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"So, does this mean that if I invite you on date number three, you'll say 'yes'? Are you brave enough to risk the betting pool?"
"Yes." Eve groaned, shaking her head. "There I go, being impulsive again."
"I think I like it," I said, adding a grin.
"You say thatnow. Just wait. Going hard on things gets me in over my head more often than not."
"Tiger, is that your way of saying you've lost your head over me?" I crooned, feeling lighter now that I'd confirmed my feelings weren't one-sided.
"Youwish.”
Something about the way she said it, the pout on her pretty mouth, left me with a broad grin as she slipped out of my car. Eve may still be a little conflicted, but she was into me.
Chapter 9
Eve
OnceIreachedthesafety of my apartment, I leaned back against my front door, hugging myself. The stupid grin on my face wouldn't go away, no matter how I tried to scold myself for agreeing so easily to another date with Brady.
He’d gone from hot and cold to confessing his feelings for me lightning-fast. Part of me couldn’t believe his admission, but I also couldn’t deny that he made my heart race. He had me dreaming of a future that held more than raw independence, small business domination, and a friend group I’d die for. From the beginning, he’d had me fooled into thinking he wasn’t interested. For once, it was nice to be wrong. Brady had been hiding a crush of his own behind his stern disapproval.
The man was growing on me. Kinda like a fungus. I slapped a hand to my forehead, dragging it down my face. Now the dratted man hadmemaking corny jokes.
Serious and persnickety Brady could be annoying, but I accepted that as school principal he had a lot of responsibility and had to command respect from students and parents alike. Privately, Brady was another matter. Sweet, surprisingly silly, and yet wickedly domineering in a way that made me wet just thinking about kissing him in his kitchen.
For the first time in memory, I'd felt safe letting go. Brady's combination of daring and confidence had been sexy as hell. But the incongruity between the face he showed the town and the person he was with me was enough to make me doubt my judgement. I'd been fooled by a two-faced man before. But giving Brady the benefit of the doubt felt right. I snorted softly. That was one-hundred percent my hormones talking. See,impulsive. Listening to my body, not my brain. Logically, Brady was still a colleague for a few more weeks. He was also one of Gwen's best friends and on the short list of eligible bachelors in Campfire. Crashing and burning with him would make things awkward around town forever.
I shivered. Running into him constantly if we dated and it didn't work out would suck. Like getting my heart ripped out over and over on repeat. But something about him drove me forward. Did that make me stupid or brave?
It wasn't even like we could hide our relationship. Not with the Nosy Nellies in Campfire on the case. His mention of the betting ring only cemented my earlier impression that Campfire was full of busybodies. Not the end of the world, but also a royal pain in the ass if you were trying to test the waters romantically without your neighbors placing bets on your chances of success.
I'd thought moving to Campfire would offer me anonymity. What I'd found was community. And as much as I loved my support network and valued Gwen, Sophie, Jo, and Izzy, I'd also seen the way a group could turn into an angry mob with very few facts to back them up. You only needed 'whore' scratched in your car once to learn that painful lesson. While my friends would hear me out, to the rest of the town Brady would always be the golden son and me the outsider. For now, Fierce Ink was doing well. I couldn't afford to burn my good will in town and start over again somewhere else. I liked the life I'd built in Campfire, even if it was lonely at times.
I bit my lip, debating texting Brady, calling off seeing him again.
But there was the rub: I couldn't. I'd see him over and over at play practice. There was no escape. Even if I bailed now, hid like a coward, he'd wear me down, just by being Brady.
Firming my chin, I pushed away from my door, slipping out of my clothes and into pajamas before grabbing my laptop.
I wouldn't run. I wouldn't hide. The only thing to do was face my feelings for Brady head-on, and see where they led.
Whatever the fallout, I'd survive. I'd done it before.But that wasn't with Brady.
Shaking away my misgivings, I focused instead on remembering our kiss in his kitchen. The man had skills. The way his strong fingers had dug into my ass, urging me closer while we kissed, left me barely remembering my own name, let alone any objections to being with him. We could be amazing together. That was the thought I had to hold onto, cling to, while we figured things out.
Planning for the end was no way to make a new beginning.
I settled in to work, putting the finishing touches on a logo for a new restaurant opening in Spokane before checking my email.Jackpot. The printers had shipped my snarky homage to Brady's signature phrase:It's a great day to be a Grizzly.Grinning, I checked the tracking link. I couldn't wait to execute my petty little revenge. Brady was about to learn that I hadn't been joking with my threats. You absolutely shouldn't screw with an artist who knows Photoshop.
***
On Thursday, my first client was Matty Gleason. I unlocked the front door to Fierce Ink, welcoming her with a smile.
"Good morning, Mrs. Gleason."
She gathered me in a lavender-scented hug, giving me a tight squeeze.
"Call me Matty, dear. I feel I owe you one."
