Page 68 of The Curveball
Hackles raised, before we even say a word I come to the conclusion I don’t like this guy.
“Wren?” He chuckles. “Is that you? I haven’t seen you in what? A year?”
“Fifteen months,” she bites through her teeth.
“Huh. Well, you’re looking lovely.”
Carter shifts, but this time it’s Darren who places a hand on his brother’s shoulder, pinning him to the chair.
Wren’s breaths are too sharp, too swift. If my gut is right, and it’s been good to me so far, there is more to Clay than simply being a shady business partner.
I drop one hand to Wren’s knee and give her a reassuring squeeze.
“Griffin Marks.” I hold out my hand for the guy. He takes it skeptically. “Wren’s boyfriend.”
Clay tilts his head. “Her boyfriend?” Leaning forward so he can look around me, he laughs. “The MLB, huh Wrennie? I’m impressed at the ambition. It’ll help pay some bills until the book takes off, right?”
Sealed. Locked. Permanent. I don’t like Clay.
“Sounds like you have some experience with dates wanting you for your money,” I say. “Glad I didn’t need to deal with that. Honestly, I think my money is a turn-off for Wren.”
Wren frees a breathy scoff. “Oneturn-off.”
Ouch, I mouth, but drape my arm around the back of her chair possessively. “Women like Wren? They’re the real deal.”
Clay’s cocky smirk dissolves a bit, but his gaze is almost predatory when he looks at her. “I know exactly what you mean.”
Wren swallows and shudders. Violent enough I feel the shockwave against my arm. My hand locks with hers through the dessert. It’s not even birthday cake, but some weird pie Ruby doesn’t even touch.
I hold tightly to her when we move to the lifeless family room to watch Ruby open her gifts. Clothes, money, more clothes.
Then she snags our gift bag.
The girl daintily unwraps the gift, and when she sees the twenty-inch, plushy, sparkly unicorn, she squeals, and squeals again once she notices the basket of king-sized candy bars Wren added last minute.
“Thank you, thank you!” Ruby squeezes her stuffed unicorn as if we gave her a castle.
Carter cracks his neck, glaring at me. “Is that all you’ve got, Marks? Open mine next, Rubes.”
Dirtbag. He gave her a family of stuffed cats. Complete with Velcro so the kittens can stick to their mama cat’s stomach.
Darren puffs up his chest and hands Ruby his box. He folds his arms, eying Carter and me with a smugness I’m not used to.
“Really?” Ruby stares at the box, gaping at Darren.
“Really, kiddo.”
She shrieks and pulls out two Nerf guns. “Trevor has these and he always shoots me, and—”
“Now, you can fire back, Rubes.” Darren laughs when she makes a fewpew,pewnoises pretending to fire at invisible opponents.
Angelica, her mom, looks a little disgusted, but hides it with a soft reminder to say thank you. Ruby rushes around us, giving quick hugs. Even I get one. Wren looks at me with her little stepsister and I swear she’s thinking things the same way as me.
This isn’t a game.
We’re creating a new reality.
“Ready to go?” Wren whispers after Ruby is ushered away to shower by Angelica and another lady who is probably a governess. Do people still have governesses? Darren and Carter escaped five minutes ago with a few stiff farewells, not to Clay, but he’s tied up on a phone call in the corner anyway.