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“I hope she enjoys herself, and she’s always welcome to come over.” She lifted one shoulder slightly. “Our families have been friends for years, and since it doesn’t look like any of my brood will ever make me a grandmother, I might try to muscle in on the great-aunt-by-association role with your Ava. If that would be okay?”
Hannah squeezed his hand, and Grady had to chuckle. He might come from a different world, but he understood what Alexandria was saying. And he appreciated it. “Thank you. That’d be wonderful, and I’m sure Ava would love it.”
Jacob put one hand on his shoulder and the other on Hannah’s and nodded at Alexandria. “I believe Ava will be happy to claim you as a great-aunt-by-association. I’ve already claimed my spot as Uncle Jacob, and if you’ll excuse us, we need to get in there and find a seat where she’ll be able to spot us.”
“Of course. In fact, I’ll have Bentley arrange something one evening between Christmas and New Year. It’d be lovely to have you all over.”
“Thanks, Alexandria.” Jacob nodded and steered Grady and Hannah toward the entrance.
Grady looked back at him over his shoulder. “Is she okay?”
“She claims she is, but she doesn’t look well, does she? I know that she’s been under a lot of stress lately. And in case you don’t realize it, you and Ava were just invited into Napa’s inner circle.”
“I figured as much. At first, I thought I was going to be dismissed as a peasant.”
Jacob laughed. “I wouldn’t have put it that way, but I was thinking along the same lines. Alexandria has a good heart, but she can be tough to win over. Now, we can breathe a sigh of relief that we won’t have to deal with any icy disapproval.”
Hannah laughed. “Instead, we’ll have to deal with getting sucked into the DuPont circle. I’m not sure I’m up for that.” She looked at Grady. “Alexandria’s lovely but she can be … intense. I think you’ll like the family, though. We all went to school together.”
Grady nodded, not sure what to make of any of it. He stopped when he spotted Becca Taylor standing alone on the other side of the foyer. “Did you say we’re supposed to meet Becca?”
Hannah grinned as she nodded, and Jacob’s head whipped around.
“We are?” He fixed Hannah with a look that made Grady want to get between them.
Hannah just laughed. “Don’t try and tell me that she’s not part of the reason you’re even here.”
“I’m here for Ava!” Jacob scowled at her, but then he glanced over at Becca again.
Hannah patted his cheek. “Then you shouldn’t mind if we sit with her teacher.”
Grady felt bad for the guy when he saw him swallow. It was weird to seetheJacob Jacobs – who the media portrayed as something of a sophisticated ladies’ man, if not outright playboy – suddenly look nervous at the prospect of sitting with a humble schoolteacher. Becca was cool; she was a homegrown Kansas kid. She was nice enough looking but she wasn’t like the women Jacob was so often photographed with.
“You two wait here. I’ll go and get her.”
“Are you okay?” Grady asked Jacob as Hannah walked away.
“Yes. I’m fine. I …” He glanced over at Becca again, who was now talking to Hannah. “Shit, Grady!”
Grady couldn’t help laughing. “Sorry, dude. I shouldn’t laugh. But I’m here for you. Whatever you need. If you want me to shut up and butt out, I can do that, too.”
Jacob rolled his eyes and blew out a sigh. “This is ridiculous, Grady! Why? What is it about the woman? Is it because she’s an elementary school teacher that I turn into a bumbling teenager around her?”
“I doubt that’s it.”
Jacob shook his head. “I … I don’t even know how to put it, but I don’t usually have any issues with women. They like me. I like them. I can usually…”
“Dude, I know! You don’t need to tell me. Unless your reputation is something you hired a PR company to spin.”
Jacob let out a short laugh. “No. I’ve hired a few to suppress stories over the years, but not to enhance my reputation.”
“Yeah. I didn’t think so. So, if your reaction to Becca is so unusual for you, and not to put too fine a point on it, but she’s not exactly your usual type, maybe it’s all pointing to the potential for something other than the usual to happen between the two of you.”
Jacob nodded. “That’s what scares me.”
Grady gripped his shoulder as Hannah and Becca approached. “It used to scare the shit out of me, too. But believe me, when it’s right, it’s the best thing in the world.”
Jacob turned and smiled at him. “I was hoping that you felt that way.”
