Page 76 of Trust Me Always

“Oh, no.” Brady spins, fully facing Granny Grace, and places his forearms on her desk, giving her his full attention. “I want to hear this.” He gives her his best crooked grin.

She scoffs again but sets her pen down, pushing her glasses up on her head, and mimics his position from her side, leaning close the exact same way.

“Hello, Granny Grace,” he drawls, peeking my way to confirm that she is, in fact, the person he is guessing she is based on our chats.

“Hello, Brady.” She makes his whole-ass day by knowing his name, his growing smile the proof. “I’m going to go ahead and save you a whole lot of trouble. How does that sound?”

I bite back a smile, and Brady flicks his eyes to Chase in amusement before looking back to her.

“If that girl right there wore nothing but a leotard and a puffy little ball on her ass, with those curves and that gorgeous, golden hair of hers, the night would not go the way you wanted it to.”

“Yeah?” He grins.

“Yeah. She’d be cold, and some poor fool would be knocked out cold.”

Brady frowns for a split second before his head falls back on a laugh, the other boys joining in.

Granny Grace doesn’t let him see her grin but buries it as she looks down at her papers again.

Brady steps over, taking Deaton from Mason’s shoulders, and Mason unfolds the stroller.

Brady comes closer, turning so Deaton is in my reach. “Give Calmy hugs, little man.”

Deaton leans over, and I squeeze his little body.

“Don’t worry, Girlfriend.” Brady smiles. “My costume of choice will not disappoint. I might even tell you what it is during our lunch date tomorrow.”

“Do you already know what you’re going to get?”

“Nope, but whatever Idopick out, it will be with you in mind.”

I roll my eyes dramatically, taking his shoulders and spinning him around, pushing him toward the door. “Okay, jerk faces. Bye. Go have your man time.”

The others wave their goodbyes, but Brady pauses by Granny Grace’s desk once more, looking down at the photo of her and her late husband sitting on top.

“Nice picture, Granny Grace.” He leans forward. “I drive a Chevy too.”

Granny Grace looks up, small creases deepening her wrinkles at first, but then her soft smile falls on the frame. “He always said the smart ones do.”

Brady places his hand over hers, and she glances up at him, but he’s already walking out.

I watch his form as he walks through the door, a sense of warmth settling over me.

Just before the doors begin to close, I hear him ask, “Either of you know what the hell a leotard is?”

My lips tip up, and this time when I look over at my friend, because that’s what she is, Granny Grace is looking at me.

“What?”

“That boy is gone on you.”

I laugh, shaking my head. “Oh no, we’re…” I pause, not wanting to sayfake datingbecause that would be a whole-ass story to get into. “Just having fun.”

“Oh, honey.” She stands, taking her stack of papers with her as she rounds the desk, patting my shoulder on her way. “Bless your little heart.”

“Okay,but don’t we have to add in learning to read or write or something?” Alister stares down at the partial lesson plan I created without him last class.

“You can’t make lemonade without the lemons.”

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