“Now it has the next chapter of my story. I’ll never look at it again without thinking of the way you taste.”
Excuse me while my panties evaporate. I swallowed and tried to get my reaction under control.
“Grayson Masters!” his Mom called from the back of the house.
“Coming, ma’am,” he responded, but his eyes sparkled in a way I hadn’t seen since before the disaster of a party. Maybe kissing him was my best weapon, the key to keeping my Grayson in the world that demanded Gray.
“Your accent isn’t as strong as theirs.”
“My dad’s a northerner. I always tried to emulate him, so I guess mine was never as heavy.”
We walked onto the deck, and my hand tightened reflexively around Grayson’s. The family stood around a perfectly set beach-themed table, and Grayson led me to a set of empty chairs so I’d be sandwiched between him and Mia. He held out my chair and then pushed it in as everyone sat. His dad did the same for his mom.
Chivalry wasn’t dead in North Carolina.
“Sam, you remember my dad, Constance and her fiancé, Bryan”—he skipped two empty chairs—“Mom, and Parker, of course.”
“Hi.” I smiled, waving to everyone, especially Parker. She wasn’t getting the best of me tonight. I needed all my strength to deal with her brother later.
“Who are we missing?” Grayson asked.
“Sorry we’re late!” A couple in their mid-forties came up the porch steps behind us. The woman reminded me of a blond Gillian Anderson and the man looked like someone had permanently pinched a nerve…in his ass.
“Ian, Tess. We’re glad you made it,” Grayson’s dad welcomed them and motioned to the empty chairs. “How is Miranda?”
“A healthy girl! Amberly Grace.” Ian grinned. “We couldn’t be more thrilled.”
“You two should be celebrating.” Connie handed down a bottle of wine.
“Well, we wouldn’t miss a chance to see Gray, would we?” Tess smiled at Grayson as she accepted the bottle.
He nodded to them. “It’s good to see you.”
Maybe they were an aunt and uncle? Grayson took hold of my hand under the table. “Sam, these are the Bowdens. They’re very close friends of my parents and own the house next door.”
“As Grace’s parents,” Parker added with a smile, “they’re family. I figured they’d want to meet you, Sam, so I asked Mom if we could invite them.”
“Of course you’re always invited,” his mom agreed.
My stomach fell twenty feet to the patio below us. Of course Parker invited them. How better to slam it home that I wasn’t wanted in his life? Like today’s reminder hadn’t been enough? Grace was ingrained in every single detail of his life here.
In an instant, my excitement over getting to know Grayson’s family, and hopefully find out more about him, was squashed under the awkwardness of his girlfriend…wait, was she still his girlfriend?
As long as he wants you, that’s all that matters. I straightened my spine, pushed my shoulders back, and gave Grayson some side-eye. I was the daughter of a Colonel in the United States Army. I’d held my own at parties with people a lot more powerful and with harsher ulterior motives than Parker could ever dream. I could handle Parker. Thank you, Mom.
He brushed his lips over my ear in a delicate kiss and whispered, “I didn’t know, and I’m so sorry.”
I gave the tiniest nod possible and tried to remember what he’d said. I’m always your Grayson. But how would he hold up when everyone expected Grace’s Gray?
Dinner was passed family style with grilled chicken legs, roasted potatoes, green beans, and some kind of stuffing that looked delicious. The others made small talk while I dug into the stuffing, lifting the fork to my lips.
“No!” Grayson shouted, knocking the fork out of my hand. It clattered to the table, nearly taking out my wineglass.
Well, there went the small talk.
“Gray?” his mom asked while I stared wide-eyed at him.
“That has pecans in it,” he explained to me, panic in his eyes, then matter-of-factly switched our plates, since his had yet to be touched by the stuffing.
“Thank you,” I said softly as his hand brushed across my cheek.
He took a deep breath like he was steadying himself. “Sam’s allergic to nuts.”
“Oh my, Sam, I’m incredibly sorry,” his mom apologized.
“Don’t be, you didn’t know.” Holy shit. That could have been bad. “I didn’t even bring an epi pen,” I said to Grayson. “It’s at the beach house. What was I thinking?”
He squeezed my hand under the table. “I carry one, don’t worry.”
“What? Since when?”
“Since I almost fed you that banana-walnut muffin. I ordered it online,” he answered with a shrug.
“Seriously?” Parker asked.
“Seriously,” he shot back, his voice harsh.
We all chewed in relative silence. He carried an epi pen? For me? Well, crap if I didn’t love that about him now, too.
“So, Sam, how did you and Gray meet?” Grayson’s dad asked.
I swallowed my food. It had begun. “We’re roommates.”
“You’re living with this young woman?” Ian set his knife down abruptly. Better than picking it up, right?
“Funny story there,” Grayson cut in. “I thought she was a guy when I said yes to another roommate, and well…” The way he looked at me caught my breath. “As you can see, she’s an incredibly beautiful woman.”