Page 32 of Rival Hearts

“I’m sure the town would appreciate having you back.”

The dogs whined, and I tightened my hand on their leashes. I crouched to Amir’s level. “You tell your Aunt Maggie the devil says hello.”

Amir grinned. “Okay. She’ll like that.”

I chuckled as I rose and offered Jim my hand. “It was nice running into you.”

“And you.”

Something new that had cropped up was the way that Jim spoke to me now, like he couldn’t decide how to treat me. I hadn’t noticed the shift at first. Jim had never been cool before I left Little Falls, but our last few exchanges had a layer of frost, a new guardedness. Had Maggie told her dad what my album was about? What had happened between us all? She’d have spun the truth to make herself look better, maybe to make me appear petty. None of us had been good.

I stared at the cloudless sky. What were Maggie, Lila, and Trent planning?

As we parted ways, I found myself turning in the direction of Maggie’s street. I rubbed my bicep where thebrothers firsttattoo blazed across my skin. I’d let the disconnect go long enough. It was time I started acting like that was true. Instead of existing on the fringes of people’s lives, I needed to start setting things right.

Chapter Thirteen

Maggie

When the doorbell rang, I glanced at the clock. After nine. Frowning, I crossed the kitchen to the door and opened it without checking the peephole.

Shit.

“Grady.” A strained smile rose to my lips, and my heart galloped into my throat. Why did he have to be so freaking attractive?

His gaze trailed over me in a leisurely way while his two dogs strained on their leashes.

Self-conscious, I touched a hand to my hair piled on top of my head in a messy bun. I took off my makeup when I closed the pharmacy at eight, and I was dressed in sweats. If I was naked, I couldn’t have been more embarrassed.

“Can I come in?”

“You want to come in here?” I hoped my body blocked the view inside my open-plan house. Not that it was messy, but having Grady here, in my personal space, was unnerving. How had he gotten my address?

“Pretty sure that’s what that phrase means.”

I eyed his dogs. “I have a cat.”

“They like cats.” Grady’s brown eyes were tinged with humor. “Mostly to eat.”

“You’re not coming in here.” I started to close the door, but Grady snuck his foot into the opening.

“I don’t want to be that guy, but—”

“Youlovebeing that guy.”

“I heard you’re helping to organize a concert with my brother.”

I opened the door wider and braced my shoulder on the frame, still not inviting him in. Both dogs and Grady inside my small bungalow would be too much. “And you care because?”

“Come on. Trent is my brother. Of course, I care. And concerts are my thing.”

“I’m not sure Trent would agree.” I tucked a strand of hair that had fallen out of my bun behind my ear. “He doesn’t want you involved, or he would have asked you.” Not to mention he’d flat out told me I couldn’t include Grady.

“What do you, Trent, or even Lila, know about organizing a concert?”

“It’s notsimplya concert.”

Grady frowned. “I heard something about a magic show. I’m not going to claim I can help there. But I know concerts.”

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