Page 82 of Zero Chance

From there, I traveled to the Dugger house, so Nana wouldn’t feel slighted.

After pulling into their driveway, I grabbed a clean T-shirt from my laundry basket in the passenger seat and exchanged it for the hoodie I’d been wearing, which I tossed negligently into the back.

Two states north of here, folks were posting pictures of their cars slipping around on icy roads and all the snowmen they were building.But Westport, Texas was bright and sunny with a winter heat wave that was headed toward the seventies.

Feeling cooler, I popped from the Jeep and strolled up the walk to my second set of grandparents’ door.

When I stepped inside, Grandpa was stretched out in his recliner with his feet kicked up and his seat tilted back as he watched college basketball on the television.

“Hey, Grandpa,” I greeted, wiping my feet on the mat as I shut the door behind me.With a glance at the screen, I noticed my own Stallions were playing Tulane.

“We winning?”

He grunted out a moody sound of defeat, letting me know Haverick was indeed not winning their game.Poor Grandpa always descended into a sour mood when any sports team from Westport lost.He followed it up with a glower in my direction, adding, “And yourfriendin the kitchen is eating all my chocolate cake.”

“Friend?”I stalled short, straightening my back in dread.“Which friend?”

Shit, I hadn’t been paying attention when I’d pulled up to notice if one of Parker’s vehicles had been parked out on the street or not.But surely, I would’ve noticed.Nice shit like his would stand out in this neighborhood.

Worried he’d come here to force me into a confrontation, I started to back toward the door when Grandpa motioned to his own bald head.“The tall, curly-headed one.”

Shoulders slumping in relief, I breathed, “Oh, thank God.”It was just Alec.And no, I wouldn’t have seen his vehicle out front, since he didn’t have one.He would’ve parked his bicycle in the back, out of sight.

“Wait,” I gasped in outrage.“There’s chocolate cake?”

Oh, hell no.Younger was not going to take the last piece.Nana’s chocolate cake was legendary.My mouth was conditioned to water at the mere mention of one of Cynthia Dugger’s baked confections.

“That son of a bitch.”

As I stormed through the living room, Grandpa cheered me on.“You get him, boy.That cake isours.”

Hell, yes, it was.

As soon as I reached the kitchen, however, I jarred to a halt to gape in horror at my best friend, who sat at the table, picking at the last few crumbs left on his plate with the tines of his fork.

Brown frosting was smeared across the edge of his lip, just taunting me.

Bastard.

“Mmm,” he greeted with a full mouth when he noticed me.Pointing his fork to his empty plate, he muffled out the words, “This is the best cake ever.Swear to God.”

My mouth fell open.“You ate all the cake?How could you?”

Alec sniffed and rolled his eyes.“Whatever.Nana set aside a piece for you and your grandpa too, you moron.They’re on the counter.”

I glanced over, and suddenly, life had meaning again.“Oh, thank goodness.”

Rushing forward before Alec got any bright ideas to fight me for it, I snatched up my plate, got a fork from the drawer, and planted myself across the table from him.

It took me two bites and one very long, orgasmic moan before I finally glanced over and asked, “So how’d you find me?”

Alec only shrugged.“After Parker said you hadn’t been at the library, I figured you’d camp out at one of the grandparents’ places for a while.”Motioning to his empty plate, he added, “And this one always has food, so…”

“Dammit, Younger.”I pressed a hand to my chest.“You’re going to break poor Gram’s heart if she ever hears you say shit like that.”Even if it would make Nana happier than hell to hear.

“Don’t you dare tell her,” he warned.

I laughed.“You’re such a dork.But news flash.I actuallywasat the library for a while.”With a bounce of my eyebrows, I smirked at him.“Frankie covered for me.”

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