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Besides hanging out with him on occasion, she had seemed to hit it off with Juliet. She talked nonstop about how wonderful Juliet was as a boss and a person, and Juliet rattled off the same tune about Eve.
“Well, she’s not, you idiot. Instead of doing something, you’re messing things up.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“Melody.” Juliet huffed in his ear so loud he had to pull the phone away. “Why are you going with Melody tonight? You should be taking Eve.”
“I’m not going with Melody.” Griffin pinched the bridge of his nose, forcing the groan that wanted to escape to remain inside. “I don’t know why you think that I am.”
“Bryce said she was.”
Griffin slammed his hand down on his desk. “I told Denise that if Melody wanted to tag along with her that was fine, but I wasn’t picking her up or anything. I don’t know how to be any more clear with those two that I’m not dating Melody.”
“Have you tried actually saying those words to her?”
“Yes, Juliet, I’ve said it. The woman doesn’t give up.” He didn’t even need to clarify which one because both Denise and Melody fit the bill.
“Okay, then you need to ask Eve to go with you.”
He sighed. “You said she’s not a fan of crowds.”
“Griffin, I love you, but you’re so dense sometimes. You like her. I suspect she likes you. Ask the woman out!”
The line went dead.
Great. His sister hung up on him and expected him to do something he told himself not to do.
While he’d be attending the fireworks tonight as a guest rather than on duty, he was still technically on duty. He wouldn’t be able to sit there without roaming the crowd and making sure people behaved. It wasn’t the best time to ask out anyone on a date.
The way things were going between them, he wasn’t ready to ruin anything. He told himself that all the way until his shift ended and he was driving home. He reminded himself of it as he walked to his front door and a few times while he changed. He repeated it one more time before he found himself knocking on Eve’s door.
She opened it wearing a T-shirt with a reindeer on it with the wordsWishing you a Merry Christmasabove the cheery creature. He knew Shannon from the tourist trap store near the cafe gave it to her. Shannon created holiday prints for everyone in town. First one was always on the house. Griffin had at least ten shirts hanging in his closet. Eve would soon join the rest of them by buying too many shirts she didn’t need. Shannon just knew how to reel people in.
For pants, she had on a pair of sweats that looked two sizes too big for her. She looked adorable as hell, and he wished he could spend the night with her instead of a crowd that might get too rowdy. It happened on occasion. Every year was a toss-up whether it would be fun and games, or cuffs and sirens.
“Oh, hi, Grif. Happy Fourth of July.”
She had started using the nickname most people used two weeks ago. He enjoyed hearing it every time she said it. Since her name was already short, he had nothing unique to call her. He was still thinking on it because he’d like a nickname for her.
“I thought I’d swing by and make sure you didn’t want to come. Juliet said you’re not a fan of crowds.”
“No, sorry.” Her gentle smile spoke the truth.
He’d come to learn her facial expressions. The smiles that he knew were fake and she wasn’t necessarily lying to him, but she also wasn’t being completely truthful. The smiles that said she truly loved something or hated it. The smiles that depicted she was enjoying herself or that she was ready to leave. She had a smile for everything, and he knew what each one meant.
“I wish I could stay with you. I’m not a huge fan myself.”
“Really? That surprises me.”
“Well, I guess it depends on the crowd. Fourth of July is a toss-up. Sometimes, it’s great, and other times I have to pull out the handcuffs because some people don’t know how to hold their liquor.”
The worry line he saw every now and again when he spoke about his job appeared. “Be careful tonight.”
“I always am. How about dinner tomorrow? I’ll grill some steaks.”
That beautiful smile he loved the most appeared. The one that bestowed the joy she couldn’t hide.
“I’d like that. I’ll make potato salad.”
