Page 113 of Worth the Risk

When he pulls back, it takes me a second to get my footing because he just kissed me like he already knows when I know he doesn’t.

“Sorry that I’m leaving you here with my family.” He runs a hand down my arm and links his pinky with mine.

“It’s okay. I kind of like them.”

“I’m also sorry we didn’t get to finish our conversation.” He squeezes that pinky around mine.

“We said what we needed to say,” I murmur.

“You’re amazing.” His words startle me as he presses a chaste kiss to my cheek and then heads down the pathway.

You’re amazing, too.

And it’s the first time he’s ever walked away from me that I’ve felt uncertainty. He just took a huge step in opening up to me . . . and I didn’t do so in return. I’m still hiding something from him because I’m scared to death of ruining this feeling.

He said we’re just going to go along with whatever this is. Day by day. I’m not naïve enough to think that day by day means I don’t have to tell him what’s going to happen after the winner is announced.

I know I need to. I know I should have. But this all happened so fast that now I’m the one stuck being the asshole.

When I walk back into the house, Grayson’s dad is standing there waiting for me.

“You okay?” he asks, eyes searching mine in a way that tells me he sees way more than I want him to.

“I’m fine.”

He laughs softly. “My Grayson can be a tough one to figure out,” he says without prompting. “Strong but sensitive. Stubborn but fair. He’s our peacekeeper around here.”

“I can see that.”

“He likes you, you know? He wouldn’t be pushing you away so hard if he didn’t.”

“Oh.” It’s silly that my heart swells hearing this.

Chief settles onto the arm of the couch. “Shh, don’t tell Betsy I’m sitting here.” He winks, and I shake my head. What is it with these Malone men and their charm? “She has a strict rule for the boys about butts anywhere but the cushions, but I earned it.”

“I won’t tell her. I promise.”

He looks at his thumbs, fiddling together as if he’s trying to figure out whether he should say something or not. “I know you two are pretending there’s nothing between you.” He holds up his hand when I start to talk, and out of respect, I bite my tongue. “Let me say my piece, and then, just like my sitting on this armrest here, you can pretend it never happened.”

“Okay.” I smile because I can’t help it with him.

“I get why you have to keep things on the down low for the sake of propriety when it comes to the contest. I’m no stranger to how Grayson has conducted his affairs in the past because he wants to protect Luke. Or that’s what he says, when it’s clearly the only way he knows how to protect himself.

“Gray has always been the most loyal of my boys. He’s always trusted fiercely. And when Claire shattered that, I swore it broke something inside him. He didn’t let anyone get close to him. But since you’ve been around, I’ve seen a lot of that fight come back. That means he cares, Sidney. That means he’s scared to death. And, so help me God, that means he’s going to push you away to prove you aren’t going to stay . . . so if you aren’t going to stay, let him push you. Do him the courtesy so that he doesn’t get more attached and then become equally as crushed when you walk out of Sunnyville and never look back. If you’re going to stay, I hope like hell you’ll fight for him, because he’s worth every misspoken word and uttered curse and ounce of confusion.”

I stare at him with tears in my eyes and so much conflict in my heart that I don’t know what to say or do. How does he see that one of my feet is already out of the door when Grayson hasn’t?

Understanding my silence, he gives me a soft smile and stands. “C’mon. Enough fatherly lectures. Let’s go have a beer and some food. Poor Gray is gonna miss out.”

Me: I’m just around the corner if you want to get your stuff ready to go.

I send the text to my mom when I’m stopped at the light and then turn into my neighborhood. I look at the response when I come to a stop sign, idling for longer than I should while staring at the words.

Mom: I’m not at your house with Luke. Sidney is.

Sidney is?

My initial reaction is no. Just flat out no. This is my mom’s way of meddling. This is my mom’s way of pushing an issue I’m not ready to broach yet.