Page 14 of Good Girls Don't Kiss and Tell

Gracie sat on the couch with Pip in her lap and turned on the TV. Once she’d settled on another kid’s show, she pulled the throw on the back of the couch over them. They didn’t even make it through one episode before Pip’s body relaxed into hers and her breathing became deep and even.

And then it occurred to Gracie that she’d forgotten to set up the Pack ‘n Play.

Crap.

* * *

Eric stood on Gracie’s doorstep just after eight. He’d called Hope’s husband, Sam, to ask him who the little girl was, and when he’d heard the story, it had been a little hard to believe. He knew Gracie had a big heart, but taking in a strange kid?

He’d told his family during dinner, and his mom had gotten up from her mashed potatoes and gone to her “hoarder’s closet,” as his dad called it. His mom had a bit of a compulsive shopping problem and would buy things she didn’t need, just because they were a good deal.

She came out with a box of kid’s toys and stuffed animals and pointed at him. “When you’re done with your food, you take this over to that girl, you hear me?”

“Mom, I don’t think she’s keeping her. It’s just for the night.”

She’d planted her hands on her hips and twisted her mouth up in disapproval. “When I want your opinion, Eric Andrew Henderson, I will give it to you.”

Which is how he found himself standing there, knocking on Gracie’s door. Even as a grown-ass man, he didn’t argue with his mother.

“Who is it?” Gracie called from the other side of the door.

“It’s Eric. My mom sent me over with some stuff for you.”

The lock turned, and when she pulled the door open, he tried not to notice that her hair was tousled in the just-got-out-of-bed way he’d always dreamed of seeing…

And her nipples were hard against the pink cotton of her long-sleeved top.

I’m going to hell.

“Can I come in? It’s cold as balls out here,” he said.

“Yeah, sure. Just be quiet. Pip’s asleep on the couch.”

Eric stepped inside and noticed the tiny being curled on her side, covered in a colorful throw.

“Pip? Her name is Pip?”

“No, it’s just what I’ve been calling her. Pip for pipsqueak.” Gracie closed the door behind him, and her gaze flicked to the little girl. “She hasn’t said a word to me.”

Noting the worry in Gracie’s tone, he gave her a reassuring smile. “Probably just scared.” He set the box down on the coffee table and pulled out a stuffed horse. “Mom thought you could probably use some toys.”

Gracie stepped up next to him, and the soft scent of her overwhelmed him, driving him out of his mind. “These toys are brand new.”

“Yeah, my mom is a bit of a compulsive shopper. She probably saw them on the clearance rack at Target and thought she could use them for a birthday present or something.”

Gracie shook her head, and put one of the toys back. “I…I don’t know what to say. I can’t accept these. I’m meeting social services tomorrow, and I’d hate to open these up and ruin them for one night.”

“Don’t you have to be at work tomorrow?” he asked.

“No, I took the weekend off. Tanya and a couple other volunteers are holding down the fort. I’d planned to do a little Black Friday shopping, but I’ll just have to settle for getting deals online.”

Eric placed the stuffed horse in her arms. “Well, I’m telling you right now that my mom wanted you to have these. I would just send her a thank-you note if I were you.”

“Hmmm. Good point. Don’t get me wrong, your mom adores me, but I’m not sure she’d forgive me if I insulted her by sending these back.”

“Probably not.” Eric looked around her tiny house and noted the boxes of preheated turkey dinner and dishes in the sink. “You ordered one of those lazy man dinners from Hall’s?”

Gracie laughed and went into the kitchen, picking the boxes off the counter and throwing them into the trash can. “It was just supposed to be me tonight, and I didn’t feel like spending ten hours preparing a full Thanksgiving dinner, but I wanted one. This seemed the easiest choice.”

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