” I ask, because I’m still trying to figure out how this wasn’t the most important headline when searching Gray’s name.

“Yeah,” he says. “But I don’t want her in the public eye. That’s non-negotiable. I mean, I chose this life, but Scarlett didn’t.”

“I’m sure she understands,” I say, thinking about her grandmother’s comment.

Then he frowns. “Why the look?”

I try—fail—to shake my thoughts away. “Nothing, I just—”

The subtle quirk of his eyebrow is all the encouragement I need to continue.

“When I came in, we just, sort of started talking. Like, you know, adults having a conversation.”

He chuckles without a smile. “Yeah, that tracks.”

I continue. “We were talking, and she said something—” This is none of my business. I’m overstepping. Just because Gray and I have kissed twice and I get his groceries, that doesn’t give me the right to insert myself into his family.

But he surprises me when he asks. “She said what?”

“Something about being a mistake.” I wince as I say this.

His face falls. “She said that?”

I nod. “I’m sorry, I don’t know the whole story, and . . .”

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