Best Foot Forward (The Best Girls 3)

Grace’s pout dissolved into a reluctant grin.

Ben continued, “So I understand your logic, but I’m not convinced. And I think the whole thing will backfire if you keep it up. Let’s say you finally make him give up completely and take a job somewhere else. How are you going to convince him to trust you enough to even date you again?”

“I don’t know.” Grace’s teeth worried her lip. “I was kind of hoping you could help me figure that part out.”

“So let me get this straight, you actually still like my brother? You only dumped him for his own good?”

“That’s right. And I was thinking maybe after enough time passed, he’d look for a new job. And then when he found one, I’d just explain I only dumped him... I mean, I only broke up with him so he would do what was best for himself without considering me. Don’t you think he’ll understand?”

“I don’t know, Grace. I barely understand it myself, and I’m not emotionally involved. What if instead you let me talk to him? I think I could convince him he needs to find a job with better prospects for the future. And I can convince him you’ll be fine living in another city. There’s no guarantee your siblings are all going to stay in the city anyway.”

“Okay, you can do that, but you can’t tell him anything I told you.”

“Look Grace, why can’t you two just date and then worry about the job thing later. You’re not talking about marriage yet are you? At least not since Brad accidentally said the word. He swore he wouldn’t bring it up again.”

Grace was quiet for a minute as they walked. Ben looked down to find her swiping a tear off her cheek.

“Wait! Don’t start crying—I’m not good with emotions. I try not to feel any more than I absolutely have to. What did I say to make you cry?”

She sniffed. “I... I think he’s going to kill himself.”

“Brad would never do that!”

“No, I don’t mean literally kill himself. I just think he’s stubborn enough to work until he doesn’t have anything left. I thought he would’ve already given up and at least started looking for another job by now. He looks so tired and...” Salty tears trailed down her cheeks.

“Okay, okay. Don’t cry. I’ll talk to him and make him look for another job. I can probably trick him into it. If I tell him I’m moving to New York City, he’ll probably start looking for a new position right away.”

“Can’t you just convince him I’m totally over him and there’s no hope for us?”

“I just don’t think that’s the best approach. It hasn’t worked so far, has it?”

“No, but...”

“Look, I’ll think of something. I’ll persuade him to believe he needs to find a job somewhere else. I think the best thing would be to tell him you want to move away for some reason.”

“He won’t believe you.”

“I’ll think of something. Trust me—I’ve been manipulating him since I learned how to talk. I’ll call you and tell you when I get it worked out in my head.”

Chapter Eight

“I’m sorry, Mom. What did you say?” Emily snapped her attention back to the woman who was watching her with a quizzical expression. Emily was having lunch with her mother, Anne Best Gherring, and her stepdad, Steven Gherring, at the small diner next door to Gherring Inc. where they worked.

“I was asking if you wanted to come over this weekend and address wedding invitations. We were thinking you and Spencer could come over Friday night.”

Steven picked up his wife’s hand from her lap and gave it an affectionate squeeze. “Your mom is finally feeling well enough to really enjoy all of this wedding planning.”

Emily smiled as she watched her mom rubbing her swollen tummy with her other hand. “I’m so glad you finally quit feeling sick all the time. And it least now you actually look pregnant.”

She recalled her shock when she first learned her mother was expecting, and then her further shock when they announced they were having twins. For the first half of her untimely pregnancy, her mother had suffered greatly from hyperemesis gravidarum, to the point of multiple hospitalizations. Spencer’s mother, Connie Marshall, had served as her private nurse until the symptoms subsided. Thus the Marshalls and Gherrings had developed even tighter ties than those of the average in-laws-to-be.

“What has you so distracted today?” The lines on her forehead marked her concern.

Emily forced the corners of her mouth up and raised her eyebrows. “It’s nothing, really. Don’t worry.”

“You don’t have to protect me from everything. It’s not like I’m going to lose the babies because I’m stressing a bit.”

Emily hesitated. It would feel good to get it off her chest. She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it since last night’s dinner.