Page 66 of Broken Play
Birdie is deep in thought as she pieces things together. "Paulina, he loves kids and competition and is just an all-around great guy." I can practically hear Birdie's suspicion pressing on her words. I'm afraid Birdie might unravel what's going on between Greyson and me, and right now, she looks as if she's twisting a loose thread, deciding when to pull it.
"Paulina, will you be okay? I'll be back later, and we can watch a movie."
"Can I go with you? I know Mr. O'Ryan will want to see me."
"Birdie, do you have enough room in your car?"
"Yep."
Relief floods me; I won't have to answer Birdie's questions on the way to Greyson's house.
"Okay, just let me grab the box. Paulina, grab the bag of ingredients. I'm going to make a peach pie."
I swallow hard, forcing a smile, but in the back of my mind I'm already calculating—because if Birdie's suspicious now, I have no idea how I'm going to keep Greyson, and everything that's happened between us, a secret much longer.
THIRTY-FIVE
GREYSON
"Something smells delicious!" J.D. says, already licking his chops as I head straight for Sutton, ready to brush her hair off her neck and kiss her sweet skin, but at the last minute, I remember we're in hiding.
When I get close enough to smell her musky perfume, I ask, "I hope these peaches are fresh. My dad would die if he ate canned peaches."
"Oh, they're fresh. Birdie and I drove to a farmer's market just outside of town. Peach pie is the one thing I know how to make."
"If you know how to make it, why did you need Birdie's help?" I ask, lifting a brow, because Birdie cannot cook.
Sutton's eyes speak to me as she tilts her head. "Greyson, look who's here!"
I see a pair of Crocs step out from behind Sutton, and I realize she wanted Paulina to meet Birdie. "Paulina, I'm so happy you're here. Do you want to see my trophy room?"
Sutton crosses her arms with a grin stretching from ear toear. "You're such a show-off." I raise my hand as if to say she caught me.
Birdie laughs and, under her breath, says to J.D., "Let's follow them."
We take the stairs to the man cave, and I point out a few posters from championships, but then I see Armadillo stuff everywhere. Where did all this stuff come from? I glance over my shoulder at J.D., but Sutton smirks just off to the side.
"Someone thinks they're funny?" I pick up the Armadillo TV remote, then the Armadillo pillow on my couch. I know it's Sutton; J.D. is one focused dude, and there's no way he would take time out of his day to do this. He's too concerned with keeping his job.
"Are you kidding me? An Austin Armadillo plant holder? A bobblehead I can see... but a plant holder?" My gaze collides with Sutton's, and if eyes ever truly danced, it would be the way Sutton's are right now. Her smile is one of victory.
Paulina's eyes light up as she picks up a stuffed animal. "I love Archie the Armadillo. He's so cute."
I put my hand on her shoulder. "You can have it if you want. But armadillos are tough, not cute."
Paulina points at my brother and me. "You two are cute, and you're Armadillos."
"Okay, but let's keep that between us."
Paulina hugs her stuffed armadillo. "Thanks! Do you have tennis courts? I'll play you."
"I don't. That's why I brought Noelle to play at the academy, but we can play football outside after dinner. You can be on my team, and we'll beat these three."
Her aggressive nod tells me she's all about it.
Sutton wraps her arm around Paulina, and my heart skips a beat. I'm not imagining it—my heart stutters. One thing I know is that I wasn't prepared to fall this hard and this fast for my boss.
The doorbell rings, so J.D. and I run upstairs to help my dad. His arms are full of takeout bags, and he brushes past us with a little head tilt, so I get the rest. I almost forgot that this dinner is about Parker and getting on the same page with our dad.
