Page 13 of A False Start
Not more dark, broody nights.
6
Griffin
I’m cuttinginto my slice of prime rib with more force than necessary, still fuming over the big, dopey Ken doll trying to force a drink on my best friend’s little sister. No one else saw, and even if they did, it wouldn’t bug them as much.
But as a person who steers clear of the stuff, it gets my hackles up. I don’t know what Nadia’s reasons are, and it doesn’t seem like he does either. All that aside, a man should always take no for an answer. If you have to pressure a woman into doing something, you’re a pencil-prick with no manners. In my book anyway.
And this guy is one of those. Big talker, a shiny small-town showboat. I recognize it because that used to be me.
Minus the not taking no for an answer. My mama taught me better than that.
“This is so good, Stefan.” The petite blonde across the table, who introduced herself as Violet, smiles kindly over the quiet clanking of cutlery. Other murmurs of assent fill the space while everyone chows down.
“Glad to hear it. I love cooking for you guys.” Stefan grins at his wife. A charged grin that almost makes me a little jealous. All these people seem so damn happy in each other’s company.
I’m out of my element. I haven’t been in the habit of meeting new people for several years now. I’m out of practice. Most of the people sitting here are new to me. Stefan and Mira I know well, but the rest not so much. I know Billie now, or at least she talked at me like we know each other.
For a few years there, it was just Stefan. He was the only person I spent time with, aside from my parents. When he bought this place from me, he was so fucking clueless. I couldn’t figure out why someone who knew almost nothing about running a farm would want one. So, I offered to help him in my free time. Teach him the ropes.
The only reason I offered is because when we met, his eyes didn’t widen, he didn’t ask for an autograph, and he didn’t inquire about where I’d disappeared to, which meant he had no idea who I was.
A sincerenice to meet youwas all I got. And that sliver of anonymity gave me the freedom to be a completely new person around Stefan. Of course, my history eventually became known. But on my terms. Stefan liked me for me, grumbly prick that I’d become. Our friendship foundation had nothing to do with who we’d been and everything to do with who we both were at that moment when we met.
Two lonely motherfuckers with pasts we’d rather leave, well, in the past.
Violet continues to carry the conversation. “Nadia, I heard Billie is going to give you riding lessons this summer.”
The young woman beside me, who I’ve been trying my damndest to ignore, stiffens ever so slightly. She places her fork down carefully, like every movement is planned. Intentional. Like she’s playing the role of someone soft and demure.
The girl in the bathroom wasn’t this reined in. She was wild. Demanding.Again,she’d said. The one word that pierced my shields. I almost did it, too. Kissed her again. I was so close, but something held me back.
And now, spending the summer here in her general vicinity, I know I’m going to have to keep holding myself back. Pushing her away.
“Yeah. Yes, I think I’d like that. I’m pretty comfortable working with the horses. It seems like a natural progression to learn to ride.”
“I’m happy to help when I have time. I’m not sure Billie understands how tired she’s going to be once the babies arrive.” She grins at her friend knowingly.
Billie just rolls her eyes. “I’m right here, you know.”
It’s under the din of laughter that I notice Tommy’s hulking frame lean in on the opposite side of Nadia. He drops his voice, but not low enough. “Should we tell them you already know how to ride real well?”
Nadia stops chewing, her eyes shifting around the table to see if anyone heard. Her warm brown irises flash to mine for only a moment before they drop back down to her plate.
She knows I heard what he said, and she can’t even look at me because of it. He embarrassed her.What a fucking dickhead thing to say to a girl at a family dinner.
My teeth grind. I want to say something so badly—I want to smash his big dumb face into his plate—but I swallow my rage and carry on brutalizing my steak.
“Violet might be right, you know.” Vaughn doesn’t even glance at Billie as he says it, like even he knows his wife will injure him for trying to tell her what to do. “Just a thought.” He snorts in a poor attempt to contain his amusement, obviously sensing her unimpressed stare on his face.
“Thanks,Boss Man.” The words cut and Vaughn’s cheeks twitch. The few times I’ve been around these two have been enough for me to know they enjoy the push and pull of these confrontations. It’s charming, in a way. “But I’m pretty sure I can decide what I can handle.”
“I c—” I talk before my brain has enough time to shut it down, stopping on the hardc-sound ofcan. My brain to mouth connection is questionable at the best of times, so I guess leave it to me to blurt something stupid out now. “I will. If you’re not able.”
Billie points her fork at me and narrows her eyes. “Thanks Griff. That’d be great.I,” she glares at her husband, “will let you know if I need you to step in.”
I nod and turn my attention back down to my plate, wishing I hadn’t risked talking in front of everyone. Especially by volunteering to spend more time with a girl that I should stay far away from.
