Page 77 of Good Girls Don't Kiss and Tell (Rock Canyon, Idaho 7)

Eric walked up behind his brother and whacked him on the back of the head. “Dumbass.”

“Ouch. Hey, just for that, I’m not getting you a burger! You can starve!” Eric ignored his brother’s threat and took off for the storeroom for more beer.

Eric shook his head and gritted his teeth against the throbbing pain in his groin. Damn woman should come with a warning label. One hot kiss and some light petting could leave man painfully hard for long periods of time. She was hazardous to his health, but he couldn’t stay away from her.

Chapter Twenty-Five

“Sometimes, a simple kindness can go a long way in repairing an old wound. So how about we be nice to each other, people, huh?” - Miss Know-It-All’s Gossip Column.

“So how’s it going?” Gemma asked.

Gracie was sitting on the side of Gemma’s bed, flipping through a Babies“R”Us catalog. It was Saturday, and Mike and Gracie had come over to stay with Gemma while Travis was at the bookstore and Charlie was sledding with some friends. Gracie’s mom had gone to Boise to visit Gemma’s mom for the weekend and Gracie’s dad was at his buddy’s cabin, catching up. Which had given Gracie more incentive to ignore Eric. She got her bed back for a few nights.

“With?” Gracie knew very well what Gemma was asking about, but she had no interest in talking about what was going on with Eric…mostly because she was too confused to suss out the situation herself.

Gemma blew out a heavy breath. “With life. With Eric. You two seemed happy according to all reports, and then that Miss Know-It-All column came out and Callie and Ryan said the two of you seem to be avoiding each other.”

Gracie concentrated really hard on an adorable Pack ’n Play with bumble bees on the page, instead of meeting her best friend’s gaze. “We’re fine.” She slapped the magazine down and yelled for Mike, who was in the kitchen supposedly making them food. “Mike! How long d

oes it take to make a freaking sandwich?”

“Don’t rush me, this is art!” he hollered back.

Gracie snorted. “He is more of a girl than me sometimes.”

“Yeah, we’re all aware of Mike’s anal retentiveness when it comes to sandwich prep. But back to you and Eric.”

“We’re fine, Gem, I already told you.”

Gemma gave her a disbelieving look. “Really? No issues whatsoever?”

“Nope.”

“Good, good. I’m glad you two are working out, ’cause I guess Kirsten was staring at Eric like I stared at chocolate cake last night.”

Gracie’s head whipped around. “And how do you know that?”

“Travis went to Buck’s last night with Chase and Gabe. You know how men gossip.”

Although her stomach was grinding and churning in irritation, she refused to play Gemma’s game. “Well, it’s not like we’re actually together or anything. I told you, we were just faking it. He can do what he wants.”

Gemma burst out laughing. Gracie gave Gemma a hostile look. “It’s not nice to mess with your best friend. Who knows what kind of secrets I might let slip next time we’re in an awkward social situation?”

Gemma slipped her hand into Gracie’s and gave it a squeeze. “But I know that my best friend would never do anything like that. Besides, I’m just having a little harmless fun. I’ve waited a long time for you to fall hard for a guy. The least I can do is enjoy it.”

Gracie spluttered. “I have not fallen hard. In fact, I’m back to loathing him.”

“So, the two of you aren’t still hooking up?”

“I told you…it was all fake.”

“That is such bullshit, Gracie Louise McAllister! I have known you forever, and I can tell when you’re lying.”

“No you can’t.”

“Yeah, ’cause you do that thing with your hair.”

“What thing?”