Page 45 of Good Girls Don't Kiss and Tell (Rock Canyon, Idaho 7)

He’d popped a lasagna into the oven over an hour ago and was just waiting for the timer to go off when his doorbell rang.

“Hey Eric, were you expecting company?” his mother asked as he passed by the kitchen table.

“Just you guys,” he said.

He pulled the door open and found Gracie standing on the porch, holding a plate of brownies and a bottle of wine.

“Hey, sorry to just show up, but I knew you had the night off and thought we should talk.”

“Who is it, Eric?” his mother called.

Gracie’s eyes widened. “I didn’t know your parents were here.”

Eric grinned, taking in her horror at interrupting a family dinner. “They pulled their car into the garage ’cause my tree apparently leaves sap on their car.”

“Well, I’ll just leave these, and you can call me later. I don’t want to intrude—”

She didn’t get to finish before his mother pushed him aside and poked her head out of the door.

“Why, Gracie, what are you doing here?”

“Didn’t you know?” Grant came up alongside them, grinning. “They’re hooking up.”

Gracie blushed, and Eric smacked his little brother upside his head at the same time his mom hit him on the shoulder.

“Ow,” Grant groaned, rubbing his abused areas. “Everyone is so violent in this family.”

“Because you’re a jackass, and that is not how I raised you!” Connie snapped. Turning her attention back to Gracie, she smiled. “Come in and join us, darling. Have you had dinner yet?”

Gracie looked at him again, and he just nodded.

“No, I haven’t and I?

?d love to.” She held out the plate in her hands. “I brought dessert and a bottle of wine to go with it.”

“Lovely.” His mother took the plate, and when Gracie stepped inside, he gave her an apologetic smile. Getting roped into a family dinner wasn’t exactly in the fake-girlfriend manual.

“Look who decided to join us. Eric’s new girlfriend.” Connie said the word with emphasis, and Eric watched as his dad grinned.

“You don’t say? Well, we’re happy to have you with us.” Buck got up and gave Gracie a bone-crushing hug.

The oven went off, and Eric left her to go check on the lasagna. When he set the hot pan on the stove, he found Grant leaning against the counter next to him.

“Sorry about the ‘hooking-up’ crack.”

“Not a problem. I stopped expecting maturity out of you years ago,” Eric quipped.

“Har har.” Grant’s face took on an edge of seriousness as he continued, “You know, she’s not exactly known for her ability to commit. I wouldn’t start thinking about getting serious, if that’s the way you’re leaning.”

Eric knew his brother was just being protective, but it irritated him anyway. “I never said we were serious. It’s only been a week.”

“I’m just looking out for you, bro.”

Eric nodded. “Noted. Now why don’t you do something useful like take some plates in and leave me and my love life alone.”

* * *

Gracie’s stress over crashing their family dinner eased away rapidly. Family dinners with her parents had been quiet and polite.