“What are you doing?” I groaned. “Aidan was more help with his ‘I used to be in love with you’ story. I do not need hope where it pertains to Logan MacLeod.”
“Ugh. Being in love makes you a grumpy cow.”
I glowered even though she couldn’t see me. “You owe me for keeping Aidan’s feelings a secret. I’ll let you know when I think of something for you to do to make it up to me, but right now I’m getting off the phone before I kill you.”
“And how, might I ask, would you kill me down a phone line?”
“The power of wishful thinking.” I hung up on her and threw my phone on my counter. “I need to get more pessimistic friends,” I muttered.
The following Saturday evening I let Maia into my flat. She grinned at me and then turned to smile at her father, who was hovering in my front doorway rather awkwardly.
“Thanks again for doing this,” he said, referring to the fact that Maia was staying with me for the night because he had to work at the club for some big deejay event.
“Of course.”
We stared at each other – me trying to think of something to say next and him probably trying to think of a polite way to get out of having to say anything else.
“I hope you have a great event.”
“Thanks. You too. I mean… do you have anything fun planned for tonight?”
“Oh, aye,” Maia chimed in. “Grace is taking me to get a tattoo, and then we’re going to get high and crash this party she’s been talking about all week.”
I threw her a look. “You’re funny.”
She wriggled her eyebrows at me. “I know.”
Smothering my grin, I turned back to Logan, who was smirking at his daughter. “Just make sure you go to Cole for the tattoo.”
Her eyes widened. “Are you serious? I can get a tattoo?”
He cocked his head, his eyes bright with affection. “Of course… when you’re fifty and old enough to know better.”
Maia scowled. “You have a tattoo.”
We all looked at the sword on his arm, and Logan’s face darkened. “You can blame Cole for that one too.” He glanced up into my inquisitive face and gave me a sharp nod. “See you later.” He looked past me to Maia. “Be good.”
I shut the door on his retreating back and followed Maia into my sitting room.
“That was weird,” she mumbled.
I guessed she was referring to Logan’s comment about his tattoo. “Hmm.”
“I mean, what’s going on between you two? That was beyond awkward out there, and it hasn’t escaped my notice that Dad and I don’t have dinner here anymore.”
Until this moment I had assumed we were getting away with it. Why I assumed that when Maia was intelligent and observant, I don’t know. Call it wishful thinking.
“There’s nothing going on.” I walked into the kitchen, hoping that was the end of the matter.
Idiot.
“I don’t believe you.”
“That’s your prerogative,” I said as I picked up the bowls of snacks I’d set out. “Get some of these, please.”
Maia followed me into the sitting room, where I was laying out snacks on the coffee table. Although we weren’t getting tattoos and doing drugs tonight, we did have plans. Shannon had arranged a girls’ night in and had invited Jo, Joss, and a few of their other friends to my place.
“Grace, just tell me one thing.”