“I still think I might have to kill you for dating my sister.” Nick reaches around his wife, grabs a handful of grapes off the table and pops one into his mouth. “Trust me, I don’t want to, but I think I have to.”
Jessa rolls her eyes. “What he means to say is that he’s happy you’re happy, but if you hurt his baby sister, he’ll be forced to do something he doesn’t want to do.”
“I won’t hurt her.”
“We know you won’t.” Jessa pats my arm and leaves me alone with Nick.
“You believe me, right?”
Nick gives me a hard look and then sighs. “Yes, I believe you. But she’s my little sister, and it’s weird that she’s dating one of my best friends.”
“It’s only weird if you make it weird,” Duke says, grabbing a beer from the cooler. “Do you know what else I find weird?”
“What’s that?” I ask.
With the beer in his hand, Duke motions across the yard. “Lacey talking your girl. That has disaster written all over it.”
I follow his gesture to the right. “I’ll be right back.”
I stride across the yard with purpose, ignoring Mom when she tries to stop me. I love Lacey to death, but I don’t trust her, especially with Nora.
“Hey.” Nora looks up when I slide an arm around her waist.
The smile on Lacey’s face tells me she’s not surprised I intervened. “Don’t worry, I’m not causing any trouble.”
“I didn’t think you were,” I lie.
She lifts a brow. “We both know that’s not true.”
Her eyes fall to my hand resting on Nora’s hip. “You know, you could’ve just told me you were dating her the other night.”
“I know, and I should’ve, but I didn’t want to upset you.”
“Maybe I should go,” Nora suggests.
“No, please stay.” Lacey shakes her head, her eyes on me. “All I’ve ever wanted is for you and the kids to be happy.”
“We are happy.”
She smiles wistfully. “I can see that, which is why before you walked up, I was apologizing to Nora. I realized I may have made her uncomfortable the other night, and that wasn’t my intention. I hope I didn’t cause any trouble between you two.”
“I already assured her she didn’t,” Nora says.
“Nowa!” Emma runs toward us, her too-big swimsuit hanging from her body and wet hair plastered to her face. “Will you come watch me go down the swide?”
“I would love to.”
“She’s great,” Lacey says as we watch Nora follow Emma to the bounce house.
“Yeah, she is.”
“How’s this going to work, Gray?”
I look at her. “What do you mean?”
“Do I really have to explain it?”
“Flatter me.”