I’ll try to talk to her if I can get her alone.”
Stephanie scoffed, relieved to be back on more familiar ground with him.
“What?”
“I don’t get how you managed to write such a beautiful movie about love when you’re so clueless about women.”
“I am
not
clueless about women.”
“What would you call it, sport?”
“My exposure has been somewhat…limited. That’s all.”
Stephanie’s mouth fell open. “So she’s the only one you’ve ever, you know…”
The squeak of the bench seat indicated he was squirming over there. “Until last night.”
“Oh my God! Just
me and her
? That’s
it
?”
“So what? I’ve been with her since high school.”
His use of the present tense was a disturbing reminder that despite what had happened between them, he’d yet to move on from his relationship with Abby. “I hate to break it to you, but you’re not
with
her anymore.”
“Thanks for the reminder. That really helps.”
“You haven’t had any luck getting her to talk to you before now, so what makes you think she’ll be any friendlier toward you tonight?”
“Cal won’t be hanging all over her like a dog in heat.”
Stephanie couldn’t help the laugh that rang through the small space. “You’re seriously messed up, you know that?”
“So you’ve told me. Often.”
“The way I see it, desperate times call for desperate measures.” A pain beneath her ribs was the only warning Stephanie had that she was about to make a very stupid move. “You need to make her as jealous as you’ve been since you saw her with Cal.”
“And how do you propose I do that?”
“You know.”
“What do I know?”
Stephanie left the question to linger in the air between them.
And then he let out a ringing laugh that hurt her feelings despite her best intention to remain removed from the surreal proceedings. She wanted to believe her outrageous idea had nothing to do with wanting to spend more time with him. Of course it didn’t. That would be a fool’s errand, and she’d prided herself on never playing the fool. Until she met Grant McCarthy, that was.
“You’re suggesting I
officially
use you to make her jealous?”
She did her best to keep her tone nonchalant. “Have you got a better idea or a more ready candidate?”
“Actually, I don’t.”
“You can thank me later.”
“Don’t get all smug just yet. You haven’t actually
done
anything.”
“What do you want me to do?” she asked, reaching over to run a hand up his leg suggestively.
The sharp breath he sucked in as he grabbed her hand to stop her startled them both. She pulled back her hand as if she’d been scalded. In that moment, Stephanie realized two things—one, despite his supposed indifference toward her, he wanted her, and two, she wanted him, too.
Chapter 7
The yard was full of cars when they arrived at Mac’s. Grant scanned the vehicles for Abby’s car and saw it tucked between Joe’s company truck and his mother’s yellow VW bug. “She’s here.”
“You knew she would be as one of Janey’s bridesmaids. Who was the other one? I never did get her name.”
“Our cousin Laura. She just got married herself a couple of months ago.”
“So what’s the plan, Stan?”
“How should I know? Just play it cool, I guess.”
“Cool. Okay. Does that mean play it like we’re together, play it like we’re hanging out, play it like we’re burning up the sheets? What’s your pleasure?”
Grant swallowed hard as her words had a predictable effect on him. Why was it that even the sound of her snarky voice could turn him on? Something was wrong with him. There was no other possible explanation for the way he kept reacting to someone who grated on his nerves the way she did.
“I guess the second one. Hanging out.”
“Does that entail touching or subtle flirting or innuendo?”
“I can’t even see your face, and I can tell you’re enjoying this.”
“I am not! I just want to understand my
Stephanie scoffed, relieved to be back on more familiar ground with him.
“What?”
“I don’t get how you managed to write such a beautiful movie about love when you’re so clueless about women.”
“I am
not
clueless about women.”
“What would you call it, sport?”
“My exposure has been somewhat…limited. That’s all.”
Stephanie’s mouth fell open. “So she’s the only one you’ve ever, you know…”
The squeak of the bench seat indicated he was squirming over there. “Until last night.”
“Oh my God! Just
me and her
? That’s
it
?”
“So what? I’ve been with her since high school.”
His use of the present tense was a disturbing reminder that despite what had happened between them, he’d yet to move on from his relationship with Abby. “I hate to break it to you, but you’re not
with
her anymore.”
“Thanks for the reminder. That really helps.”
“You haven’t had any luck getting her to talk to you before now, so what makes you think she’ll be any friendlier toward you tonight?”
“Cal won’t be hanging all over her like a dog in heat.”
Stephanie couldn’t help the laugh that rang through the small space. “You’re seriously messed up, you know that?”
“So you’ve told me. Often.”
“The way I see it, desperate times call for desperate measures.” A pain beneath her ribs was the only warning Stephanie had that she was about to make a very stupid move. “You need to make her as jealous as you’ve been since you saw her with Cal.”
“And how do you propose I do that?”
“You know.”
“What do I know?”
Stephanie left the question to linger in the air between them.
And then he let out a ringing laugh that hurt her feelings despite her best intention to remain removed from the surreal proceedings. She wanted to believe her outrageous idea had nothing to do with wanting to spend more time with him. Of course it didn’t. That would be a fool’s errand, and she’d prided herself on never playing the fool. Until she met Grant McCarthy, that was.
“You’re suggesting I
officially
use you to make her jealous?”
She did her best to keep her tone nonchalant. “Have you got a better idea or a more ready candidate?”
“Actually, I don’t.”
“You can thank me later.”
“Don’t get all smug just yet. You haven’t actually
done
anything.”
“What do you want me to do?” she asked, reaching over to run a hand up his leg suggestively.
The sharp breath he sucked in as he grabbed her hand to stop her startled them both. She pulled back her hand as if she’d been scalded. In that moment, Stephanie realized two things—one, despite his supposed indifference toward her, he wanted her, and two, she wanted him, too.
Chapter 7
The yard was full of cars when they arrived at Mac’s. Grant scanned the vehicles for Abby’s car and saw it tucked between Joe’s company truck and his mother’s yellow VW bug. “She’s here.”
“You knew she would be as one of Janey’s bridesmaids. Who was the other one? I never did get her name.”
“Our cousin Laura. She just got married herself a couple of months ago.”
“So what’s the plan, Stan?”
“How should I know? Just play it cool, I guess.”
“Cool. Okay. Does that mean play it like we’re together, play it like we’re hanging out, play it like we’re burning up the sheets? What’s your pleasure?”
Grant swallowed hard as her words had a predictable effect on him. Why was it that even the sound of her snarky voice could turn him on? Something was wrong with him. There was no other possible explanation for the way he kept reacting to someone who grated on his nerves the way she did.
“I guess the second one. Hanging out.”
“Does that entail touching or subtle flirting or innuendo?”
“I can’t even see your face, and I can tell you’re enjoying this.”
“I am not! I just want to understand my
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