Best Foot Forward (The Best Girls 3)

“You’ll probably be begging for a real nurse after having two doctors do that duty. They’re not the most nurturing guys in the world,” Olivia teased.

“I’ve never pretended to be a good nurse. He’ll mostly be fending for himself,” said Josh.

“I’m giving up my bed for a week so he won’t have to sleep on the couch,” said Brad. “That’ll have to be enough.”

Ben said, “I intend to ring a little bell to fetch you when I need something.”

“I’ll tell you where you’ll find that bell the first time you ring it,” said Brad, glowering at his brother through squinted eyes.

Ben chortled at his remark, stealing a glance at Grace. She was utilizing the teasing exchange as an opportunity to study Brad, and her frown indicated she was unhappy with her observations. Ben caught her eyes, and they widened as she realized she’d been discovered. He saw two bright red blotches appear on her cheeks as she returned her gaze to her food, which had been artfully rearranged on her plate rather than eaten.

“Grace, you’re awfully quiet tonight,” Ben ventured.

She mumbled something unintelligible, and Hannah said, “She never talks at Sunday night dinner anymore.”

“Grace hardly talks at all anymore,” said Claire, with her lower lip pooching out. “It’s like I’ve lost my sister.”

“That’s not true,” Grace murmured, as the flush spread to encompass her entire head and neck.

“It is true,” said Olivia.

“Mom. May I be excused?” asked Grace, turning pleading eyes toward Connie Marshall.

Connie’s sigh was audible. “Can’t you make it through dinner?”

“Please?” she whispered.

“Okay, but I think you might need to see a doctor,” said Connie.

“Mom, can we not discuss this in front of company?” asked Grace as she rose and fled from the room.

“Excuse me,” Ben said, realizing he had to catch her before she disappeared. He jumped up and scrambled through the door, barely managing to catch her by the elbow at the foot of the stairs.

“Grace, wait!”

“I... I can’t talk to you,” she said, blinking at tears.

Ben kept a firm hold on her arm.

“No, you can talk to me. It seems to me you can’t talk to anyone else.” He watched her troubled expressions fleeting across her face as she considered his suggestion. He almost had her.

“You can talk to me, Grace. I’ll keep it to myself, I promise. I won’t tell Brad or anyone else. And you can ask me about Brad—I know you want to.”

She pulled her lips in and bit them. “You really won’t tell anyone—not Brad or Josh?”

“Cross my heart.” Ben drew an imaginary “x” on his chest. He nodded his head toward the door. “Let’s take a walk.”

Grace stood frozen, her eyes darting toward the dining room and back. She sucked in a huge breath and held it, clenching her eyes shut. When she opened her eyes and let the air out, she straightened her back and lifted her chin, firming her lips.

“Let’s go before I change my mind.”

She strode out the front door with amazing speed considering her pint size, and Ben struggled to keep up.

“Okay, start talking.”

She shot him a squinty scowl. “If I ever find out you told anyone anything I tell you, I’m going to cause you great pain.”

Her threat seemed both serious and plausible. “I’ve already promised. Anyway, I’ll love telling Brad I can’t reveal the content of our conversation. It’ll drive him crazy.” He grinned at the thought. “So why did you break up with him this time?”