Grace licked her lips and ignored the stares of those around her walking by. “This isn’t appropriate, Dameon.”
He paused, and she knew she’d let her true feelings be known. “Maybe not. But it is.”
This conversation needed to end. He was doing a very good job of getting things out of her she didn’t want revealed. “I have somewhere to be, Mr. Locke. Why don’t you try calling during business hours, since that’s the context in which I know you.”
That husky voice rumbled when he laughed.
It was the first time she’d heard it, and it made quite a dent in her belly. “Okay, Grace. I’ll call you on Monday.”
“That’s better.”
“I’ll talk to you then,” he said.
“Not on a Facebook phone line.”
“I’ll call your office.”
“Good.”
He laughed a second time. “Good night.”
Why did that sound personal? Like something a lover would say sheepishly over the phone.
“Good evening,” she said instead.
Even as he hung up, he was chuckling.
Five minutes later, she exited the store with a half-broken overpriced candle and the desire for two pillows she couldn’t afford.
“It’s called practice,” Grace told Erin as she tugged on a pair of bowling alley–issued shoes.
Around them, lanes were filled with families and couples and even a few single bowlers who were obviously born for the sport.
“Our league doesn’t start until January.”
Grace had talked her brothers and their significant others into joining a league. Because there were an uneven number of them, they decided to have the girls on one team, and the boys on another. Matt was trying to convince one of his friends to join their team, but if he didn’t succeed, they’d do without and use a blind player score.
“I know.” Grace plopped her foot down on the ground and stood in her awkward shoes. “But I like to win. Or at least beat my brothers.”
“Then you probably should have invited someone else to be on your team. The last time I bowled had to be at a birthday party when I was ten.”
Grace moved to where the house bowling balls sat and started sifting through them. “There’s a thing called a handicap.” For the next ten minutes, Grace explained how league bowling worked so that everyone had a chance to win. Obviously, the better bowler you were, the chances of you winning increased so long as your team improved as the weeks went on.
“. . . and if nothing else, we have happy hour somewhere else while getting some exercise,” Grace concluded.
“I’m just happy to be out.” Erin had spent the greater part of the last two years of her life hiding from her past. In doing so, she isolated herself from social situations. Despite her best efforts, her abusive ex-husband had found her and attempted to end her life. The man damn near succeeded, but in the end, it was her ex that found himself on the wrong end of a gun. Unfortunately, it was Erin who had squeezed the trigger. She was in therapy and working through her demons. Thankfully, she had Matt at her side.
Grace loved her brothers. Matt was one of the good guys.
When Erin’s therapist had suggested she join social clubs to keep busy and find where she fit in her new world, Grace had suggested bowling.
Everyone jumped at it.
While the clock ticked down their five minutes of practice before they started their game, Grace picked up her ball and pictured where she wanted it to land on the lane.
“You were in a league before?” Erin asked as the ball left Grace’s hand.
Five pins fell.
Grace rolled her shoulders and stood aside for Erin to practice while the pins were reloaded.
“In college. I played for two seasons. Even came away with a third place trophy.”
Erin’s ball ended up in the gutter. “Ugh.”
“It’s okay. We’re just starting.”
Grace stepped up again, lifted the ball to her chest, and remembered some of her tricks. Palm up. This time the ball hit the head pin and knocked down nine of them.
Erin’s turn had three pins falling over.
“The guys are going to depend on muscle. We’re going to out skill them.” Grace shifted her feet a tiny bit to the left and aimed for the right side of the head pin.
When all ten pins fell with a satisfying roar, she did a little happy dance. “Sweet.”
Erin smiled. “I’m glad I’m on your team.”
“I love besting my brothers.”
“Looks like you’re off to a good start,” Erin said.
Grace watched while Erin threw the ball. When it ended up in the