AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She held up her hands and shrugged. “I had to try, for the sake of you and Grant.”
“And I’m happy to have a friend who cares so much, but I’m looking out for my heart this time. Not his.”
“You say that now, but you’ll change your mind.” Mara stared me down as she handed me the box of pastries. “You’re like me, hardheaded and determined to do everything the hard way.”
“Thanks ladies, but really, I have plenty of pastries to plow through before the day is over. Have a good day.” I grabbed the box and rushed from the bakery and ran right into the last person I wanted to see today. “Grant. Mariana. Hey.”
“Hi Brenna!” Mariana bounced on her toes and smiled up at me with a wave. “Whatcha got in there?”
“A little of this and a little of that. Where are you going looking so colorful?” She had on a rainbow hoodie, blue jeans and hot pink sneakers, and she was adorable.
“We’re going to the Book Festival and my dad said I could get five books as long as I promised to read them all!”
“Wow, five whole books? You’re gonna be the smartest girl in the whole dang town!”
“Maybe,” she said and took my hand in hers, so easy and trusting, the way only kids can trust. “You wanna come with us? It’s alright isn’t it, Dad?”
Grant blinked, looking dumbfounded by Mariana’s question. “Uh, well I guess that depends on Brenna.”
It was the perfect out. “Sorry, I have a bunch of house stuff to catch up on today but you two have fun.” Grant didn’t want me there any more than I wanted to be and besides all that, my pastries were getting cold. “If you see anything on new hairstyling techniques, think of me, will ya?”
Mari pouted and I already felt myself cracking. “But Brenna, I haven’t seen you in forever. Forever,” she added with emphasis.
“Forever? I seem to recall you skipped school just a few days ago and scared the bejeezus out of your daddy.”
“Okay fine, not forever, but it feels like a long time because I lost phone privileges for everyone but Auntie Luna. Say yes, please? Yes! Yes? Yes.” Her expression changed with every new way she said the word, almost teasing a smile out of me. “Brenna.”
“Okay, fine you little stinker. Let me go put my now ice cold pastries in the car and then I’ll meet you guys by the entrance.” Maybe they’d get so wrapped up in books they wouldn’t notice if I never showed up.
“We can wait here, can’t we Dad?”
Grant’s lips twitched as if he knew what I was doing, and for good measure he folded those sculpted arms across his chest just to make sure I knew he would offer no help. “Sure, we can wait. As long as it takes.”
I arched a brow at them both. “Glad to see you two are already rubbing off on one another. Like father, like daughter.”
Mari’s giggle followed me down the block and when I turned the corner, I slowed down and allowed myself sixty full seconds to get my racing heart under control. There was no way I could spend the day with Grant and Mari, and not want to be part of their newly formed family. It just wasn’t possible, which meant I had to be strong, much stronger than I had ever been when it came to a good-looking man.
I sucked in several deep breaths and let each one out slowly, and all the tension and disappointment I felt about how things had turned out with Grant right along with them. Today was about showing Mariana a good time.
That was all.
“All right. I’m ready.” I squared my shoulders and stood tall, walking like a royal as I joined the twosome in front of the bakery. “Who’s ready to find some cool books?”
“Me!” Mari’s excitement and her nonstop chatter made things a lot easier, keeping the focus off me and Grant and the tension that stood between us like a living, breathing person. “What kind of books do grownups read?”
“Romance and mysteries,” I told her. “Sometimes I like mysteries with a hint of romance.”
“Yuck,” she said with certainty. “Mama loved fairytales, said they were proof that sometimes things did work out in the end.”
“She sounds like a very smart woman,” I told her and gave her shoulder a small squeeze.
“She was really smart.” Sadness crept into her voice and I elbowed grant.
“What?” He mouthed the word silently.
“Say something. Your favorite books,” I mouthed back, punctuating the words with an eyeroll.
“I like sports history books, biographies and mystery books. Sometimes I like to read science fiction, but don’t tell anyone I said that. Either of you.” He pointed at us both, a fake threatening look on his face.
“I won’t tell,” Mari promised and made an ‘x’ over her heart.
