Page 96 of Perfectly Grumpy

My heart squeezes painfully inside me. I turn back to the sink full of soapy water. “I’m sure he will.”

Only problem?It won’t be me.

After the last dish is dried, I grab Annie’s leash. “I’m going to take the dog for a quick walk before the Nerf battle starts.”

Outside, the morning is perfect—sunny but not too hot, with a gentle breeze rustling through trees. We’re circling back toward the lodge when I hear it: Tate’s voice, low and calm, coming from behind the outdoor shed.

He’s crouched on the grass, completely surrounded by kids, like the Pied Piper. That’s when I notice he’s wearing a pair of his novelty socks today. Bright blue with little lions on them. The kind of socks only someone truly comfortable in their own skin would wear.

Kaylie and Camden sit glued to his side, while three other cousins hang on his every word. In his hands is a bright orange-and-blue Nerf gun. “Let me explain the physics of a Nerf gun,” he says, launching into a thorough analysis of how air pressure propels the dart forward. Miraculously, the kids actually listen to his entire explanation.

Then, he aims at a paper target they’ve attached to a fence post, squeezes the trigger, and the foam bullet bounces off the bullseye.

“Do it again!” Camden shouts.

“Teach me how!” Kaylie says.

“Let’s have a Nerf battle!”Camden says.

Before Tate can react, they ambush him, launching bullets in his direction.

“Hey, hey—ow—time-out!” Tate yells, shielding himself with his arms as bullets bounce off of him. “You guys didn’t even give me a chance!”

The kids shriek with laughter as Tate scrambles for bullets.

“I’m gonna get you!” he yells, jamming the bullets into his gun, and firing back. The kids run in all directions while Tate chases after them like he’s a little kid again.

Annie barks, and he stops and suddenly swings around, gun raised, his stance ready to fire.

When he sees me, he smirks, but doesn’t lower his gun. “I thought I heard someone hiding over here. Do you surrender, Sunny?”

I put my palms in the air. “It’s not fair if you shoot me. I don’t even have a gun.”

“Hmm.” He looks me over. “You’re right. Basic rule of Nerf war—you can’t shoot innocent bystanders.”

I lower my hands as Annie settles by my feet. “So Annie and I are safe?”

“That depends on what you mean bysafe,” he says. “I’m not sure you’re the one who’s safe for me to be around.”

I blink, surprised by how my brain wants to take those words. “I’m your PR manager. Trust me, I’m the definition of safe.”

Even as I say it, I know it’s not entirely true. There’snothing safe about the way my heart rate doubles when he looks at me like that, or how badly I want to find out if the rest of him is as warm as his hands.

“Besides,” I add, trying to regain control, “being dangerous would require breaking rules. And you’re Sheriff, remember? The rule-follower.”

His smile grows into something I rarely see from him—a little reckless and playful. “Maybe you’re teaching me that some rules are worth breaking, Sunny.” Then he smirks before adding, “And maybe you’re the first rule I want to break.”

The words hang between us, shimmering like a delicate promise of a future I want so badly. I should back away. Remind him that after this week we go back to me being his PR manager and him being a player.

“That’s a dangerous game, Sheriff,” I say quietly. “I suggest you just walk away.”

“And leave you here…defenseless? Can’t do that, Sunny.”

“Well, I think the kids ditched us, anyway.”

“Good,” he says, taking another step toward me. “I was hoping we could be alone.”

I hold up a hand to stop him from coming closer. “Tate, this week has been really fun.”

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