Page 38

CHAPTER 38

Grayson

Maybe I was holding on to wishful thinking. Hoping that life would be like a romance novel, and I would show up to M’s Place and sweep Henry off his feet. We’d kiss, and apologize for being stupid assholes, and live happily ever after.

But Henry wasn’t there.

I stared at my martini, but I hadn’t touched it, when Giselle bumped my shoulder. Drew—the famous Drew Axel who’d come back to Sweetewater and reconnected with my sister recently on his tour, and who was now dating her florist, of all people—and his beau were on their way.

“You haven’t touched your martini,” she said softly.

“Thought I wanted it, but I guess I’m not in the mood.”

Giselle twisted her lips, and then she let out a bombshell.

“Did you know Henry was engaged before?” she asked.

My gaze shot up to hers, eyes widening. “What?”

“About five years ago,” she said, stirring her drink.

I was floored. Henry never mentioned his ex, but I would have thought he would have at least mentioned being engaged, given our company, not to mention all the talk of weddings...

“No,” I said dumbfounded. “I had no idea.”

Suddenly, his being uncomfortable around the wedding party made a lot more sense. I closed my eyes as I realized I should have seen it. His fear of commitment, his apprehension to act on his attraction.

I can’t.

Not I won’t, I can’t.

Because the person who hurt Henry was someone he must have loved very, very much. Enough to want to spend the rest of his life with them.

“What happened?” I asked.

“Apparently, according to Mia, the guy had been cheating on him. From the get go.”

“For five years?” I asked dumbfounded.

Giselle nodded. “Henry found out because he came home early one night.”

I let out a shaky breath. “He found them together.”

Giselle nodded. “Broke off the wedding the day after, and he’s been a lone wolf ever since.”

Henry’s tear-streaked cheeks and the anguish on his face replayed in my brain.

You promised.

You said I was yours.

The words fell out of my mouth, vulnerable and full of emotion.

“He said... he said he just wanted to be friends,” I breathed.

Giselle offered me a look that said, “Are you serious?”

“He’s scared, Gray. Can you blame him?”

No, I couldn’t. Not now, not when I knew why.

“I mean, anyone with eyeballs could see you two are crazy about one another. Last I checked, friends don’t kiss each other the way you do, drunk or sober,” she said raising her glass to me.

“Hell, Aaron doesn’t even kiss me like that,” she said with a laugh.

I blushed at her insinuation.

What the fuck was happening to me?

“A word of advice? One Sanderson to another?” she said, much more serious.

I sighed. Knowing my sister, I’d get the advice whether I said yes or no. So, of course, I said yes.

“He just needs to know you’re not going to bail when things get hard.”

“I’m not—”

“Not everything has to be Susan Lucci, Gray. Love isn’t always trays of pastries and charcuterie or extravagant resorts. Sometimes it’s just the little things.”

“Like roasting a marshmallow,” I said dumbly.

“Like dancing along to the Spice Girls,” she said sweetly.

“Or reading gay ghost stories,”

My sister raised her eyebrow, but she didn’t press me.

Drew and Taylor walked through the door at that moment, Drew calling out for us, shattering the tense moment.

I knew what I had to do at that moment.

I’d been waiting for a prince charming of my own to rescue me, but what if I was the knight in shining armor?