truth of our relationship is detrimental to your business and will probably get my dad fired from his job, we're destined, Tucker, let's just ignore all the people who are affected by it. Let’s also ignore how crazy I sound."
Grady kicked his foot out and dragged a chair away from the small kitchen table, folding his body down into it and gesturing for me to sit across from him. Our dad's apartment wasn't roomy by any standards, which was why we could hear the television like it was propped up next to us. But at least in here, we had some modicum of privacy, and as that was the hallmark of my life for the last two-ish weeks, I huffed out a breath and sat across from my brother.
"I tell you what, Gracey, I thought this whole thing was horseshit until I saw you go ass over teakettle for him."
I slumped in the chair. "Tell me about it."
Grady studied my face. "So why aren't you happier?"
"I'm happy," I said immediately. "I am. It's hard not to be, because he's so … we're so …" I tried to find the right words. Words that didn't sound crazy.
"Nauseatingly perfect together?" he supplied.
"Yes," I exhaled. "It's the truth, Grady. And it's not like we don't disagree on things. We disagree on a lot. He drives me insane when he drives under the speed limit, but he's never in rush to get anywhere, you know? And he's always so put together! Just once, I want to see him in a dirty shirt or make a mess or burn something he's cooking."
"What a jerk."
I gave him a look. "You know what I mean."
"I really, really don't."
"Fine." I played with the tines on my fork. "It's like … the thing we’re hiding is so amazing that I can accept the need for discretion."
Sort of.
Almost.
So what if all I wanted to do was hold his hand while I sat in his truck, not drive my own vehicle the roundabout way to his house, just in case so-and-so saw me go the direct route.
People survived worse, I constantly reminded myself. At least I had Tucker. I just … wanted to be able to show it.
He shook his head. "And his ex-girlfriend, whoever she is, Flower McWhatever, she's going to blow up people's lives because he moved on?"
I thought about Magnolia, my last sighting of her in the Piggly Wiggly, and smiled at Grady's butchering of her name. "Not her, not really. Her dad struts around Green Valley like a peacock though. I met him a couple of weeks ago and it wasn't an experience that I need to repeat anytime soon."
“And his eyes are shifty. Never trust someone with shifty eyes.”
I narrowed my eyes. “How do you know?”
Grady shrugged. “I met him once too.”
“Where? How come I didn’t hear about this?”
“Beeeecause you were off screwing your secret boyfriend?” he supplied oh-so-helpfully.
My response was a pointed look.
“No sense of humor, geez,” he mumbled. “I don’t know, maybe last week? I was meeting Jethro for a beer and J.T. was there.”
Was my jaw resting on the table? “Who’s Jethro?”
“Jethro Winston? He’s a park ranger. Figured it’d be good to pick his brain about how to make my idea work.”
“And you just … made friends and met him for a beer.”
“Yeah.”
Blink. Blink. “And J.T. was there, and you met him too.”
Grady shrugged. “Unfortunately.” He clucked his tongue, sounding very much like the woman at the Piggly Wiggly. “It’s a nasty business, that’s for sure.”
I rubbed my temples. “What is?”
“J.T.,” he said slowly. “Small town politics. The law firm. Why is this so confusing to you?”
It felt like he started speaking a different language. He had friends. And was meeting people for beers and knew park rangers. He’d been here for less time than I had.
“How do you know all this already?”
“Jethro was filling me in on everything.”
“I’ve never even heard that name before and you’re gossiping with him?”
He gave me a pointed look of his own. “His brother fixed your car, Grace. How do you not know this?”
“I feel like I’ve been dropped into crazy world,” I murmured incredulously. “Is that why you’re being so twitchy about all this? Because you have one conversation with the locals and suddenly you feel like you’re the relationship expert?”
Grady sighed. “I’m not claiming to be an expert in anything. A little insight is always a good thing, especially if it affects my sister, okay? There’s nothing wrong with being worried about you.”
It shouldn’t have