Page 88 of Trapped
“Did you seriously just order a diet drink?”
“What? I don’t want to get fat.”
My eyes trailed down her body, taking in every detail. She wasn’t fat. She was gorgeous, fit, and…
Ashley cleared her throat.
“Nathan, stop staring and tell me what kind of dipping sauce you want.”
“Does that mean you’ll share your wings?”
“Maybe.” She grinned and tossed her hair over her shoulder with enough sass to make the girl behind the counter giggle.
“Ranch is fine.” I said before adding my small pizza to the order.
Lunch with Ashley and Gran was an exercise in patience and control.
Ashley was back to her feisty self, and Violet was even less subtle than before in her attempts to hook us up.
Little did Violet know, we were halfway there.
If I had my way about it, I’d be kissing Ashley before the night was over.
Chapter 28
Ashley
Gran must have sensed the shift. She spent less time trying to hook us up and more time getting to know Nathan. Hearing him cleverly maneuver away from topics he wanted to avoid reminded me of our time in Vegas.
How easily he’d played me.
No, I corrected myself. He did what he had to do. And it wasn’t his fault I was too enthralled to notice his shifty behavior.
When Gran asked, “Can I ask how you got your scar?” Nathan’s entire body tensed. Gran noticed too and quickly changed the subject.
Instinctively, I put my hand on his arm, offering comfort. I didn’t know all the details, but I knew thinking about it caused him to freak out.
Gran didn’t miss the gesture, or the tension in Nathan’s shoulders draining away as he stared at my hand on his sleeve.
“What I meant to ask is, how do you like working for John and his boys?” Gran asked.
Nathan nodded his appreciation before answering. His voice was rough, like he’d just woken up. Or was holding back powerful emotions. “It’s only been a week, but so far, I like it. I appreciate their no bullsh-their no nonsense approach.”
Gran laughed. “John was never one for bullshit, got that from his father.”
Gran didn’t mind the occasional cuss word, which made her the coolest grandmother in Weatherford, maybe even Texas. But she drew the line at fuck. Gran thought the word was unnecessary.
I disagreed. The word had many useful applications, but I refrained from using it in her presence.
“And passed on to his sons,” Nathan added.
“At least the oldest one.” Gran looked at me. “I seem to remember Jack and the youngest.” She paused, trying to remember his name.
“Jaden.” I reminded her. It made sense she didn’t remember him. Jay was several years younger, so he never hung out with us.
“Right, Jaden. They got in their fair share of trouble.”
“Jack wasn’t too bad,” I said, defending him. We’d hung out in the same circles in high school. Jack wasn’t straight and narrow like Jamie, who was a little too perfect, but he wasn’t a troublemaker. He questioned rules and tested boundaries, but there was never any ill intent.
