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“Nick fucking Bennett! Did he show?”
I swallow slowly, realizing my brother set me up. “You knew it was him?”
“Of course, I knew it was him.”
“You didn’t think to warn me?”
“Hell no! Why would I do that?”
“Why wouldn’t you warn me?”
“Warn you? Are you crazy?”
“What are you talking about?” I screech, surprising myself at the outburst.
“You never could hide much, Grace. I knew there was a guy. I just didn’t know who until shortly after Grandma died. You did a terrible job disguising your crush. ”
“You’re wrong! There was no guy, no crush. You imagined it.” My lies sound pathetic and weak. Suddenly, I regret all those games I watched with Logan.
“Really, is that why you took a sudden interest in Miami Football after Nick Bennett was drafted?”
“Once again, you’re imagining it.” I flick my hand in the air, waving him off.
We stare at each other for a few seconds, and he starts to laugh, his stomach shaking until he bends over to hold himself. I try to remain aggravated, but the sound is infectious and I giggle along with him.
“God, it’s great to have you here. I forgot how much fun it is to tease you.”
“And I almost forgot what a jerk you can be.”
His hand covers his heart where he grips it dramatically, feigning hurt. Then his face grows serious. “It’s okay for you to have your own life now, Grace. You’ve earned it. Grandpa’s okay, Mom and Dad are okay, and our hometown is running smoothly. You did what you needed to do. Now, it’s time to live for you. If Nick Bennett makes you happy, go for him.”
I wait for the suffocating guilt to claw at me, but it doesn’t happen. Instead, I feel happy… and maybe a bit confused.
“But just because we laughed doesn’t mean you’re off the hook. You should have warned me.”
“Did he show?”
“Yes, he was here.”
“Spill.” He stands upright and gives me ‘the look’.
“First, explain yourself.”
He sighs and walks around to the other side of the table to sit. “I worked hard to get the Foundation Dinner gig, not only for the prestige but also because of you.”
“Why in the world?”
“I mentioned I knew you had a secret crush, but what I didn’t say is it was Mom who tipped me off. She told me you met a boy and had a date. She was so excited, but then Grandma died and everything went chaotic. I wanted to ask you about him, but the time never seemed right until I saw your phone one night. Then things fell into place when we went to clean out your apartment, and your roommate said Nick Bennett stopped by to see if you were okay. The look on your face said it all. You had a massive crush on the school football star.”
“That was a long time ago. Things have changed.”
“Well, I took matters into my own hands. When the opportunity arose, I wanted to put you in the same room with him, to see what would happen. Never did I expect to find what I saw the next day. I thought it was a little infatuation, but when you walked in here on Monday, I knew. You were completely tweaked.”
My face blazes with heat. I was sure I’d done a great job of masking my feelings.
“Then fate stepped in. When I answered a call from a Crenshaw Bennett on Wednesday requesting a private appointment with Grace Monroe, I knew. Everyone who follows Miami football is familiar with Shaw Bennett. Not to mention, caller ID gave the name of the agency. I scheduled the appointment, hoping my instincts were right.”
“Once again, why did you keep it from me?”
