Chapter 19
Cricket
“So you know . . .” Savvy starts, handing me her phone. “I approve of him.”
I work through a few word search options with no luck, but ask, “Who?”
“Nice try,” she says with a laugh. “He’s cute. Just like I said the first time you saw him.”
No point playing dumb when she saw more than she probably wanted of me and Griffin this afternoon.
“I’m glad you approve, but don’t get too ahead of yourself.
No matchmaking.” I glance at her next to me.
“No leaving me to hitch a ride from him tonight. No setups at all.” As I try a few new words and am victorious with the word crawl, I add, “Please let things happen organically. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. ” I hand the phone back to her.
She looks at the progress of the game we’re playing, then back at me. “And if it doesn’t, are you still going to tell him about Jacob?”
My breath stops hard in my throat before I can exhale.
In the dark of the back seat of the car we hired to drive us to Whiskey’s Bar tonight, I can barely make out her features, other than the little light drifting in through the windows.
The gas station lights are blinding for two seconds as we pass.
When my eyes adjust to the dimness of the vehicle, I whisper, “I told him about Jacob, Sav. This afternoon.”
“You know what I mean.”
I lick my lips as my heart starts thumping. “I’m not following.” Fine, I wasn’t going to play dumb, but I feel forced into a corner, and it’s all I can think to do to protect the secret I’ve been keeping from her about Griffin.
She angles her back against the car door, knocking her knees into mine. “I’m not trying to put you on the spot or upset you. But we both know he’s Jacob’s father. You basically copied and pasted that kid straight from his dad.”
I catch the driver’s eyes on us in the rearview mirror. Readjusting for more privacy, I face my cousin and lower my voice even more. “What makes you so sure?”
“First, you’re not denying it. Second, I wasn’t that drunk in Costa Rica. You were.”
I try for indifference when I reply, “I knew what I was doing.”
“I’m the last one to judge. We’ve both had plenty of good times in our lives. Some of those times, we made a pact to go to the grave with those stories. But this isn’t the same as going topless our senior year of college at the Paldino’s private pool in Vegas.”
The way she can recall events in an instant is impressive, but also a tactic to take me down. The traitor. “Do you remember everything?”
Shaking her head, she says, “No, but I remember him. Hard to forget. I’d imagine it’s tougher for you since you got a parting gift before he left.
” Leaning forward, she glances through the windshield.
“I also saw him leaving your room the next day. The man is a giant, and if I must admit, which I feel strongly that I do, he’s gorgeous.
He’s hard to miss all around, which is probably what drew you to him in the first place. ”
“It did,” I confess too quickly, but I don’t need to lie to her.
“The moment I saw him, I was tripping over myself to meet him. And maybe a few too strong margaritas played a part as well.” Pointing my finger at her, I add, “But I didn’t really drink after that, so I was sobering up all night with him. ”
She throws her hand up with her clutch in it. “Again, I’m not judging. But even I saw him enough back then to recognize him on the team now. So I know you did.”
The red sign in the middle of nowhere shines like a beacon around these parts.
Want a good time? Go to Whiskey’s.
Rough day? Go to Whiskey’s.
What’s not to love about strong drinks, fried food, bar games, and live music to dance to? Nothing. That was how I knew it would be the perfect place to meet up. “If you knew all along, why didn’t you say something sooner?”
“Because this was the one time,” she says, reaching over to rub my arm, “I knew you needed to figure it out on your own. I can’t tell you what to do or force you to do anything.
Trust me, I’ve tried over the years.” She gives a glimmer of a smile, which I find reassuring.
I know my cousin only wants the best for me, as I do for her.
Despite all of our family issues, we can always rely on each other.
“Admittedly, I’ve been stubborn in the past.” Holding my hands up in surrender, I say, “Guilty as charged.”
“The past is the past, but you usually do play it safe.”
“I have to because of Jacob.”
“I know. I just wanted to note the only time you seem to cut loose is with Griffin. Tonight, you’re going out on a whim like you did in Costa Rica. Something about him has you tossing caution to the wind.”
“I’m being careless, which isn’t good, and I know it’s fast, but Griffin isn’t like anyone else I’ve ever met.
I like him. A lot. And you know what? He likes me a lot, too, and isn’t afraid to show it.
” I lean my head back, smiling at the image of him that pops into my head.
Rolling my head to the side, I say, “I thought he was arrogant. Well, he is, but I find his confidence so attractive. It’s not just in baseball or whatever.
He’s confident in me. He sees me for the woman I’ve wanted my family to see for years and haven’t.
He makes me feel . . .” I almost feel dumb for saying it, but I do anyway.
“Invincible.” I take a breath, and say, “Sexy. Smart. Beautiful. Responsible. And lovable. Not in the teddy bear kind of way, but that he could love me for who I am. It’s an aphrodisiac, Savvy. ”
“I need to break up with Blake.”
“What?” I sit up and stare at her. “What are you talking about?”
She sighs, glancing out the window as the car pulls into the gravel parking lot. I hear the pop of rocks under the tires as the driver drives us to the front. “He doesn’t see me as any of those things. Most of the time, I don’t think he sees me at all.”
I’m left stunned. I lift my jaw back up and say, “I’m sorry. I . . .” It’s ridiculous that I’ve had all this attention when she’s been going through so much. “You deserve better.”
“I’m starting to realize that.” Her gaze returns to mine, and she says, “He’s supposed to be here tonight. I asked him to come.”
“You should talk to him and tell him your real feelings.”
“Probably. Either way it goes down, I’ll get an answer.” The car stops.
The driver says, “We’re here, ladies. Make sure to call me if you need a ride home.”
“Thank you.” I open the door and slip out, reaching in to grab my hat from where it was set between us.
I put on the dark brown felted cowboy hat as the pièce de résistance to my outfit.
My brown leather boots reach just under my knee and have seen everything from countless rodeos to twirling around the dance floor more than a few times.
The white skirt with eyelet trim is Savvy’s, but she insisted, and since I fell in love with it, it was an easy decision.
The denim vest exposes my midriff but hugs my chest just right.
I hope Griffin likes my outfit.
Savvy tips him on the app, then slides across the seat to get out next to me.
When she shuts the door, she pulls on her own hat and catches my arm before we go in.
“Just remember that falling fast doesn’t mean it’s not real.
You both know what you’re doing and are both on board, so if he makes you happy, I’m happy for you.
” Her head bobbles as laughter trickles from her.
“It’s like watching destiny play out in a fairy tale right before my eyes.
It’s romantic that you’re meeting for real this time around instead of only for a roll in the hay. ”
“Trust me, no hay was involved.” I laugh too as we walk to the front entrance of Whiskey’s. I may have gotten her approval, but it’s her support that means the most to me. Heaven knows my parents aren’t going to be happy. “Thousand thread count sheets were, though.”
“Okay, that’s too much.” After grabbing the handle, she tugs the door open while laughing.
Holding it open for me, she says, “You don’t have to listen to a word I say.
But you do need to consider all angles of this situation, including Jacob’s.
” She’s not wrong, but would I be if I just had fun tonight?
There’s always tomorrow to face reality.
The music filters out through the open door, the lights shining into the darkness around us. “Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.” I walk into a busy Friday night. The volume of conversations being had from as far back in the corner where some guys play darts to the closer end of the bar to us almost drowns out the music. The band plays on the backstage as couples two-step their way around the dance floor.
If we wanted a drink, it would be hard to figure out where to even squeeze in to place an order.
But a drink is a priority to calm the nervous energy overtaking me.
I’m both excited and anxious about seeing Griffin again.
I do like him, but so much still lies unsaid between us.
What happens when it all comes to light? Will he still like me, then?
I sidle up between two guys talking to other people and wait for the bartender’s attention. Savvy stands close. But then I hear, “What are you drinking?”
I turn to see it’s not my cousin at all.
A black cowboy hat shadows Griffin’s face, but those blue eyes pierce, setting my heart on fire and my pulse to quicken beyond my control.
The smile he seems to save only for me touches his lips, and he stands so close there’s no mistaking we’re together.
Even if we’re not, technically, we are tonight.
“I’m thinking about tequila.”
When his hand slides across the bare skin of my back, he dips his fingertips under the hem of the denim vest. Shaking his head, he chuckles. “Nothing good happens when tequila is involved.”
“I drank a lot of it the night I met you in Costa Rica.”
“Okay, so some good things happen.” He tips the brim of my hat up before he leans down to kiss me.
Licking his lips once he pulls back, he whispers, “You’ve never looked sexier, Little Chirp.
” He wavers his head but then smiles again.
“Except when you were wearing my hat in that bed. I can’t choose which I like better. ”
I slide my hand down the front of the pearl snaps on his western shirt, stopping just before I hit his hard as Rocky Mountains abs. “Good thing you don’t have to. You can have both tonight.” Am I jumping five steps ahead? Yep. Do I care when I’m close to him like this? Absolutely not.
“Don’t write checks you can’t cash, sweetheart.”
“I can cash it, alright.” God, I feel inspired and beautiful when he looks at me like he is now, like I’m the golden ticket he found in a Willy Wonka candy bar.
“But I’m starting to wonder if you can handle a windfall.
” I drag a finger up his chest, neck, and flick the tip off that sexy, scruffy chin of his. “It’s like winning the lottery.”
The heat from his hands sears my hips as he pulls me close, my middle tight against his.
Breath rushes from my lungs when he tilts my head up with his fingers.
“You’re telling me.” His eyes spark with desire, causing butterflies to flutter to life in my stomach.
Leaning down, he kisses me. This time just as quick, but only so he can hold his hand up for the bartender. “Two tequila shots, please.”