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Sara waved her off. “Yeah, but it’s fine, Grace. Maybe we’re just… taking things slow, but, hey, at least I’ll have a dress if we’re taking is so slowly that he waits until the night before.”
Grace smiled at Tommy’s sister, who’d she been growing closer to than even the other two women lately. But she also considered Sara’s words as a sense of protectiveness creeped in. “Fine, but if he doesn’t ask soon, I might have to have a word with him.”
She laughed, trying to keep the mood light, relieved when Sara laughed too. “Please don’t. I don’t need you playing matchmaker. You’re spending too much time with Joan and Ida.”
“Maybe I’m turning into a meddling old woman, but I’d allow it if it got you a date to the ball…”
“Yeah, well, I don’t think Tommy would like it very much,” Robin said with a quirk of her lips.”
CHAPTER12
Tommy
Tommy leanedagainst the kitchen counter at the inn, nursing a lukewarm coffee, his eyes casually scanning the room. Mrs. P had made a special breakfast and invited their crew over—not that most of them needed an invite since they were always invited themselves to eat in this kitchen. The guests were there too, though most of them opted to sit in the dining room.
Except for Ethan, annoyingly enough. He was a nice guy, but did he have to try to insert himself into their group as if he weren’t just a stranger, passing through?
Though, so was Grace…
His gaze landed on her where she sat between Abby and Ethan in the breakfast nook. They were huddled over her laptop amidst the plates of food, their laughter mingling with all of the other conversations happening at the table around them.
Jack sidled up beside Tommy, following his gaze. "You look a little murderous right, just so you know."
Tommy snorted, his eyes still fixed on the pair. "Bite me."
Jack sipped his coffee, eyebrows raised. "Hmm."
"It's just..."Tommy hesitated, watching Ethan point at something on the screen, causing Grace to nod enthusiastically. "He fits into her world, you know? The whole digital nomad thing. It's their thing."
Jack chuckled, nudging him with his elbow. "So? Does that mean you’d be better off dating a fellow cop? Because I have to say, it’s slim pickings around here, if so."
Tommy gave him a sideways glance. "No, that’s not it. It’s just that I’m… grounded. Here. In Snow Hill."
Jack leaned back, his gaze flickering between Tommy and the pair at the table. "Grounded's not a bad thing, man. It's who you are."
"Yeah, but Grace..." Tommy's voice trailed off as he watched her brush a strand of hair behind her ear, a gesture he'd come to find endearing.
But was she uncomfortable, or was she the kind of nervous that he hopedhemade her when she did that in response to him?
“Don’t leave me hanging,” Jack prodded him.
"She's about exploring. New experiences,” he replied, trying to gather his racing thoughts so he’d start making sense. “That guy can offer her that because he can work from anywhere. The two of them can take off and travel the world without either of them having to make a huge life change just to be together.”
Jack studied him for a moment, then placed his mug on the counter. "You think she's looking for a travel buddy, or something more?"
"I don't know. Maybe both?"
"Look, Tommy, there’s no sense treating this like some kind of puzzle yu can solve. Relationships are messy. Complicated. Look at me and Robin. If she kept thinking she’d rather be with a guy who wasn’t a cop because of her past, we wouldn’t be married with our second kid on the way. We worked through the hard stuff instead of looking for an easy answer.”
Tommy nodded, processing that.
“Besides,” Jack went on, “you’ve got your own pull.”
Tommy tore his gaze away from the cozy scene and looked at Jack. "My own pull?"
Jack grinned, slapping Tommy on the back. "Yeah. Stability. Strength. A sense of home. Not everyone wants to live out of a suitcase, man. Some people crave roots."
Tommy's gaze drifted back to Grace, who was now laughing at something Ethan said. He couldn't help the twinge of jealousy that tugged at him.
