Page 71 of Grit
Abby had invited Cary and Rumi to the fall talent show at her school. She was singing and dancing with a group of her friends and was asking for an audience.
Cary nodded. “We wouldn’t miss it. Text me the time of her game this weekend and I’ll try to make it if we haven’t taken off yet.”
“I will. And I’ll make dinner after the program if you and your mom want to come over.”
“Sounds good.” He hesitated, not sure if he should bring up the loan again. “You going to tell your mom about it?”
“Dinner?” Melissa frowned.
“No, the other thing.”
“Ah.” Melissa took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Yeah. I have to.”
“I still think you should tell Abby. Not to badmouth her grandparents, but just so she knows what’s up. ’Cause she’s going to know something is up.”
She didn’t argue with him this time. She stared at the steering wheel and nodded. “I’ll think about it.”
“Fair enough.” He curled his finger toward her. “Come here.”
“Again?” Her smile reappeared from hiding. “You’re insatiable.”
“Just wait. You’ll find out how much.”
Her lips were flushed and swollen by the time he finished kissing her.
“Soon,” he whispered against her mouth. “Very soon.”
Chapter Sixteen
Melissa sat nextto Cary in the darkened auditorium, trying to ignore the feeling of his finger sliding along her leg. His face gave nothing away; he was watching raptly as Abby and three of her friends lip-synced and danced to “Walking on Sunshine” while dressed in 1980s costumes, sunglasses, and carrying cardboard surfboards.
A slight smile was on his face, but Melissa couldn’t tell if he was smiling at the girls’ antics or enjoying her torment.
She cleared her throat and shifted. “Stop,” she mouthed at him.
He didn’t say a word, he just moved his arm from beside her leg to the back of her seat, effectively putting his arm around her.
Her eyes went wide. “Cary.”
“What? These seat are tiny,” he whispered. “My shoulders don’t fit.”
She wished she could just relax, lean into his side, and maybe lean her head on his shoulder. He was solid. It would feel so nice.
But her daughter was on the stage. A hundred nosy gossips filled the auditorium. She wasn’t embarrassed about Cary, she just didn’t want a million different opinions on something that was nobody’s business but theirs. So she sat stiffly next to him, pretending the muscled arm around her shoulders was nothing more than the gesture of a friend.
He leaned over to her and whispered, “Our childhood is now a historical musical era.”
“Showing your age, old man.” She smiled a little. “I was a baby when this came out.”
“Oh, that’s right. I forgot you’re barely legal.”
Melissa had to muffle a laugh.
“What was your boy band of choice? Were you an ’N Sync girl? Backstreet Boys?”
“Please.” She cut her eyes toward him. “I was obviously the sixth Spice Girl.”
His lip twitched. “I apologize. I don’t know how I could have made that mistake.”
