“Well get in here kids, it’s getting colder by the second.”
Grayson motioned for me to go first as I followed Ashley back into the house. With a quick glance around, I noticed Grayson’s mother was a simple woman. Everything was neatly in place and hardly anything was on the walls. A few pictures of Grayson were spread throughout the house, along with pictures of the two of them together.
“I’m not much of a decorator. The simpler the better!” Ashley said as I followed her into a huge kitchen.
“Wow! I love this kitchen. It reminds me of my parents’ kitchen back in Texas.”
Ashley beamed as she looked over at Grayson. “Well, Grayson knows how much I love to cook. This kitchen is my dream kitchen. I’ve cooked plenty of pies and cakes for him and his friends over the last few years.”
With a smile and wink toward Grayson, I sat on one of the stools at the kitchen island. “Would you like something to drink, Meagan?”
“Water is fine, thank you.”
Ashley reached for a glass as she filled it with ice and then purified water from the refrigerator.
Setting the glass down, Ashley looked between us before she took a seat opposite of me and grinned. Oh shit. I had a feeling the grilling was about to take place.
“So what do you do for a living, Meagan?”
Grayson moaned. “Mom, really? You’re going to start grilling her?”
“No! I’m just curious.”
With a giggle, I looked at Grayson and shook my head. “It’s fine. I don’t mind at all.” Turning back to Ashley, I took a sip of my water and set it down in front of me. “I have a masters degree in social work. My specialty is clinical therapeutic services. I work for a non-profit company that deals a lot with schools. I mainly focus on middle school and high school kids with bullying.”
Ashley’s eyes rose. “Really? I think that’s amazing. Grayson helped start a program for young boys from troubled homes.”
With a smile, I turned to Grayson as his face blushed. “Yes, I know. I’ve worked with them a lot.”
“What made you decide that was the field you wanted?”
I moved about nervously in my seat. I rarely talked about what had happened to me when I was at Baylor. “Well, unfortunately, I had my fair share of bullying in college.”
Ashley’s eyes pinched together as she reached across the table and took my hand in hers. I was touched by the action more than I wanted to admit. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. Was it bad?”
The lump in my throat formed as I tried like hell to push it down. With a fake smile, I nodded. “At times, but it made me a better counselor, so I’d like to think it was all worth it.”
I stole a peek over to Grayson who was watching me intently.
“What made you decide to move to Durango?”
“Mom, I think you’ve grilled Meg enough today.”
With a chuckle, I waved Grayson off. “It’s totally fine. I’m an open book.”
Grayson lifted his eyebrows and smiled. Turning away from him, I focused back on his mother. “My sister and a few friends of mine came up for a girls trip the summer before my senior year. I fell in love with it and knew I had to move here.”
“Meg and I actually kind of met during that trip.”
“Kind of?” Ashley asked with a confused face.
Grayson’s eyes burned with desire as our stare locked. I was instantly taken back again for the second time to him up on that damn bar dancing. Looking away, I cleared my throat. “He actually met one of my best friends, Lauren. Then come to find out Noah was dating my other best friend, Grace.”
Ashley leaned back in her chair. “I wish I could have made it to Texas for Noah’s wedding. Crazy small world isn’t it?”
“Totally,” Grayson and I said together.
Grayson pushed off the counter and clapped his hands together. “Okay, Mom I’m going to go cut up some of that firewood and bring it in here. They’re calling for a lot of snow up here in the next few days.”
“You’re too good to me, Grayson.”
I watched as Grayson kissed his mother on the forehead and smiled. “Nonsense, there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you, Mom.”
Died. I just died.
There was something utterly romantic about a man who isn’t afraid to show his love like that.
Ugh. Friends, Meg. You’re just friends today. Wait. How long did we decide to do this friends thing? Shit! Was it just for today? I think so. Damn it. Why didn’t I put down better rules?
Not being able to pull my eyes from Grayson, I watched as he made his way out back.
“He’s something else,” Ashley said.
“He certainly is,” I barely said.
“Friends huh?”
My eyes snapped over to Ashley. “Excuse me?”
With a tilt of her head, Ashley crossed her arms over her chest and gave me a smile that said, you’re not fooling me.
“Grayson has brought plenty of friends home before.”
My heart felt as if it physically ached from that statement.
“And none of them have been girls.”
The smiled that spread across my face was involuntary.