Ben nodded, his hair bouncing with the movement.
For a minute, Sara allowed herself to wish that things could be different. That Grant would stay in Hidden Hollows, and they could make their relationship work. A part of her yearned for it so badly, it hurt.
Not just for her. For Ben too. Grant would be a wonderful father, and he’d never feel jealous or competitive of Jared’s memory. He loved Jared as much as Sara did.
Grant rose and held out his hand for Ben to take. “Your dad wanted to go fishing. We were…maybe a year older than you are now.”
Sara fell into step beside them as they crossed the street again toward the ice cream store. She’d never heard this story before.
“He had a Scooby Doo fishing pole, and your grandparents had a large fish tank. Your dad waited until your grandma was working on her garden outside. Then he and I stuck some bread on the hook and dunked it into the fish tank.”
Ben’s eyes widened. “Did you catch anything?”
Grant laughed. “Your dad did. He caught the biggest fish in the tank and threw it on the carpet. It was flopping around. We started screaming, and his mom came in. She managed to get it back in the tank.”
Sara laughed. “Benny, do not try that.”
“That’s good advice from your mom, Ben.” Grant pulled open the door. As Sara passed him, he whispered, “Sorry. I didn’t realize I’d be giving him ideas.”
She laughed again. “It’s okay. Share all the stories you want. It’s good for him to hear about his dad.”
Grant’s dimple flashed, and her heart stuttered. She was tempted to lean in and kiss his cheek but resisted. Instead, she stepped inside the store.
It was decorated in the classic style, with bright colors and antique-looking furniture. Buckets of ice cream were displayed behind a glass wall. Several of Ben’s teammates were in the shop along with their parents. Ice cream was a popular treat after practice.
Ben had his face pressed against the glass next to the register. “Mom, I want the one with all of the crazy colors.”
“Okay. One scoop of that in a cup,” Sara said to Molly, the twenty-something behind the counter. “And I’ll take a scoop of the chocolate chunk.”
Molly batted her eyes at Grant. “What about you?”
Grant looked distinctly uncomfortable at the woman’s attention. He placed a hand on the small of Sara’s back, and a thrill raced through her.
“I’ll have a scoop of the chocolate chunk as well.” He grinned at Sara. “I figure you won’t steer me wrong.”
She chuckled. “Nope. It’s my favorite. Do you mind watching Ben for a moment? I want to use the restroom.”
“Of course not. We’ll grab a table.”
The bathrooms were in the back, and Sara weaved her way to them. She slipped inside the stall just as the door to the bathroom opened and two women came in. Sara heard her name and paused.
“…Sara Wilson of all people. Can you believe Grant Edwards is dating her?”
Sara peeked through the gap in the stall and saw two women from little league practice. Harmony Phillips, the former cheerleader, and one of her best friends, Janet.
Harmony tossed her long blonde hair over one shoulder and laughed. “Grant always had a flavor of the month. This time it’s Sara. But it won’t last, mark my words.”
“I dunno. Did you see the way he looked at her at Miller’s Tavern?”
“Grant knows exactly what he’s doing. It’s all calculated. I’m telling you.” Harmony dug around in her purse and unearthed some lipstick. “Sara’s not interesting enough to keep him for long. Grant has always had something of a rebellious streak and a taste for danger. This small town can’t keep him happy.”
Sara chewed on the inside of her cheek. Hadn’t the same thoughts occurred to her? Grant had always been honest about leaving Hidden Hollows.
If Harmony was right about that, maybe she was also right about Grant’s feelings for her. Sara knew Grant cared about her, and there was definitely an attraction between them, but that wasn’t the same as making a commitment.
Grant could have his pick of women. Smart, sophisticated, sexy women. What made Sara think he’d want a small-town librarian with a list of problems and responsibilities? It was absurd to think, for even a moment, he would. Utterly absurd.
Too bad her heart couldn’t manage to remember that.
14 Grant
Grant couldn’t stop thinking about Sara. From the time he woke up till the moment Grant laid his head on the pillow at night, Sara invaded his thoughts. While working on his dad’s truck, while taking care of his mom, while repairing Aunt Suzie’s backyard fence. In desperation on Thursday afternoon, he decided to do a twenty-mile run. It was supposed to exhaust his body and clear his mind.
It did neither. His feet pounded the pavement, but his mind refused to stop churning.
Yesterday’s ice cream outing had been a taste of what life could be like. Chatting with Ben, laughing and telling jokes, holding Sara’s hand as they strolled down the street in the sunshine. Grant couldn’t stop thinking about it. Nor could he deny wanting more of it. Sara’s discovery of his family secret and their subsequent conversation seemed to have unlocked something inside him. It’d freed him to admit some hard truths to himself.
He wasn’t happy as a SEAL. He hadn’t been for a while now. Things were missing in his life. For the first time, he was considering staying in Hidden Hollows. Permanently. The reenlistment paperwork sat in his email, still unsigned. It was possible he could get out now. But was that what he wanted?
Grant turned onto Main Street. Sweat dripped off his forehead, but his breathing was steady and even. Several neighbors waved and he waved back. It felt…good.
He didn’t have to run from Hidden Hollows anymore. Pop’s memory was still here, but it didn’t rub the wound raw. Instead it soothed the hurt inside him. Working on the truck had taken the edge
