Page 84 of First Bride to Fall
Grant shut the back door behind him just in time to conceal his chortles.
He wished he had a picture of Nell’s face when he’d handed her that toilet brush.
She’d looked like she wanted to scream, or clobber him with the toilet brush.
To her credit, she didn’t do either.
He grabbed his fishing boots and the waders he kept on a hook in the storage closet, hoping he hadn’t been too hard on her. He didn’t really believe she’d clean the bathroom and polish the floors, much less chop wood. What he guessed she’d do was spend the next few hours steaming about what a jerk he was. Unfair in his expectations and chauvinistic, too.
By the time he returned from fishing, she’d be begging to leave.
Good.
She could catch a ride home with Charlotte and Misty when they stopped by.
Grant dressed in his fishing clothes, sliding his chest-high waders over his fleece jacket and jeans, and stepped into his boots, leaving his hiking boots in the storage closet. Then he strolled down the path leading to his favorite spot, his rod in one hand and his tackle box in another. A cooler handle hung from the crook of his arm. He’d filled the cooler with ice and would use it to stow the fish until he was ready to clean them.
It was a gorgeous afternoon, and puffy white clouds dotted the blue sky above the cascades. It was hard not to remember yesterday’s rainbow, or the very different feeling he’d had in his heart when he’d been here with Nell. He recalled the selfie that she’d sent him, and his insides ached. He’d been one happy, carefree guy.
Misguided, though, and gullible.
Grant frowned, his heart hardening again.
Nell’s pretty smile had all been for show. If it hadn’t been for her race against time to find a husband, they might have actually stood a chance.
When was she going to tell him the truth about the bet with her sisters? She’d only fessed up about her camping and hiking inexperience under duress. He figured she was going to come clean about Aidan eventually, but he had no idea when.
Grant’s heart gave a hopeful lift.
Maybe once she’d had enough of his cooking and cleaning expectations and couldn’t take any more? He chuckled, betting that that time was coming soon. And, if by some great miracle she decided to stay after today, he’d move on to the next “C” in his plan, the one that came after Cooking and Cleaning: Camping.
Yeah, it was fine. Nell could keep her little secrets about Aidan and that bet a while longer if she wanted, and he could keep having fun making himself an unbearable guy. He didn’t intend to apply any more honesty pressure, though. He’d leave that to Nell and her conscience.
…
Nell stared down at the toilet brush, her irritation building. She’d been sitting at the kitchen table for a while holding it. She didn’t know for how long. The minutes just seemed to keep ticking by as she sat there in shock. Then she went from irritated to flaming mad.
All yesterday, Grant had been so tender and attentive. Today, she was his personal Cinderella. Emphasis on the cinders part.
Keep the home fires burning?
She couldn’t believe he’d really said that, or the bit about him being a “hunter-gatherer guy.”Grrr.The man had some nerve.
She wasn’t fully recovered from twisting her ankle. Still, what? He wanted her to clean the bathroom and polish the wood floors? Seriously?
If she told her sisters any of that, they’d die. They’d also be furious on her behalf, lowering their opinion of Grant. She doubted they could lower their opinions any further than hers, though. Because her opinion of Grant was currently in the toilet. For real.
And to think, not even an hour ago, she’d been excited about their future together.
There would be no future if this was what he called wedded bliss. She’d rather marry Aidan and live a lonely life in London than align herself with a misogynist who didn’t understand the meaning of equal partners in a relationship.
Grant was so not the person she remembered from yesterday. It was like he’d done a complete one-eighty after he’d gone into town.
Wait a minute.
Nell gaped at the toilet brush.
No way. Her sisters wouldn’t have.
