“I don’t. I know I give you a hard time, but—”
Grae held up a hand. “It doesn’t matter. I shouldn’t care what you think anymore, anyway. It’s not like we’re friends.”
Each word cut like a carefully placed blow designed to cause maximum damage. I could argue, but she was right. I hadn’t let her into my life because I was too damn terrified of her pull. What a chickenshit that made me. “Tell me anyway? Even though I don’t deserve it.”
She blinked back at me, surprise filtering through those baby blues. Then she sighed. “Rance and I have always been decent friends. Not close or anything, but we ran in similar crowds. Days on the lake, nights at the bar, those kinds of things, ya know?”
I nodded.
“Every year or so, he asked me out. I was never interested, but last month I figured I should give it a shot. He’s a nice guy and has a good job helping people. I thought maybe I could grow to like him as more than a friend.”
“I don’t think chemistry works that way.”
She winced. “You might be right there.”
“So, you went on a couple of dates…” I wanted to ask so many more questions, but I was terrified of the damn answers.
“It wasn’t anything crazy. Drinks, a hike, one dinner. But I just didn’t feel anything. Kissing him was like kissing a dead fish.”
I choked on a laugh. “You certainly paint a strong mental image.”
The corner of her mouth kicked up. It was the first hint of true amusement I’d seen in her eyes since I’d walked up. “Too much tongue.” She shivered.
Jealousy coursed through me like an inferno, and I suddenly wished I had gone the decking route with Rance.
“Now, he won’t leave me alone. I’ve told him I don’t feel more than friendship for him and that I’m not interested, but he thinks I’m not giving us a proper shot. He shows up at work with flowers, texts me all the time, and today he was asking why I wasn’t home last night. It freaked me out a little, and I just…”—she gestured at me—“panicked.”
Ice slid through my veins. “He showed up at your house last night?”
“We live in the same general neighborhood. He said he was on a run and saw that my car wasn’t there.”
Wariness pricked at my gut. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
“Me either, hence the stroke that was me calling youbabe. Like it’s believable that we’re dating.”
“I don’t know. I think that kiss sold it pretty well.”
Pink hit Grae’s cheeks. “Maybe.”
“Why don’t you just have Lawson have a talk with him?”
Her hand snaked out to grab my arm, her nails digging in. “Don’t say a word to him.”
My brows lifted. “Why not?” Her brothers would send lover boy packing so fast his head would spin.
“You don’t know what it’s like. They just—things changed after my diagnosis. They were always protective, but now it’s like an extreme sport. I don’t want them involved. I know I never should’ve roped you into this. It’s not exactly going to be believable when you pick up some tourist at the bar this weekend. But—”
“Gigi,” I said, squeezing her hand. Aw, hell. This was beyond stupid. It was reckless, but the words slipped out anyway. “I’ll help you.”
“You will?”
My thumb slid along the inside of her palm, and I relished the feel of her skin. I was playing with fire. “I think I’ve got something that can solve both of our problems.”
She looked up at me skeptically. “What?”
The corner of my mouth kicked up. “Be my girlfriend.”
5
