Page 109 of Always Been Yours

Yes, I’m thankful. More importantly, I’mhappy.

Calypso and Hudson are sitting on the love seat together, looking through photo albums that have just as many pictures of us as there are of Grady and Blake. Asher is picking Daisy up and setting her on his shoulders as Stella walks beside them, showing him all the words she learned to spell for the upcoming competition. My mom and Grady’s parents are greeting Mark and Nathalie with hugs and a glass of wine. Lexi doesn’t slip out of my hold until Grady makes his way back to me, sliding his arm around my waist and pulling me in close for the first time in front of our families. We’re only missing Blake’s bunch but they’re on their way from Adrian’s parents’ house and Knox is stopping here for dessert. So, in a few hours, all of our people will be under one roof.

And maybe we have a lot to work out still—conversations to have and boundaries to set—but none of that matters right now.

All that matters is that for the first time in way too fucking long, I’m so incredibly happy and full of love. Nothing could pop this bubble.

Grady

“Okay but he’s kind of gorgeous,” Lexi muses from the backseat of my Jeep.

“You found him?” Vivi whirls around in her seat.

“Yeah, it was so easy. He doesn’t post often but he has a few new posts within the last year. So that’s not a bad sign.” I watch from the rearview mirror as she scrolls through her phone.

“Give me, give me!” Vivi enthusiastically reaches for the phone.My eyes cut to her in the passenger seat next to me. I can feel the scowl creeping across my features. “Holy shit,yes.He’s perfect for her. Am I looking at Thor withtattoos? Please.”

I clear my throat. “Excuse me, I’m sittingright here.”

Vivi laughs, handing the phone back to Lexi and places a kiss on my cheek.

“We aren’t looking at Lucas’s cousin with the perspective of wanting him for ourselves,” Lexi explains. “We are looking at him as potential for Lyp, and I really think we just found her kryptonite.”

“That’s Superman,” I tell her.

“Please shut the fuck up and look at him. Remember,forCalypso.”

I roll to a stop sign, and after checking that all the roads are clear, I turn toward the two matchmakers. I raise my eyebrows, waiting to see what all this fuss is about. Lexi pushes her phone between Vivi and I, placing it so we can all scroll through his Instagram together.

Stanley has started to let people know that come next fall, he’ll be retiring and handing over the two businesses to his nephew Liam. I already knew about this, so I wasn’t shocked when Lucas casually let it slip during dinner. Calypso showed no interest in the news or the man but that isn’t going to stop anyone in this town from making their own decisions. Just take Lexi for example.

The most recent photo is a Chris Hemsworth look-alike but with tattoos, exactly as Vivi said. One of his sleeves looks like a random array of traditional tattoos. They’re all black and grey, and there doesn’t appear to be a rhyme or reason to them. It’s too small to see what each one is but you can see that the quality is good. His other arm is an array of colors that are perfectly blended and arranged into a series of different plants and flowers. It’s mostlymade up of shades of green but there are all the colors of the rainbow displayed as variations of flowers throughout. He’s broad and muscular with an easy smile. His blonde hair is short on the sides and nicely styled. He looks like the type of guy who enjoys looking good but doesn’t have to put a lot of effort into it.

One thing I remember about Calypso’s ex-husband was that he was a pretty boy. I guess there isn’t anything necessarily wrong with that, but he put more effort into his own appearances than he probably spent showering Calypso in the attention she’s always demanded from her boyfriends. And if she didn’t get it, she didn’t keep them around. It’s clear that as an adult, she’s independent and doesn’t reply on anyone to supply her with her lowkey, but lavish, lifestyle. And I don’t think she would make the same mistake twice by wasting time on a man who doesn’t want to spoil her the way she does herself.

They look up at me expectantly at the same time. I clear my throat and nod, “Yeah, that’s an attractive man. Calypso doesn’t stand a chance if he sets his sights on her.”

“Oh, he will. Don’t you worry,” Lexi promises in an evil genius voice. She scrolls through the four other recent photos—his long-haired dachshund apparently named Rosie, the skeleton of the house he built for his mom this year, him cuddling up with Rosie in bed, him and his sister on a road trip, and him with his niece.

“She’s fucked,” Vivi chuckles.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Vivi

Grady pulls into my driveway, but instead of waiting for Lexi to get out, he puts the car in park and unbuckles. Confused, I start to do the same, but he stops me with a hand over my seatbelt.

“I forgot something here. I am just going to grab it and I’ll be right back.” He gives me a sultry look that sends a hot pulse directly between my legs. But the uncertainty tamps that down a little.

Grady has stayed the night a couple times in the last few weeks, but we usually stay at his place when we get the chance. Last time he was here, Lexi walked in looking for half the ingredients she needed for her dinner. I was tucked under a throw blanket on the couch, satiated from a round of mind-blowing sex we had just finished. Grady barely pulled his briefs up to his waist when she walked in, gave his crotch one quick glance and a briskI like what you’re working withbefore grabbing the eggs, breadcrumbs and marinara sauce and leaving.

After that, Grady has pushed for our sleepovers to be at his house. Understandably.

“Come on, I’ll let you in,” Lexi says. He gives me a quick kiss before he walks toward the garage with Lexi. She says somethingthat makes his head tip back in laughter before opening the door, waves bye and I watch as he makes his way into my place.

I scroll through my phone, sending thank you texts to my mom and Selena. A few minutes pass, and I start to wonder if Grady really did leave something at my place. I’m starting to get worried when he finally makes his way outside. He pulls out his phone, his thumbs moving rapidly over the screen, before walking to the side of the house where the trash cans are. I can’t see what he has but he tosses a shopping bag in one of the cans and heads back to the car.

As he is getting in the Jeep, Lexi’s head pokes out and with one final wave, she presses the button for the garage door. I turn my head toward Grady, “I could’ve just given you the code.”

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