“I work at Clarke’s Homestyle Cookin’.”

  “Yes! That’s it. I’ve been there a few times.”

  “My parents own the restaurant, and I help manage it.”

  “I like the food there,” he said. He turned to Brittany. “I’ll have to take you there sometime. It’s simple, but it tastes homemade.”

  Brittany shrugged, appearing uninterested. She eyed Lindsey with a cold look and then glanced at me. “Is this the woman you were talking about when I was hanging out at your place the other day?” Her voice was sugary sweet, but it didn’t match her expression. “Or were you talking about someone else?”

  My lips tightened. “I’m only dating Lindsey. There’s no one else.”

  Allen’s head snapped to Brittany. “Why were you at Gray’s?”

  I felt Lindsey’s eyes on me, and my stomach turned. The last thing I wanted was for her to doubt my integrity. If I’d been smart, I would’ve talked to Allen sooner. However, I’d put it off because it wasn’t a conversation I wanted to have. I just hoped Lindsey didn’t get the wrong idea.

  Brittany reminded me of a self-satisfied cat who’d just finished eating its meal and was about to play with an unsuspecting mouse. “I was baking cookies and thought I’d drop by.” She said it like it was something she did all the time. Her eyes wandered over to Lindsey as if to gauge her reaction.

  Allen frowned. “You never brought me cookies. Why didn’t I get any?” A crease formed in the middle of his brow, and he stiffened. “How long were you there?” He looked at me with accusing eyes as if I’d been the one to initiate the whole thing.

  Brittany smiled and swatted him playfully on the chest. “Don’t get jealous. Gray and I can hang out whenever we want.” She squeezed his arm and giggled. “It’s not a big deal.” She glanced at me. “We’re just friends, right Gray?”

  The way she said that made me narrow my eyes. I wasn’t sure what her motive was for bringing it up, but it didn’t seem good.

  “Yes, we’re just friends. And as I recall, you only stayed a couple of minutes. I specifically said we couldn’t hang out because you’re Allen’s girlfriend.”

  Her eyes flashed with hurt as if she genuinely didn’t think I’d call her out like that. For a second, I thought she might say something, but then she closed her mouth and glanced away.

  “Is that true?” Allen asked.

  She shrugged, and the corners of her mouth drooped down like she was about to cry. Whether the sudden change in mood was real or fake, I didn’t know.

  “I asked you a question,” Allen said, voice rising. “Answer me.”

  Brittany glanced up at him with huge puppy dog eyes filled with tears. “I…I don’t know why he’s saying that. We hang out together all the time.”

  “Why would you say that? It’s a lie.” I tensed, and a sick feeling tore through me. What was she doing?

  “Why would I lie about this? I have no reason to hide the truth. You enjoy my company. You said so the other day.”

  Allen backed away from her, glancing at us like we’d been having a secret affair. “This is all news to me. Why didn’t the two of you mention this sooner?”

  “Hold on,” I said, standing. “Brittany came by the other day with cookies. She wanted to hang out. I’m sure it was innocent”—I’d give her the benefit of the doubt—“But I didn’t want you to get the wrong idea, so I told her we couldn’t.”

  I glanced at Lindsey. Worry lines had formed on her forehead, and she was gripping the bench so hard her knuckles had turned white. I wanted to smooth out those lines with my thumb—tell her not to believe a word of this, but we’d have to talk later.

  “I also recall saying I was dating someone and didn’t want her to get the wrong idea,” I said. “Brittany, I can’t imagine why you’d lie about this, but you need to tell the truth.”

  A lone tear streamed down her face, but she didn’t move to wipe it away. “I know this is hard for you, Gray, but it’s time we came clean. I don’t want to hide this anymore. It’s not fair to Allen.”

  I clenched my fists, anger washing through me. Why was she doing this? Was it get-back for turning her away? “This is so wrong.” I glanced at Allen. “I hope you believe me. You know the kind of man I am. I would never—”

  “Stop, I don’t want to hear any of this.” He put his hands in the air and backed away like we were both poisonous. “You really had to go after one of my friends, Brittany?” He glanced at me. “And you. My father used to take us to Boy Scouts. I thought you were my friend. I thought I could trust you. But I should have known you’d do something like this. You betrayed me once, so why wouldn’t you do it again?”

  “Allen, no. I didn’t—”

  “Enough.” He glanced at Brittany. “Find yourself a ride home. You’re not coming with me.” He took off running.

  Brittany looked at me like a startled rabbit. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

  “Yes, you did. You flat out lied.”

  She stepped forward and whispered, “I did it for us. So we could be together.”

  I stepped away from her, not wanting to be anywhere close to this woman. “No, Brittany. That’s not happening. I’m not interested, and I never will be.”

  “You don’t mean that.”

  “Yes, I do.”

  She started to cry. “That’s not what you said the other day.”

  I felt the blood drain from my face. This was bad. Would Lindsey believe me?

  “At least give me a ride home,” she said.

  My jaw tightened. There was no way she was getting in the car with Lindsey and me. I pulled some cash out of my wallet and shoved it at her. “Here. Call a cab. We have to go.”

  I glanced over at Lindsey, but she had disappeared. My heart seized in my chest, and adrenaline shot through me. Where was she? Glancing around, I looked everywhere for her. I spotted her, heading for the street, hair blowing in the wind.

  “Lindsey, wait!”

  But she didn’t turn around.

  Clearly, she didn’t believe a word I’d said.

  Chapter 13

  Lindsey

  I had to get out of that situation. The more Brittany spoke, the queasier I felt. I stood on the street we’d gotten the tacos from, my arms wrapped around my waist, trying to breathe and figure out what to do next.

  My chest constricted, and I let out a shaky breath. I wanted to believe Gray. I truly did. But this was only our fourth date and how much did I really know him? Would he do something like that behind a friend’s back?

  He’d appeared earnest when he insisted she was lying about him, but then again, Brittany seemed crushed he wasn’t supporting her story. What if they had been spending time together under the radar and now he was refusing to own up to it? The thought of something going on between them while he simultaneously dated me made me physically ill.

  On the other hand, women could be manipulative—I knew that all too well—and she could have other motives I didn’t know about. How was I supposed to figure out this drama?

  Disappointment washed through me as I looked out into the street and kicked a rock next to my foot. I really liked Gray, and this turn of events was such a letdown. Why was it that every time I got past three or four dates, something terrible always happened? I couldn’t even blame Destiny for this one.

  Tears welled up in my eyes, but I stiffened and refused to cry. I had to do a better job of discerning a man’s character. A.J. and Mae were right. Maybe I was always dealing with men who let me down because I wasn’t looking close enough at their character.

  The other part of my brain reminded me that Piper had set us up, and she’d vouched for Gray—said he was a good guy. She would never arrange a date with someone untrustworthy, and everything I’d seen of him so far was aboveboard. Still…Maybe she didn’t know what he did in secret.

  “Lindsey!”

  I turned to find Gray running after me, face flushed, eyes worried. He caught up to me and put a hand on my arm. “Lindsey, please. Let me explain.”

  I pulled away. In order to remain rational about this, I couldn’t let him touch me. I needed to keep an emotional distance between us until I figured this out.

  He flinched, but instead of getting upset, he moved back to give me space. “She’s lying,” he said through a breath.

  I kept my face in a neutral expression. “Okay.” I pressed my lips into a firm line and looked down. “Why would she lie about something like that?”

  He let out a deep sigh, and every muscle in his face went taut. “She said she did it so we could be together. I don’t know if you heard her say it. She spoke quietly.”

  No, I hadn’t heard that. “How well do you know each other?”

  “Not well. We’ve only interacted in groups, and we rarely ever talk.”

  “All right. So, maybe she has a thing for you and she wants to change things up. Trust me, Gray. I want to believe you. It’s just weird that she would risk her relationship with her boyfriend if she didn’t already know how you feel about her.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest, the muscles flexing. “I’ve never given her a reason to think I’m interested. None of it makes sense to me either. But I can prove to you she’s lying.”

  “What kind of proof?”

  “I have surveillance cameras outside my house. Inside as well. They have the time and date. Come with me right now, and I’ll show them to you. You can see she only stayed a few minutes.”

  Hope stirred in me, and I allowed myself to believe he was being honest. “You would let me see your camera footage?”

  Something told me he wasn’t lying, but, apparently, I was a horrible judge of character, considering the men I’d dated in the past. I didn’t like being suspicious, but, come on, what was I supposed to think? The last thing I needed was to be back in a situation with a man who had a thing for someone else. It hurt too much, and it was the worst place to be in.

  “Yes, I want you to view that footage,” he said. “It’s important that you see with your own two eyes.”

  I nodded, and we left immediately. Once we were in Gray’s truck, he glanced at me and turned back to the road. A flicker of apprehension crossed his features. “There’s something I need to tell you before we get to my house.”

  My pulse kicked up a notch as I smoothed my hands over the fabric of my shorts. What now? There was more?

  “I’m what you might call,” he raked a hand through his hair and grimaced, “well off.”

  I frowned. Well off? Why was he telling me this? And judging by the state of his truck, I didn’t know how he came to that conclusion. Though, on second thought, that would explain how he had the money to buy all those flowers and send me to an elite spa. “And you need to tell me this because…?”

  He bit down on his lip and looked straight ahead. “Maybe well off doesn’t accurately portray…” He swallowed. “I just didn’t want to tell you upfront. I wanted to make sure you liked me for me, not because of…” He didn’t finish.

  “What are you trying to tell me, Gray?”

  He was quiet for a few moments and then he appeared to come to a decision. “I’m a very wealthy man. To be more precise, I’m a billionaire.” His voice sounded tired, resigned. “I hadn’t planned on telling you this soon, but I want you to see that camera footage today, and I don’t want you to be surprised when you see my house.” He waited for my reaction.

  Billionaire? Was he serious or was this a joke? I peered at him, wondering if he’d lost his mind. “Okay…”

  His expression relaxed, and he chuckled. “You’re looking at me like I’m short a few marbles.”

  I smiled. “Sorry. You seem like a normal guy. It’s hard for me to picture you as a tycoon.”

  “I don’t want your view of me to change. Even though I’m not your average guy, I’m still down-to-earth.”

  “Why does a billionaire drive around in an old pickup truck that looks like it’s seen its day?”

  “It belonged to my grandpa. I’ve been using it because I wanted you to get to know me before the whole billionaire image clouded your opinion.”

  “Oh. That actually makes a lot of sense.”

  He pulled into a gated community, and we drove past the kind of homes I’d only ever seen on television. We came to a large home separated from the others and there was another gate. He nodded at a security guard and the gate swung open. The house was…beyond words.

  No, Gray was definitely not your typical man. Not with a home like that.

  My jaw dropped open despite my efforts to appear unaffected. The house could have been on an episode of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous back in the day. It had a Mediterranean style with arched doorways and second-floor balconies. A stone walkway led to the house, and Palm trees grew in strategic places. We got out of the car and went indoors, and my eyes widened because it was just as impressive inside. The ceiling was high off the ground with sunlight pouring down from a window. A massive staircase led to the second floor, and tasteful artwork hung on the walls. There were tall, lush ferns and other foliage inside, giving it an outdoor, indoor appeal.

  “Wow. You weren’t kidding. Your home is amazing.”

  “Thanks.” He smiled, appearing pleased at my words. “Have a seat, and I’ll get the camera footage from Anthony.”

  He returned a few minutes later and set everything up on the TV. “This is from the day she brought over the cookies.” He sped through quite a bit and then stopped when she drove through the gate and knocked on his door. He switched to the indoor footage after that.

  I watched, noting his body language in the video the entire time. From all appearances, he seemed slightly uncomfortable during her visit. He didn’t look like he was interested in her. At once, my body relaxed as relief flooded through me though I felt bad for being suspicious earlier. We continued watching, and just like he’d said, he walked to the front door a few minutes after she arrived and waited for her to leave. He was right. She lied.

  “I can’t believe she did that to you, Gray. Even if her motive was to get closer to you, didn’t she consider that something like that would cause you to push her away?”

  He set his mouth in a grim line. “One would think she’d figure that out. But it’s obvious she didn’t think before she acted.”

  “I’m sorry about my wariness. I didn’t know what to believe.”

  He turned to face me. “Hey, don’t be sorry. I know how that looked. And we’re just getting to know each other. If it had been the other way around, I would have felt the same.”

  “Thank you for understanding.”

  “Well, now that you’re here, do you want a tour of the house?”

  I smiled. “I’d love that.”

  Chapter 14

  Lindsey

  On Sunday, I woke up with a smile on my face. I had to get up in a few minutes, but, for now, all I wanted was to relax and think about the time Gray and I spent together at his house the previous day.

  After we’d watched those surveillance videos, he’d pulled out the classic movie, Sabrina, with Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, and William Holden. It was one of my favorites, and, as it turned out, it was one of his as well. We’d eaten popcorn and then talked about our favorite scenes after the movie was over. Time flew by so fast we’d both lost track, and before we knew it, the dinner hour had crept up on us. Gray suggested a nice restaurant in a trendy part of town, but I’d insisted on ordering pizza. I loved hanging out with him and getting to know him without all the formalities and fuss.

  Sunday was family day, and after church I was supposed to have lunch with my mom, aunt, and Destiny. My aunt had planned it a month ago because she’d wanted to go to a tea place that served scones and miniature sandwiches. Normally, I would have looked forward to it, but since Destiny and I were barely on speaking terms, dread filled every part of my body.

  After the church service was over, I winced at the thought of joining the others at the Tea Palace. Since Mom had driven with Dad to church, and he was going straight home, she drove with me to the restaurant.

  “So, how was your date?” she asked once we were in my car and on the road.

  “It was good. Gray’s a really great guy.” Despite my uneasiness about seeing Destiny today, I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face as I mentioned Gray. I didn’t even care that I looked like a love-struck teenager.

  “Oh, look at that. Is that a smile I see?”

  I laughed. “Mom, I’m not five.”

  “I can’t help it. You may be thirty, but you’ll always be my baby girl. It makes me happy when you’re happy, and it’s about time after all that business with Jason.” She glanced at me, worry suddenly crossing her features. “I’ve been meaning to tell you that Marsha called and said Jason’s coming over for dinner tonight. If you don’t feel like coming, you don’t have to.”

  I shrugged. “To be honest, he hasn’t even crossed my mind. I’m hurt that Destiny can’t keep her hands off my boyfriends but—”

  “Now, sweetie. She did say he came on to her.”

  “And she should have turned him down. Where’s the loyalty?”

  Mom nodded grimly. “I know. You’re right. I laid into Marsha about it, and she insisted she gave Destiny the third degree. But if you ask me, I think she’s trying to stay out of it.”

  “That’s probably for the best. I don’t want to cause a family rift.”

  “Well, let’s talk about happier things. Tell me everything that happened on your date.”

  For the rest of the drive over, I told her about the beach trip, leaving out the part about Brittany. She wanted happy details, and after seeing that video footage, I was confident Gray was an upstanding guy. No need to worry Mom. When I mentioned the part about him being a billionaire, she gasped and placed a hand over her heart. “I knew he had to be more than a construction worker. He seems like the type to lead men.”

 

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