Page 115 of Eleanor & Grey

We parked the car, and as we began walking toward Greyson’s front porch, he came out wearing a backward baseball hat and a White Sox jersey. “Hey ladies!” He smiled and hurried down the stairs to greet us. “Shay, it’s been a long time. It’s great to see you.” He pulled her into a hug, and Shay stood still as day.

When he let go of her, she gave him a tight smile and then turned back to me and whisper-shouted. “What the hell, Ellie?!”

“What? What’s wrong?”

She pulled me in closer and turned her back even more to Greyson. “Um, how in the ever-loving-shit did you forget to inform me that Greyson, oh, I don’t know, grew up to become a Greek god? Seriously, are those real biceps? Those can’t be real. People don’t look like that. People don’t look like that!”

“Shhh, he’s going to hear you. Stop being weird.”

We turned back to Greyson and smiled. “Are you guys ready to head out? I figured we could all fit into your SUV,” I said.

“Yeah, let me go get the girls. We’ll meet you out here.”

He turned around and started walking away with his hands in his pockets, and Shay moaned.

She moaned.

“Do you see it, Ellie?”

“See what?”

“Those cheeks of steel. Left cheek, right cheek, cheeks cheeks cheeks, oh how cheeky Grey’s cheeks can be,” she said, mocking Greyson’s butt.

“Oh my gosh, Shay, shut up, will you?”

I rolled my eyes at my cousin’s comments, but heck, I did notice Greyson’s behind.

A man couldn’t wear perfectly fitted jeans like that and not have his bum looked at, and Greyson wasn’t lacking in that department.

Not at all.

“Listen, I know there are rules against this, but if you don’t sleep with him, I will,” she joked.

I shoved her lightly. “You’re ridiculous, but hey, I just wanted to warn you before you meet Karla. She can be a bit hard on people when they first meet her.”

“Oh yeah! The growler, right?”

“Yeah. Karla is going to try to freak you out with her scars. Don’t react to it, because that will just make it worse. Just try to be cool about it. Pretend you don’t even notice.”

Shay went to the car, grabbed her black bowler, and placed it on her head. “I’m pretty sure you’re overthinking it. Don’t worry, it will be fine.”

Yeah, that was what I had thought, too.

Greyson and the girls came out of the house, and Lorelai was bouncing up and down with excitement about the baseball game. I didn’t have a clue if she was into sports, but the moment I mentioned cotton candy, she was fully on board.

My stomach knotted as I witnessed Karla’s stare move to Shay.

Karla locked eyes with her.

Shay stared back.

I swore it felt like minutes before Shay nodded. “I like your style,” she said, speaking about Karla’s all black attire. “Very European vibes.”

“Thanks.” Karla nodded back. “I like your hat.”

“Do you want it?”

“Sure.”

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