by Arianna Hart
No wonder she seemed surprised that he’d suggested dinner. She probably felt like his dirty secret or something. He grimaced at his stupidity. What the hell was wrong with him? He used to be relatively smooth with women. He was no player, but he knew how to treat a woman with respect. Hell, he’d groped Ellie in his parents’ driveway.
Real smooth, Anderson.
Tonight, he’d make it a point to treat Ellie like a lady. He wouldn’t use the business as an excuse for dinner. He’d make sure she knew he was taking her out because he wanted her company. She didn’t necessarily need to know he also really wanted her body.
When he walked into the kitchen, he was surprised to see his father sitting at the table, the newspaper open in front of him, and his mom cooking breakfast. The scene was the same as hundreds of other mornings in his life. How many times had he come downstairs to see his parents in these exact same positions? Except this time, his father was strapped to the kitchen chair so he didn’t fall over. For a second, he felt sadness swamp him for all he and his family had been through. Things would never be the same again.
But they could still be good. The only easy day was yesterday.
“Y’all are up and around early. Mom, I could have helped if you had waited.”
“It wasn’t a problem. Dad needed a change of scenery. Are you all done with the police? I can’t believe they kept you there so long. Was anything missing?”
“Greg is still checking the inventory. I’m going to go back down today to see what I can do. I haven’t had a chance to go over the books yet.” He didn’t mention his concerns that Greg was into something and in way over his head. “Do you need the car for anything today?”
“Today’s our off day, so you can have the car. I’m going to do some laundry and housework. I might even try to get into my flowerbeds if it doesn’t get too hot.”
“Great. If you don’t mind, I’ll take the car. I want to go into Canton and Ellie is going to need a ride home. She’s having some car trouble.”
“She’s always having some problem or another with that car. The thing is fifteen years old and has close to two hundred thousand miles on it.”
“Is she that strapped financially?”
“Not that I can tell. That car doesn’t owe her a thing, but she won’t give it up until she’s saved enough money to buy a new one flat out. Stubborn girl.”
“Y-you t-too,” Grant’s father said, a smile creasing the left side of his face and ever so slightly lifting the right corner of his mouth.
Grant and his mother stopped in their tracks and stared at his dad.
“Edward Anderson! The first time in close to two months you speak and it’s to pick on me.” Tears ran down his mother’s face as she wiped her hands on a dishcloth and hugged him tightly. “Say something else.” She sniffled a bit and then got herself under control. “Come on, Ed. Say something else.”
“L-love y-you.” Every word seemed to be a struggle, as if each syllable were a two-ton rock and had to be moved uphill. “S-so p-p-proud, s-son.”
Grant felt tears burn in his eyes as well. His throat was tight with emotion as he crossed to his dad’s other side. “I’m proud of you too, Dad. I know you can beat this.”
“I have to call his speech therapist, she’ll be so excited. She thought he was close to making a breakthrough.” His mom used her sleeve to dry her eyes. “And do you see that? He’s getting more movement back on the right side of his face. Keep working, Ed.” She grabbed his hand and squeezed. “Good heavens, I’m burning the bacon.” She hustled to the stove, waving the smoke away with the dish towel.
Grant sat at the table across from his dad and shared a laugh at his mom’s antics. He wished Ellie were here to share in the laughter.
Funny, he’d been wishing she was around a lot since he got home.
Chapter Fourteen
“I can have a preliminary report done for you in a week or so. That will give you time to review it and send it in before the tax deadline,” Ellie said to her client, Michael Griswold.
“Fantastic. I’m sorry to have gotten this to you so late. With the divorce only just final, my finances are in total disarray.”
“I’m sure. It’s no problem though. If it’s too complicated, I’ll file for an extension, but I don’t foresee that happening.” Ellie gathered the papers and her laptop and put everything in her messenger bag. When she stood to leave, Michael was barely inches from her face.
“I really appreciate you going the extra mile, Ellie. What do you say we grab dinner, my treat?”
Danger, Will Robinson, danger!
Oh, no, she was so not going to be his rebound/ego boost/booty call. “That’s sweet of you, but I have dinner plans tonight. I’ll send you an email when I’m done with these.” She edged around where he had her cornered between his body, the desk and the visitor’s chair.
It wasn’t that Michael was unattractive. He was in his mid-thirties with neatly styled brown hair and brown eyes. Okay, so he was on the short side and barely reached her nose, but that wasn’t a reason to turn down a charming, intelligent, successful man. She just didn’t feel comfortable with his sudden interest in her. In fact, his closeness was making her nervous as all get out.
“Maybe another time,” he said, his arm brushing against her breast as he reached in front of her to open the door.
“I’ll get back to you on that.” When penguins ice skate in hell.
Ellie didn’t exactly run out of the office, but she didn’t waste any time either. She supposed she could be flattered that Michael had expressed an interest in her. Except that she’d been his accountant for years and he’d never looked at her as anything more than a font of tax law knowledge.
“Maybe the divorce made him suddenly realize I’m actually female,” she muttered as she headed to her car. Then remembered she didn’t have her car. It was over at the garage. Dave had given her a lift to Michael’s office so she could make her appointment. “Crap.”
Did she call Grant? He’d texted her earlier to let her know he was at the police station and would be there for at least another hour. Had he really meant to invite her to dinner or was it just a we’ll-grab-a-burger-while-you-fill-me-in sort of thing?
A sporty, red car roared from the parking garage under the office building and screeched to stop in front of her. Dread made her stomach roll. She knew before the tinted window rolled down who was in the car.
“Ellie, is everything okay? Do you need a ride?” Michael asked.
“No, I’m fine, just waiting for my dinner date. He’s going to pick me up here any minute.” She dug her phone out of her bag as if she’d just gotten a text. “Oh, that’s him now. He’s on his way.” God, she was such a bad liar.
“It’s getting late. I can wait with you until he gets here.”
“No, no, really, it’s fine.” Crap, now what? She could call Dave and see if he was still at the garage, but it closed over an hour ago. Had she told Grant where she’d be or had she just said she’d text him? How could she text him now with Michael sitting right there? Her palms got sweaty as she tried to figure a way out of her predicament without losing a lucrative client or getting into that tiny car with him.
Silence stretched between them. Every second felt like an eon of awkwardness as Ellie mentally scrambled trying to find a way out of her dilemma.
“You’re sure he’s coming?”
“Yup. He’ll be right here.” She checked her phone again but her mind was spinning so fast she couldn’t even read the words. Why did she lie? It wasn’t like Michael was a bad guy. And except for the incident at the office, he’d always treated her professionally. Was she making a big deal out of nothing?
A car horn beeped and Ellie searched for the source. Her entire body flooded with relief when she saw Mrs. Anderson’s Camry pulling up to the curb behind Michael.
“There he is. Thanks for waiting with me.” She waved cheerily and bolted for the car.
“Who’s that in the dick mobile?” Grant asked once she got in the car.
“Michael Griswold. He’s my client and was waiting with me until you got here. Wait, how did you know where I was? Did I tell you when I’d be out? Why are you here just when I needed you?”
“After I got done at the police station, I went to Professional Auto Care to talk to your friend Dave about your car. I wanted to let him know I’d give him the parts, that way you’d only have to pay for labor. He mentioned dropping you off here. He also mentioned your client was a douchebag so I’ve been circling the block for the last half hour, debating if I should just park and go in or wait for you outside.”
Could the human heart actually melt? It sure felt like it. “That’s so sweet. Totally unnecessary though. Michael isn’t a douchebag. He’s just hurting after his divorce and wants a stroke to his ego. He’s never done anything the least bit inappropriate to me.” At least not until tonight, but she didn’t think she’d share that. It was no big deal and it made her sound kind of gothic-romance drama queenish.
“According to the scuttlebutt I heard from Dave, his ego must need a great deal of stroking. Apparently, he’s making the rounds.”
“How did you find all this out? All Dave told me was that he’d get back to me with a quote about the cost of repairing my car.”
“I mentioned to him that you wouldn’t need a loaner because I was driving you home after dinner, which brought up him driving you here and that Griswold was a douche.”
“Seriously? You two gossip worse than the ladies of the Garden Club.”
“He was just concerned that you were meeting Griswold so late, that’s all.”
“It’s eight o’clock, not midnight.”
“It’s still dark. Now, do you want Italian, Mexican or barbeque?” he asked.
“Doesn’t matter to me, I’m up for anything.” Her stomach growled loudly as if in agreement.
“I’m thinking barbeque then. I’ve been craving Sonny’s since I landed. Too bad he left town.”
“I know, but if you turn left onto Peachtree, there’s a place that makes the absolute best pulled-pork sandwiches. I go there whenever I feel nostalgic for Sonny’s.”
“Works for me.” Grant pulled into the left lane and waited at the light for a break in traffic.
“I had a chance to go over some of the paperwork I downloaded from the store’s computer. Everything appears in order, but I still have a nagging feeling that something is hinky. I need to run a few more comparisons, and I could use the information you got as well.”
“I printed the pictures at a Staples while I was here. They’re in the backseat.”
“Great, I can look them over during dinner and maybe something will pop.”
“No. During dinner, we’re going to talk and eat and enjoy ourselves without worrying about the store. You know, like what normal people do on a date.”
“Oh. That sounds nice.” Ellie could feel her face flame. What an idiot she was, blushing because he said they were going on a date. She wished she’d taken some time to touch up her makeup. Not that she had on much more than mascara and some lip gloss, but still.
“Is that it?” Grant asked. “Tommy’s Pork Pit?”
“Yup. My mouth is watering already.” Her stomach growled again as the smell of wood smoke and spices wafted through the car. “I know it doesn’t look like much, but trust me, it’s the next best thing to heaven.”
“If the smell is anything to go by, I believe you.” He pulled into the gravel lot and parked next to a beat-up truck that had seen a lot of miles and a lot of Georgia clay.
“That reminds me of your red truck,” Ellie said as they got out of the car and took their places in the long line waiting to order. “Whatever happened to that?”
“When I got out of BUD/S, I had it shipped to San Diego.” He didn’t say anything for a minute. “While I was on assignment, Chastity traded it in for a new truck as a surprise for me.”
His jaw was tight and Ellie hurt for him. “Oh, no,” she said softly.
“When I got upset with her for getting rid of it without asking me first, she burst into tears saying I didn’t appreciate her gift to me. I felt like a heel, but at the same time, I was so angry. I didn’t get over it quickly. It was just one more nail in the coffin.”
“Chastity and I weren’t all that close, but I used to go to her house to help her out with homework. She liked new and shiny. Her family never had a car that was more than two years old. She probably didn’t understand that the effort you put into rebuilding the truck with your dad is what made it special.”
Grant looked down at her as the line inched forward. “How come you get it, get me, and I’ve only really gotten to know you in the last week? Chastity and I were together for almost ten years, and she was clueless.”
She couldn’t tell him it was because she followed him around like a love-sick puppy all through high school. Ellie’s face heated up again, feeling like the biggest dweeb ever. “I lived next door to you. I know how much time and work you and your dad put into the truck. You don’t spend that many hours on something and have no emotional attachment to it afterward.” There, that was the truth, if not all of it.
“Chastity knew how much time I put into my truck. She used to complain about it constantly.”
“Because it probably didn’t make sense to her.”
“Maybe. I still miss that damn truck.”
Once they’d placed their orders and took their number, they searched for an open table. There were picnic tables clustered in front of the shack and a few scattered off to the side farther away from the road. Grant headed to one of those and sat.
“This wasn’t exactly what I had in mind for our first date, but the food looks so good, I’m not going to complain,” he said as the server set a plate with a steaming pulled-pork sandwich, baked beans and cool coleslaw in front of him.
“It tastes even better than it looks.” Ellie held the little thrill his words gave her close to her chest. First date indicated a possible second date in the future. She shivered with delight and then dug into her sandwich.
They were quiet for a while, concentrating on demolishing every morsel of food in front of them. Grant finished first, but just barely.
“That was incredible. I may get another one to go so I can have one on hand for a midnight snack.”
“I don’t think I can eat again until tomorrow. Oh, shoot.”
“What?”
“How am I going to get my car back tomorrow? If it’s even ready. I didn’t think of that.”
“Dad has PT tomorrow. We can take you back here when we come, unless you have an early morning client.”
“No, I scheduled office time for myself in the morning. My first client isn’t until two.”
“Perfect. Dad has PT at one. I can drop Mom and Dad off, take you to Dave’s and you’ll be all set by two.”
“I really appreciate all the trouble you’re going through for me. I hate being a bother.”
Grant took her hand across the scarred picnic table. “You couldn’t be a bother if you tried. Hey, did Mom tell you? No, she couldn’t have, you’ve been working all day.”
“Tell me what?”
“Dad spoke this morning. And when he smiled, the right corner of his mouth moved. Just a little, but it definitely lifted.”
“Really? Oh that’s excellent. I knew he was improving. When I was watching him on Friday, I swore I saw him smile more, and he lifted his arm. He’s going to get better, I just know it.” She squeezed his hand tightly. “What did he say?”
Grant laughed. “We were talking about your car and how you won’t give it up, even though it’s held together with chewing gum and a prayer, and my mom called you stubborn.
Dad said, ‘you too,’ to Mom. The first words he spoke and they were to tease her.”
“That figures. Your mom must be over the moon.”
“She is. He also said he loved her, and…and he was proud of me.” He looked away as if embarrassed.
Tears welled and she tried to blink them away. She used her free hand to dab at her eyes with a napkin. “I wish I could have been there.”
“Me too.”
His gaze caught her own and they sat in electrically charged silence, staring into one another’s eyes. Ellie felt like he was trying to tell her something, but she just wasn’t smart enough to figure it out. Heat coiled in her belly, spiraling out to engulf her entire body. They were separated by the width of the picnic table, only their hands touching, but she felt as hot as if they were tangled together naked.
She squirmed at the thought of being completely bare to his gaze, and he to hers. What would it be like to have his beautiful body on display for her every desire? Her mouth dried up and she licked her lips at the image of him sprawled across her bed.
“I don’t know what you’re thinking about, but whatever is making you wiggle like that, I’m in.” His hot gaze focused on her chest, and Ellie realized her nipples were poking through the silk of her blouse yet again.
Damn, if she was going to have this reaction to him every time she was with him, she’d have to duct tape the suckers down.
“Are you ready to go?” she asked, her voice husky.
“Absolutely.” He scooped up their trash and had her halfway across the parking lot before she knew what was happening.
Chapter Fifteen
The drive home from Canton took forever. All Grant could think about was getting Ellie out of her prim blouse and skirt and wrapping her legs around his waist. He kept one hand on her thigh the whole ride home, making sure she was still as charged and ready as he was. There was no way he was letting anything stop them this time. The freaking store could burn to the ground for all he cared. He was getting her into bed and keeping her there.