Page 141 of Eight Years Gone
“Right back at you.”
She eased back enough to hold his gaze. “As much as I want to call it a day and go home with you, I need to get back to the shop.”
He glanced at his watch. “It looks like you have about an hour left.”
She wrinkled her nose as she nodded, not entirely interested in running a business when everything felt so unsettled.
“Do you want some company? I can help you close things up.”
Typically, she handled closing alone, but today she didn’t want to. “That sounds nice.”
“What about dinner at home, a fire in the fireplace, and a movie on the couch?”
That sounded like heaven, but she frowned. “It’s Fright Night. I know you were excited to go.”
He shrugged. “My heart’s not really into it anymore.”
Getting dressed up and mingling with two hundred other people was the last thing on her mind. “Are you sure? I thought you wanted to kick Todd’s ass at the costume contest.”
He grinned. “That part is tempting, but I’d rather head to the store for whatever we need. Maybe we can break out the panini press.”
She batted her lashes. “You have my attention.”
He smiled again. “We could do turkey, ham, maybe some spinach and tomato, and tons of cheese. We can grab soup at the deli, too. I heard they have lobster bisque on the menu.”
A perfect cozy night with the man she loved. “That sounds amazing.”
“Then it’s a date.”
They clasped fingers and walked the rest of the way to the shop.
Thirty-Four
Grace clutched her hands in her lap as Jagger drove through Millsdale’s small downtown. She trailed her gaze over the charming yet ancient buildings, searching for their destination among the various restaurants and shops.
“This should be it,” Jagger said as he slowed in front of Mario’s Pizzeria, pulling into a metered space two spots down from the door.
Grace exhaled a long, slow breath as she focused on the big glass window, watching a young couple order at the counter. “Here we are.”
Jagger engaged the parking brake as he let the engine idle. “They’re definitely open, so that’s good.”
“Mm-hmm,” she agreed, growing increasingly nauseous—just like she had when they stopped at Jessica and Colton’s apartment, only to get no answer when they knocked on the door, and again when they drove by the small car dealership where Colton was also employed, finding it closed. The nervous anticipation—the having no idea what to expect—kept her on edge.
Jagger killed the engine, taking the keys from the ignition. “You’ve been quiet for the last little while. How are you holding up?”
She nodded. “I’m all right.”
He sent her a small smile that let her know he didn’t necessarily believe her as he captured her hand, nuzzling her fingers against his chin. “I can go in if you want—check things out.”
“I’d like nothing more than to let you, but I have to do this. I need to go with you.”
He kissed her knuckles. “He might not even be here, Gracie.”
The idea was as appealing as it was horrible. She wanted to get a peek at Colton as badly as she wanted to go home. “That’s true.”
He pressed his lips to her skin again. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
She shrugged. “That I’ve been obsessed with finding him for the last few days, but now that we’re here, I don’t know if I want all of this to have been a huge mistake or if I want to know that I have another brother.”