Page 47 of First Bride to Fall
“Best move?” His body still buzzed from their earlier exchange, but he did his best to address her question. There’d be more time for romance later. He hoped. It wasn’t like they had to rush this. Grant was cautious, a big believer in taking things slow. He searched the annals of his brain, stumbling across a recollection. “Hmm. Probably ZEBRANO.”
She wrinkled up her nose. “What’s that?”
“A tree having striped wood.”
She chuckled. “Oh no! That’s a seven-letter word.”
“Oh yeah.” He grinned. They were back to lighthearted fun, and that was fine with him for the moment. “Fifty bonus points for using all seven tiles,andshe played that on a Triple Word Score.”
Nell smiled. “She sounds great, Grant. I wish I could have met her.”
“Yeah, she was. And you know what? So do I.” He studied Nell, thinking about how much his mom would have liked her. And vice versa. “She was AMAZING.”
“Seven-letter word using a Z.” She grinned a devilish grin, and he wanted to kiss her so hard. But he decided to work on that later. “I think we’re ready to play.”
He rubbed his hands together, eager to get started. “No mercy?”
She met his eyes, and there was daring in hers. “No mercy.”
Grant’s heart skipped a beat.
He liked the sound of that. He’d never met anyone like Nell Delaney. That was for sure. “Okay, honey,” he said. “You’re on.”
…
“Nooooo!!!”
Grant’s groan echoed through the cabin, bouncing off the knotty pine walls. He raked both hands through his hair and threw back his head. “You slaughtered me.”
Nell laughed, pleased with the outcome. Still, she tried to be gracious about it. “A twelve-point win isn’t an annihilation, Grant.”
“Might as well be.” He chuckled and shook his head. “There was no coming back once you played GHERKINS.”
“Guess you got yourself in a pickle by opening up that S,” she teased.
“Touché, Nell. Touché.” He sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. “I give you all the credit. You didn’t even need those Us, the X, or the Z.”
“Now, if the K disappears…” She rolled her eyes.
Grant belly laughed. “No worries there. My cheating days are done.”
“Yeah.” She sighed happily. “Mine, too.”
She helped him pack up the game, unable to believe the difference that twenty-four hours made. Just yesterday evening, she’d decided to sign up for Grant’s hike, and today he’d said he was awful glad that she had. And the way he’d looked at her had made her skin tingle all over. A flurry of nerves settled in her belly. She might actually do this. Get Grant to fall in love with her—organically.
They shared the same sense of humor and loved word games.
And the way he’d tended to her had practically made her melt.
Her heart sighed every time he asked how she was doing or made some small effort to ensure her comfort. He really was a wonderful guy. Nell was pleased that she’d chosen so perfectly. She could have wasted years and years crushing on someone who turned out to be a really horrible person in the end. But no. He was everything she’d hoped for.
Grant Williams was a stellar guy.
He was more than a star.
He was an entire constellation.
And he lit up her night sky.
