Chapter fifteen Grady
Chapter fifteen
Grady
“She did what?” Astrid asks through the phone as I shove my last pair of shorts into my duffle bag.
“She fucking kissed me in front of everyone at the game.” I can’t fight the smile spreading across my face, thinking back to how brazen Scottie was in that moment.
I heard the women behind us talking, and hell, it’s not like I don’t hear that shit practically everywhere I go in this small town.
But the way Scottie reacted to their words is a really clear indication that she feels what I feel—possessiveness—which means we are definitely on the right path to getting her to admit that she has feelings for me.
“So what did you say to her?”
“Nothing.”
My sister grows quiet. “Um, why not?”
“Because I could tell she was freaked out by it, and honestly, I didn’t need to say anything. She fucking kissed me, Astrid. That means she wants me, and that’s all I need to know.”
She wants me, and I’m tired of us both pretending she doesn’t.
“Don’t push too hard, Grady,” my sister cautions. “Just because she kissed you, doesn’t mean she’s ready for more yet.”
“I know, but it means she can’t deny our connection, Astrid.
And fuck, I’m tired of denying it too. This trip is the make-or-break point.
I need her to open up to me, to give me a shot.
We can go slow, but if I don’t at least try to get her to see that she doesn’t need to be scared of me, then I’m going to regret it. ”
“God, this is so romantic,” my sister says through the phone. “I feel so invested and really want everything to work out. For both of your sakes, I hope she doesn’t make you wait as long as I did with Penn.”
“Your situation was a little different though too, sis.”
“Yeah, but still, the fear is the same. Make her feel safe, and then she’ll let her guard down.”
“Protecting her and our baby is the only thing I can think about most days.”
“Please promise to call me after your trip and let me know how it goes, okay?”
“I promise. Give Bentley and Lilly a kiss for me.”
“I will. Good luck and be safe, Grady.”
We say our goodbyes and then I end the call, shoving my phone in my pocket before zipping up my bag and slinging it over my shoulder, eager to get to Scottie’s house to pick her up.
When I pull into her driveway, I see her outside on the lawn in front of her mother’s house, talking to Lisa and Gigi.
“Good morning, ladies!” I call as I step out of my truck.
Gigi grins at me and Lisa sends a wink my way, but Scottie is standing with her arms wrapped around her body, almost as if she’s trying to comfort herself.
But her eyes? They’re dancing appreciatively up and down my body.
The weather is supposed to be warm this weekend, so I’m wearing khaki shorts, a navy shirt, and, of course, a baseball cap.
The way Scottie is looking at me right now tells me she likes what she sees, and the feeling is mutual.
She has on a light pink sundress that fits snugly at the top but is loose enough around the waist to conceal her growing stomach.
For a second, I’m disappointed, but then she uncrosses her arms and the fabric stretches across her bump, revealing the evidence of our growing child.
Mine.
These two are mine and it’s only a matter of time before Scottie accepts it.
“I appreciate you two looking after Chase while I’m gone,” she says to her mom and grandma, turning away from me as I join their circle.
“Of course. Don’t worry about him. We’ll make sure he stays out of trouble.”
“I already threatened him if he tries to pull any type of shit,” Gigi says with an arch of her brow.
“He’d be a fool to double cross you, Gigi,” I say.
“Any man would. Maybe I should share with him what happened to the last man that pissed me off…”
Scottie sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. “As much as we’d love to sit around and let you regale us with tales of your insanity, we have a long drive ahead of us and really should be going.”
Gigi rolls her eyes. “Fine, but you two had better be careful. I can’t handle raising another teenager. I barely survived getting this one through high school,” she says, jutting her thumb at Lisa.
“Oh, I wasn’t that bad,” Lisa protests.
“Do we need to share your crazy antics with the group?” Gigi teases, popping her hip and hand out at the same time.
With a laugh, I say, “I’d love to hear these stories, but another time.” Reaching for Scottie’s hand, I pull her toward her house.
Gigi calls out to us before we get too far, “I’d tell you two to use protection, but it seems kind of redundant now!”
Scottie groans and I stifle my laughter, leading her to her front door. “I can’t even apologize for her anymore.”
“It’s fine,” I say, not wanting to dwell on her family because she and I are the only thing I plan to focus on this weekend. “Are you all packed?”
“Yes. My bags are inside. I just need to use the bathroom and then we can go,” she says, opening the front door and leading the way inside.
“I’ll grab your stuff.”
“And I’m just warning you, Grady,” she says, pulling my attention to her as she rubs her stomach. “This kid likes to eat and put pressure on my bladder, so there might be a few more stops on our journey than you planned.”
“Scottie, I’ll stop a thousand times if you need it, okay?”
Her smile is soft and directed right at me. “Okay.”
I watch her walk down the hallway and then I grab her small suitcase and bag.
I head out to my truck to deposit them in the back seat.
A few minutes later, Scottie emerges, locking the door behind her.
She traipses down the steps over to the passenger side of the truck, where I’m waiting to help her inside.
“I guess chivalry isn’t dead,” she says as I open the door, take her hand in mine, and help her up into the truck.
“Definitely not. But it’s also about the risk of you falling while trying to get in my truck.”
“I’m not a klutz, Grady.”
Brushing her curls from her face, I cup her jaw and direct her gaze to mine.
“Didn’t say you were. I’m just taking extra precautions since the last thing I want is for one slip to jeopardize you or our baby, Scottie.
” She blinks a few times but doesn’t say anything, so I press a quick kiss to her forehead, shut her door, and then round the hood to hop into my seat. “Seat belts on.”
“Yes, Dad.”
“The daddy kink isn’t one I’m interested in, unless it really does it for you. Then I might reconsider.”
She smacks my shoulder as I back out of the driveway and head for the highway, drawing a laugh from me. And as soon as we get on the open road, my pulse returns to normal, even though the clock just started ticking and I still have a lot of work to do.
***
“Bye, bye, bye!” Scottie sings while doing the famous hand movements that accompany the NSYNC song she’s currently torturing me with. “God, I still know all the words all these years later.”
“I can see that,” I grumble before signaling and switching lanes on the highway.
She cackles beside me as she scrolls through her phone for her next choice of punishment. “Okay, I can take a hint. I honestly haven’t listened to boy bands in years, but I had to torture you a bit just for old times’ sake.”
“Hey, if it makes you and the baby happy, then I can handle it.”
Scottie adjusts herself in her seat, selecting a country station that I appreciate wholeheartedly, and then turning toward me.
We’re only an hour into our drive, but already I feel like having her in my passenger seat is the only way I ever want to drive anywhere again.
“You know, it doesn’t have to always be about me and the baby, Grady. ”
“Yes, it does.”
“What about you? What do you want?”
I shoot her a glance over my shoulder, a look that says she knows what I want, and that shuts her up instantly. “Exactly.”
She turns back to face forward and then silence stretches through the cab as we cruise along the highway. After about fifteen minutes, she says, “Are we driving all the way to Coal City today?”
“No. We’re gonna stop in St. Paul, Virginia tonight. I have a hotel room booked and we’ll finish the drive in the morning. I’m sure you’ll want to move instead of sitting for the entire eight-hour drive. I figured we’d want to stretch our legs, get some dinner, and relax a bit.”
“I could have made it the entire trip, Grady. I wish you would have asked.”
Yeah, but if I did, then I wouldn’t have had the excuse to take you to dinner tonight and stay in a hotel room with you.
“It’s okay. I don’t mind. I’m just grateful you agreed to come with me. It gives us time to talk, you know?” I’m also drowning in the scent of her perfume that’s embedding itself in the interior of my truck, which means it’s going to smell like her for weeks. And I’m definitely not complaining.
She clears her throat. “Ah, yes. The parenting advice that you wanted. Well, no time like the present. Ask away, Grady.”
I nod, checking the navigation on my dash, making sure I’m not going to miss a turn for a while and then start the first place my mind goes. “Do you want an epidural when you deliver?”
“That’s not about parenting.”
“No, but I still want to know these things. I want to be on the same page going into delivery so we’re not arguing about shit in the hospital and in case something happens, I need to be able to speak for you.”
She lets out a sigh. “I had an epidural with Chase, but I think I might want to try having this one naturally. I guess I’ll know once I get in there and if the pain gets to be too much. It’s been a long time, but I know I’m strong enough to do it without the drugs.”
“I won’t judge you either way. I just want you to be comfortable and safe. You and the baby.” I reach over and place my hand on her stomach, rubbing small circles over our child.
“I felt a kick from the outside the other day,” she says. “That means you might be able to soon.”