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football. It’s still in the car. Mom made sure.” Bethany saw James’ lower lip quiver as he tried not to cry.
    â€œI’ll tell you what, let’s go out to the car and I’ll sign it for you to keep.” He reached down and lifted James, swinging him up onto his shoulders as they headed for the door. “Duck your head.”
    Grant squatted low so that James wouldn’t come close to the door frame but exaggerated the movement, making James bounce as he popped back up to his full height outside. Her son giggled, forgetting his disappointment, more carefree than she’d seen him since their move, and Bethany wondered why doing the right thing for them both suddenly felt so wrong.

 
    Chapter Five
    G RANT ARRIVED AT his parents’ house, far earlier than he’d planned on returning, to find three extra vehicles parked in the driveway. That meant the entire family was still here for dinner. Well, everyone but Linc since he was on the road touring with his band now. He sighed and rolled his shoulders, trying to work out some of the tension.
    It was loud and rambunctious when he entered the kitchen, sounding more like a circus than a family get-­together. Knowing better than to try to sneak past the McQuaid clan, he walked directly into the kitchen and grabbed a beer from the refrigerator.
    â€œHey, you’re home early,” Jackson pointed out. “Thought you had a hot date.”
    Grant shot his brother a withering scowl. The last thing he wanted was to discuss the way he’d crashed and burned tonight, especially when his brother had predicted it. For the life of him, he couldn’t see why Bethany had run out of the pizza place like her ass was on fire. And she hadn’t just been tense, she’d been pissed, but he had no clue what he’d done to cause it.
    â€œOh, hot date? Anyone I know?” His sister, Maddie, wiggled her eyebrows at him as he popped the top off his beer, tossing the cap onto the counter.
    â€œGarbage,” his mother ordered without even looking up.
    Grant picked up the cap and took it to the can in the pantry, hoping the brief pause would be enough for someone to change the subject, but Jackson didn’t seem inclined to let that happen.
    â€œProbably.” Jackson grinned now that the entire family was listening. “Pretty brunette, rockin’ curves.”
    Maddie rolled her eyes. “Yeah, that helps a lot. Thanks for narrowing it down to half the females in town.”
    Grant glared at his youngest brother. “Bethany. She has a little boy, James.”
    â€œOh!” Maddie exclaimed. “Bethany Mills. I’ve been working with James since they moved to town last summer.” She laughed. “That explains why you’re home early.”
    â€œWhat does that mean?” Jefferson, Jackson’s identical twin, had suddenly taken interest in the conversation now that it might involve their oldest brother’s humiliation.
    â€œIt means she doesn’t date. Trust me, Grant—­give up on this one. I’ve tried,” his brother Ben warned. Six pairs of eyes rounded on Ben. It was well-­known that Ben hadn’t dated since his last relationship had ended badly over a year ago. Really badly.
    â€œWhat? The fire chief had three of us do a presentation at the school, and after the kids headed out for recess, I asked her out for coffee. She shot me down so fast I barely got the words out.” He turned toward his sister. “I thought women couldn’t resist a guy in uniform.”
    â€œMost of us don’t have any problems,” Andrew laughed. “I don’t get turned down nearly as often as you do.”
    It was a constant playful battleground between the two since one was a fireman and the other a police officer. It didn’t help that the town held the annual Red versus Blue Football Game each year around Thanksgiving to raise funds for the local homeless