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Beside him is Cat’s grandmother, who’s just as formidable as the man beside her. She’s tall like Cat, her hair doesn’t have a lick of gray, and her face holds far fewer wrinkles than is natural for a woman who’s got to be in her mid to late sixties.
They’re both in warm wool jackets and gloves.
“And you must be Jonathan Hanson,” her grandfather says as he holds out his hand to greet me.
Swallowing thickly, I steel myself. I have imagined this day for years. But beside me, Cat has gone rigid as her grandmother comments on her weight gain.
What. The. Fuck?
“I’ve been busy, Grandmother. I haven’t had time to get to the gym. But I’ll get back to it,” she says quietly, her chin tucked and her eyes downcast.
I close my eyes and suck in a deep breath, grasping for a sliver of control.
But I lose that battle pitifully quick. “I think you’re beautiful.”
Cat’s eyes shoot to mine. As does every other set in our vicinity.
“Uh—” Cat gapes, her jaw hanging open. “Thank you,” she murmurs, wringing her gloved hands.
I simply nod and turn back to her grandfather. He appraises me with those keen cobalt eyes, and his lips twitch with what could maybe be a smile. “I happen to agree, Sunshine. I think you’re perfect.”
Pink paints Cat’s cheeks, and she ducks her head.
Her grandmother sighs loudly. “I wasn’t saying she’s not perfect. I was just saying that she should take time for herself.” The crone turns back to her granddaughter. “Are you still going back and forth between Providence and Boston? You know you have a place to stay here. No need to run yourself ragged commuting every day.”
Her grandfather chuckles as he meets my eye. “She’s been staying in the penthouse. Haven’t you, Sunshine?”
The tone is unmistakable, and the way he grips my hand, the one he’s yet to let go of since our first exchange, sends me a clear message. He knows we’re together.
Cat trips over her words. “I—uh—yes. Sometimes—is that okay?”
Her grandfather finally releases me, but not before raising his brows and giving me a smirk. “Of course it’s okay. Use it as often as you like.”
Before we wind up involved in another interrogation—by her bitch of a grandmother or Theodore—Cash and Frank saunter out of the gym, and all attention turns to them.
It’s clear Cash is a favorite. His grandmother fawns over him the second he appears at her side, and Theodore beams proudly, reminding him of his five touchdowns during the game.
The team was good. I’ll give them that.
Cat grins just as proudly, swooping in for a hug. Taking a small step back, I take in the interaction, tightness growing in my chest. This family is close. Really close. How will I fit into this world?
But the much biggerquestion? How could I ever walk away from it? How could I ever walk away fromher?
The answer’s easy. I can’t. I won’t. Somehow, I have to accept that the woman I’ve fallen for is the daughter of the man I despise. The man who destroyed my family. And hope that her family makes up for the inevitable loss of mine when the truth comes out.
42
LIPS ON YOU BY MAROON 5
CAT
After a very strange dinner with my brothers, my grandparents, Jay, Frank, and Kevin, wherein my grandfather sat next to Jay and asked him question after question about his family business and talked shop regarding the whiskey business in general, we finally relax at a bar.
Carter wandered off to the dance floor with a random blonde, and for the moment, I have freedom to unabashedly check Jay out. His blond hair falls lazily across his head—a far cry from the way it was swept back from his face all day as he ran his hands through it anxiously. His blue eyes glitter as he looks at me over his whiskey. “C’mere,” he murmurs, smacking his knee lightly.
I scan the dance floor, but Carter is nowhere to be found, and I really do need to touch this man. Even if just for a moment. I settle on his lap while Kevin looks the other way, shaking his head with a laugh.
“I’ll go keep an eye on Carter and give you guys a few minutes,” he says, gaze fixed on the drink he’s spinning on the bar top. With a slight frown, he turns to Jay. “But don’t be stupid. You have, like, five minutes, tops.”
