Page 17 of Sidelined By Love

She’s squealing, little feet stomping on the floor.

This is a first. Fans have had all sorts of reactions to meeting me, but I’ve never been left on the outside of a door without so much as an introduction.

Hands on my hips, I turn side to side, not quite sure what my next step should be.

Yeah, this is definitely a first.

Suddenly heavy footfalls stomp through the house, stopping on the other side. A deep voice says something I can’t understand, and then the door swings open again. Grant stands there in workout shorts and a Fourteeners T-shirt, his lip curled and eyes half closed.

“Zoe Peebles,” he grumbles. “At my home.”

The girl at his elbow squeals again, her hands covering her face as she does a little dance of joy. “I can’t believe it’s you! You’re here! I love your movies! I’m your biggest fan!”

I push away a truckload of questions about who the girl is and why she’s at Grant’s house. Giving her a smile she may or may not be able to see through her fingers, I bow my head slightly. “Lovely to meet you . . .”

Where most of my fans fill in their names, this mini beauty just trembles with glee, finally dropping her hands far enough to show off sparkling blue eyes. That refuse to blink.

“Zoe, this is Kenna. Kenna, this is Zoe.”

“I know who she is. Everyone in the world knows who she is, Uncle Grant.”

Ahhh.Uncle. Uncle? When I glance at the uncle in question, he frowns at me as though he’s forgotten that he’s the one who refused to help a damsel in distress.

Shifting my gaze back to Kenna, I flash her a deeper grin. “Well, I don’t know about that, but I’m delighted to meet a fan.”

“Uncle Grant and I just watchedFantastic Fourlast night. You’re so good in it!”

I squint at him. “You watched my movie.”

“Kenna wanted to.”

“No. You’re the one who said we should watch it. You said it’s your favorite superhero movie.”

“Oh, really?” I can’t keep the smugness out of my voice, and Grant Reddington—in all of his future Hall of Fame glory—rolls his eyes and quickly changes the subject.

“How’d you find out where I live?”

“I . . . um . . . asked around.”

His scowl tugs at the corners of his mouth as he scratches his chin. “Like who?”

“Like . . .” I shrug. “Maybe Dolores.”

“In the front office? In the front office ofmyteam?”

“Well, technically it’s my dad’s team.”

He steps toward me, towering over me and forcing me to look up. Way up. “She wouldn’t do that.”

He doesn’t know me very well if he thinks I give up that easily. “Maybe she’s a fan, and her son also happens to like my character inFantastic Four. And now maybe he owns a signed action figure.”

“You bribed Dolores Jones into giving up my address?”

I stare at the beams on the underside of the porch and shake my head. “I’m not admitting anything. Dolores is a fine, upstanding woman of impeccable character.”

Suddenly Grant looks over my head. “How’d you get into my neighborhood?” He stares hard at the end of the drive, like the guy from the booth at the gated entrance to the community will be running to catch me any minute now.

I shrug with a smile. “What can I say? The security guard is a fan too.”

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