Page 49 of The Boyfriend Boycott
The fundraiser was a good time, and brought everyone together, but the scholarship was the show-stealer. It was the proof we needed that Grady isn’t just trying to weed out the competition, but that he actually cares about the future entrepreneurs of Heartwood.
That’s what really matters for Grady’s cause at the end of the day, isn’t it? The way we leave something behind for our children and our children’s children.
The kind of life we set up for them.
I glance over at Marla seated at a table with Winnie. I wonder what kind of future she envisioned for me. If she even thought about it at all. The kind of life she led is not the kind of life thatsets a person up for success. Somehow, here I am, Grady’s arm around my waist, and I feel successful.
I feel like I’ve won just by having him near me, having him claim me in front of everyone here. I haven’t won yet, though. Not even close. My job, my livelihood, the only home I’ve been able to call mine, hangs in the balance. It’s the only home I’ve had that can’t be taken away from me, and I will fight for it with everything in me, like I’ve fought for everything else I’ve achieved.
I turn my attention back to the conversation Grady is having with Mack. He’s yet another person expressing how much it means to him that Grady has decided to fight for this cause.
“You know,” Mack says, “I remember when I took over the grocery store from my father. It was dire times for businesses here. The economy took a huge hit, but I made a promise to myself that I would keep my prices low. People needed food, people needed jobs, and I gave that to them.” He gives Grady a comforting smack on the shoulder. “We’ve always taken care of our own here. So, I think it’s commendable what you’re doing for the town. You can count on me to be at the council meeting.”
Grady’s mouth forms a tight line as he nods. I peer up at him from where I’m tucked under his arm, and I can tell he’s forcing a lump down his throat. This is how it’s been all night since he gave his speech. People have been approaching him to tell him how much this means to them, how it would impact their businesses if a massive corporation moved in as direct competition.
Progress. We’re making progress. People are starting to believe in Grady, to see what I see in him. Grady may crack jokes when he should be assertive, may choose to look on the bright side instead of demanding more, but it doesn’t mean he’s not passionate or that he doesn’t care. Grady cares for the people he loves by trying to lift them up through actions, not words.Unfortunately, actions are often what go overlooked. He’s not flashy about it, but he would be there for you in a heartbeat if he felt like there was some way he could help.
The only people left to convince, the opinions that truly matter, are the town council. They have the final say, and although Suzanne and Eleanor both seem to be on board, I didn’t see any of the others in the crowd. Nor did I see Jodi Price. She ignored my invitation.
We say goodbye to Mack, and most of the other guests have also started filing out of the bar, heading home for the night. The few left standing are the ones I have come to know as Grady’s inner circle, his family. Eleanor and Marko are still here, chatting to Winnie and my mother at one table. My mother, to her credit, actually looks interested and engaged.
Ally, Mason, and Poppy are gathered around another booth in the back corner celebrating Poppy’s win tonight. Everyone adored her Earl Grey Martini, and more than a few people drank a few too many. Hudson and Jett are helping Finn close up behind the bar, making some sort of game out of a very menial task. Between the two of them they only spilled one drink, so I’d call the night a success even if the entirety of it did end up all over Elsie.
“You’ve gone quiet.” Grady releases his arm from around my waist but still keeps his hand on my hip as he turns to look at me.“What’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?”
“I’m just taking it all in. It’s kind of amazing to see how you have all these people in your life that come out to support you, without so much as batting an eye,” I say, and I wonder if that’s something I will ever be able to create for myself. All the blood, sweat, and tears I’ve put into being able to afford an apartment on my own, to create an online business from nothing, and I’m not sure if I’ve really made it. This kind of love is not something you can pull out of thin air. It’s not something that exists for meback in Vancouver. The thought of going back now sucks the air right out of my lungs. The idea of leaving Grady makes me feel sick.
As if Grady can see the storm swirling around within me, he pulls me into a hug, his thick arms almost wrapping around me twice. I breathe in the warm scent of him. The raging storm in my heart settles into a calm breeze. This feels like home. Grady feels like home. Nevertheless, this feeling wars with the definition of home that I’ve always known. Home has never felt safe, and safety is what I need, what I’m working for.
“I have an idea,” he says, leaning down to whisper it into my ear. He pulls away from me and the cold air where Grady’s body once was is a shock to my system. I don’t have to wait long before Grady has plugged his phone into the speaker by the microphone, and he’s extended his hand to me, inviting me toward him.
A dance. Grady wants to dance with me. In front of all these people. I hesitate a moment, chewing on my lip, as I consider what this would mean for us. But my head is soon empty of all thought, because the way Grady’s hazel eyes are pleading with me across the bar is making my heart race, a deafening, thunderous beat drowning out all sense of reason.
Screw it.I want to dance with Grady, too. I may not be in Heartwood for much longer, but I’m going to enjoy the rest of my time here while I have it. So, I take his hand, and I let him lead me to a small opening between the tables, only big enough for the two of us.
Grady wraps his arm around my waist, his fingertips curling low on my spine, and takes my other hand in his. The warmth from his hand on the small of my back radiates through me, right down to my core. Someone whistles, and I have a feeling it’s Ally. A couple of short weeks ago this would have beenagainst the rules of my boycott. It would have been against a few of them, actually.
“So much for the rules, I guess, huh?” I say, twisting to look at Grady, my face only a few inches from his. He gazes back at me, his eyes twinkling in the dim light as his smile makes the corners crease.I love it when he smiles like that.
“I told you, Rebel,” he says, and then leans down so the next thing he whispers is warm against my ear, “fuck the rules.” Goosebumps skitter across my skin, and I get an irresistible urge to be alone with him. Grady has confirmed my suspicions that he was never on board with the rules in the first place, that he’s been trying to convince me to forget about them since the beginning. Whatever hesitations I have been feeling up until this point, the determination in Grady’s eyes makes me want to let go of them. Even if it’s just for tonight.
“So, you’ve just been going along with them, what, to entertain me and my crazy ideas?”
“Yeah, that sounds about right.” He chuckles, the sound reverberating through me, but then his expression falls as he says, “I just wanted you. Whatever that looked like. Whatever you needed, I wanted to be that for you.” Grady says it like him wanting me is the only singular truth. The only thing that he’s absolutely sure of. If only I could be so confident. If only I was as prepared as he is to take the risk of getting into a relationship.
The boyfriend boycott isn’t something I decided on because I was tired of dating. It’s there to protect me from uncertainty, to keep me safe. No matter how good or reliable someone may seem at the outset, the fact is that human beings are flawed. Putting your life in someone else’s hands is always going to be a risk.
Grady’s firm body is solid against me. He’s solid and steady and reliable. In this moment, I allow myself to fall, just a little bit, even if this thing between us is only temporary. Even ifthe expiration date is looming closer. I lean my head against his chest, listening to the rhythmic beat of his heart, the steady sound of his breath as his head dips close to mine.
It’s a sound that I’m fairly certain is there just for me.
“Your mom seemedto really hit it off with Winnie and Eleanor,” Grady points out as we walk into the master bedroom we’ve now been sharing and clicks the door shut behind us. Marla had been tipsy when we got home, so Grady made sure she made it down the stairs to her bedroom. She said goodnight to him with an over-the-top statement of unconditional love and a dramatic kiss on his cheek. It was heartwarming in a way. She seemed freer with her feelings, at ease.
“Yeah, because Winnie made sure her drinks were flowing all night.” I chuckle with a shake of my head.
“Well, I’d say the evening was a hit,” Grady says, unclasping his watch from around his wrist and loosening his tie.
“It was a blast,” I agree. “I just wish more of the councillors had come.” Only two out of the eight I invited had been there, Suzanne and Eleanor, and only because they’ve been directly involved in our cause. Suzanne had jumped at the chance to offer a student a scholarship when I approached her about it.
