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“Hey, Shorty,” he greets me. “Your Shorty’s Holiday Brew is selling like hotcakes.”
“You’re Shorty of Shorty’s Holiday Brew?” Grayson asks as he steps up behind me.
I scowl. I don’t like people knowing about my little micro-brewery. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not embarrassed. I’m merely not ready for everyone to know is all. I want a chance to figure out what I’m doing with my brewing before I shout about my beer from the rooftops.
“Where’s Phoebe?” I ask instead of answering him.
“Right here,” Phoebe answers as she pants for breath. One look at her hair is all it takes to know why she’s struggling for breath.
“Hey, stud.” I wiggle my eyebrows at Ryker. “Did you switch the security cameras off first?”
Phoebe’s eyes widen to the size of saucers. “Security cameras,” she squeaks.
Ryker pulls her close. “Suzie’s yanking your chain.”
“Thank you for confirming the location of your make-out session.” I clap my hands to get the uncles’ attention. “Who had Ryker’s truck?”
In addition to being pranksters, the uncles are addicted to betting. They bet about anything and everything. And I do mean everything. They even bet about when Hailey and Aiden would have sexy times for the first time, although the bet ended up being a test. I was not amused. Especially since I won!
“Um, Suzie.” Grayson touches my elbow to gain my attention. I quickly snatch my arm back before he can see the goosebumps his touch causes. He raises his hands in surrender. “Sorry. Can we talk?”
Ugh. Do I have to? Grayson and I are just friends. I don’t want to have ‘the talk’ with him. Hell, I don’t want to have ‘the talk’ with any man ever again. But it’s my fault he wants to chat. I befriended him before Christmas and then I was a total beyotch when Pops invited him for our family Christmas lunch. It was an accident! I was surprised. I don’t do well with surprises.
“Fine,” I huff and stomp off to the hallway leading to the restrooms, the only unoccupied floor space in the place.
I lean against the wall and cross my arms over my chest. “What do you want to talk about?” As if I don’t know.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know what I did to piss you off on Christmas day, but I won’t do it again.”
I raise an eyebrow. “If you don’t know what you did, how are you going to not do it again?”
“Maybe you could tell me what I did wrong, then?”
Ugh. I let my head fall back against the wall. It’s me who should be apologizing to him. It’s not his fault I have not-friendly feelings for him. And not-friendly as in Little Susan trembles whenever he’s near.
I can’t blame her, Grayson is one fine specimen of manhood. He’s five-foot-ten with the broadest shoulders I’ve ever seen. I never knew shoulders could be sexy. Let me tell you, they can be. His eyes are the color of whiskey and I do love me some whiskey. And his lips? They look incredibly soft. My lips yearn to touch them and see if they feel as soft as they look. To top it all off, when he smiles, two dimples pop out on his right cheek. Two dimples I want to lick before moving on to lick other naughtier bits of his body.
But I don’t get involved with friends. The whole friends with benefits thing is total and complete bullshit. You can’t have sex with a friend and stay friends. Nope. You either get involved in a relationship – something I do not do – or you ruin the friendship.
“You didn’t do anything wrong,” I finally say when the silence stretches on too long. I’m not the most patient of people. Silence and me are not good friends. “I was a bitch. I apologize.”
He tilts his head to study me. Please don’t ask why I was a bitch. Please don’t ask why I was a bitch. After a moment, he nods and offers me his hand. “Friends?”
“Friends,” I agree, and we shake hands to seal the deal.
Hailey and Phoebe come rushing into the hallway. “What’s going on?”
Hailey shushes me with a finger over her lips before she moves to lean against the wall next to me. Phoebe stands on the other side of me.
A few seconds later, Wally comes strolling by. He gives Grayson a chin lift before proceeding to the restrooms.
“What—”
Hailey lifts a hand and cuts Grayson off. “Wait for it.”
A loud air horn sounds before Wally can be heard cursing up a storm.
“Classic.” Hailey falls into a fit of laughter.
