Taylor turned down my lunch invitation. She said she wasn’t feeling well, but I knew it had nothing to do with her stomach and everything to do with our disagreement. Her flight to North Carolina was tomorrow night. I couldn’t let her leave like this. I tried to think of how I could patch things up on our last night together. Knowing she thought she had just met the love of her life, I realized she was going to want to spend her Saturday night with Mason. After all, it was her fall break.
It was one o’clock in the afternoon, but I hadn’t had a single phone call at the Palm. I decided to close the office. Grey was somewhere in the motel working on a room. I started at the end and checked each room until I found him replacing lightbulbs in a double room.
“There you are.” I smiled.
“Hey, darlin’.” He tossed the old bulb on the bed. “You closing up for the day? Where’s Taylor? You two have plans today?”
I shifted uncomfortably in the doorway. “She’s not happy with me.”
“Really? Why?” He opened a new pack of bulbs and moved to the next lamp.
“She thinks she’s in love with Mason.”
He stopped and looked at me. “What in the hell? Is she crazy or something?”
“No, but she’s crazy about him. They have some kind of connection.” I walked into the room and sat on the bed. “I don’t know what to do.”
“And she knows about the lawsuit? You told her everything about him?” Grey was acting calmer than I expected.
“Mmm-hmm. She thinks I should put that aside and be happy for her.”
“What do you think?” He eased himself on the bed across from me.
His question surprised me. “I told her it was a ridiculous idea. How can I be friends with someone who is dating the man who is trying to take everything away from you?” It sounded absurd.
Grey nodded his head. “Ridiculous, huh?”
My eyes lowered to the floor. “I guess that’s how you felt when I let Mason stay here, but I was trying to convince him to drop the suit. It was different.”
“Doesn’t matter. Hurt the same way.” Grey’s eyes softened. “You always want to help, Eden. That’s what you do.”
“What am I supposed to do this time? Let her ruin our friendship? Get her heart broken when she finds out Mason is just using her?” I felt defeated by the whole thing. I couldn’t lose Taylor to Mason.
“She’s leaving tomorrow, right?”
“Yes. Tonight’s her last night.” My stomach kept flipping with nausea. This sucked. “I don’t know when I’ll see her again.”
“I’m sure you’ll come up with a way to make everybody happy. It’s one of your many talents.” He winked and stood, then hopped on one foot to the dresser. Another bulb needed changing.
It was ludicrous, but I did have one idea that would bring both my plans together. It would involve convincing Grey, calming rocky waters, and playing peacemaker.
“Grey, before you say ‘no,’ think about this. What if we have Taylor and Mason over for dinner tonight?”
He spun on his good heel then grimaced as his knee banged into the dresser. “Dammit.” He steadied himself to face me. “You can’t be serious. Mason in our house?”
I nodded. “I know it will be awkward, but it’s a peace offering I can extend to Taylor, and it’s one more chance we have to try to talk him out of the lawsuit. You’ve never had a civil conversation with him. Maybe you two could talk without throwing punches and come to a resolution.”
Grey shook his head. “Only you would come up with something like this.”
“I’ll do the cooking. I’ll take care of everything. All you have to do is be nice and promise not to knock him out.” I waited for an answer. The new lightbulbs might burn out before Grey answered.
Finally, he spoke. “All right.”
“All right?” I couldn’t believe my ears. Was he back on his pain meds?
“Yes, but the minute he starts his asshole tricks, he’s out. Agreed? And I get to toss him out.”
I nodded. “Agreed.” I jumped from the bed ready to tackle Grey. I stopped short of the crutches and pecked him on the lips. “Ok, I’m going to go ask Taylor right now. Thank you.” I ran out of the room.
It wasn’t easy for me to drag the kitchen table on the deck, but I refused to let Grey help me with a single thing. Besides this dinner tonight, my number one priority was getting his leg back to normal status. I wasn’t about to let him reinjure it because I wanted to dine al fresco.
I admired the table I had set. It was going to be a beautiful sunset. I shuffled the forks again.
“Darlin’, I think it looks fine. Quit messin’ with it.” Grey poked his head out of our bedroom door. He had just showered.
“I just want it to be perfect.” Not only was this a peace summit dinner, but also our first official dinner party as a couple. There was a lot riding on this dinner.
“Come here.” He motioned me toward the bedroom.
I nestled into his chest as his arm wrapped around my shoulder. Everything felt calmer and safer like this with Grey. I inhaled his aftershave.
“Thank you for trying to work something out for the Palm, but I don’t want you to be disappointed tonight if Mason shows his true colors.”
I looked at him. “You don’t think there’s anything redeeming about him do you?”