Summary: Mara grows more concerned about Bryce’s behavior, and finds herself leaning on Grant.
Note: I know, I know, there are only two chapters out. But this book has completely sucked me in already. My wallet is crying.
Mara has pissed people off before. She’s a journalist, she’s always had a quick temper, and, as her mother would say, she’s never been good at holding her tongue. She’s dealt with self-important snobs before too, but Bryce Sterling is another matter altogether. He scares her a little bit.
His threats against her escalate, especially when she refuses to back down and continues her relentless search into Kate’s disappearance. Mara mostly ignores him. But then he shows up at the Bed & Breakfast one night, drunk and screaming through her door, and refuses to leave until Naomi shows up to arrest him. Mara tells Naomi she’s fine, even though she’s freaked out and half-thinking she should go home.
Later, when she’s lying in bed and unable to sleep, her phone pings with an incoming text. The noise makes her jump. It’s Grant.
Mara, I just heard about Bryce. Are you okay? Where are you?
Mara curses her still slightly shaking hands as she sends a message back.
Still at the b&b. I’m okay.
You sure? I’m not far.
She wants him to come, if she’s being totally honest with herself. She hasn’t known Grant long, but she likes him. There’s something about him that makes her trust him implicitly. She could use the company. It’s not like she’s going to be able to sleep anyway, and he did offer…
You don’t have to, she sends back, giving him an out.
His reply is almost immediate. I don’t mind. Really. I’ll be right there.
There’s a gentle knock on her door a few minutes later, Grant’s brow furrowed in worry when she opens it.
“Hi,” Mara greets him.
He steps inside and closes her door with a gentle click.
“Hi. Are you sure you’re okay?” he asks.
His eyes are running all over her, checking for injuries, she realizes.
“I am. He was outside my room the whole time,” Mara reassures him, sitting down on the small loveseat at the end of the bed.
Grant frowns. “He’s always had a temper,” he mutters, sitting next to her. “But this has gone too far.”
He looks at her, his face warm and reassuring, and she feels her stubborn resolve to convince him she’s fine crumble. Mara leans against him, and his arm comes up around her waist comfortingly.
“You’re shaking,” he murmurs. “I’m so sorry this happened. I can talk to-“
Mara squeezes his hand, lacing their fingers together. “Not tonight?” she asks. “I kind of just want to deal with this in the morning.”
Grant nods against her. “Okay.”
He keeps his arm around her for long, quiet moments, then says, “What do you want to do tonight?”
She thinks. “Honestly? Eat a bunch of junk food and watch a stupid movie until I fall asleep.”
Grant laughs warmly. “I think everywhere is closed by now, but…”
“Oh, I come prepared,” Mara declares.
She stands, even though she’s a little reluctant to leave his warmth, and rummages in her bag. She triumphantly holds up a bag of Reese’s peanut butter cups.
“You do come prepared,” Grant says with a smile.
“Care to join me?” she asks, grabbing the remote and flipping the TV on.
She really, really hopes he will.
“Sure,” he agrees after a second.
He slips his shoes off and lines them up neatly by the door, grinning when he catches her raises eyebrow.
“I know, I know. I’m a neat-freak,” he laughs.
The bed is soft and comfortable, and leaning up against Grant, Mara finds herself dozing off twenty minutes and four peanut butter cups into the movie. Grant has a nice laugh, she registers sleepily as the movie plays on. He smells good, and is warm and solid against her. His arm comes around her again when she shifts to her side, her head resting against his chest.
Mara can hear his heartbeat under her ear, the steady thump…thump…thump soothing. She’s nearly asleep when he slowly shifts her off of his chest and down to the bed, and her eyes fly open.
“It’s late,” he says quietly. “I should go, before…”
He trails off, but she knows what he means. This town is full of gossips, he’s well-known, and she’s already started to be recognized, thanks to her fierce determination to find Kate, politics and tip-toeing around be damned. She has no doubt what people would assume if he was seen leaving her room in the morning.
“If you must,” she sighs jokingly, and Grant cracks a smile.
“You sure you’ll be okay tonight?”
“Mm-hm.”
She pushes herself up to sit on the edge of the bed, watching Grant put his shoes on. He comes back over to the bed after he’s done, kneeling next to her.
“Thank you,” Mara says. “For coming.”
“Of course,” he says, taking her hand. “Anything you need, Mara. Just let me know.”
He’s so close, just inches away from her, and Mara finds herself leaning down instinctively. Their lips come together, soft, a little unsure at first. When she sighs and slips her hand around his neck, he kisses her a little harder.
“You taste like Reese’s,” he murmurs.
They trade kisses back and forth, his hand creeping up to rest on her waist, until she eventually leans back. Her eyes blink open slowly, and she smiles.
“Mm,” she mumbles. “Your sister is going to be pissed.”
Grant laughs softly. “Don’t worry about Scarlett. She’ll be fine.”
He kisses her again, once, twice, then reluctantly stands up. “Good night, Mara. Call me if you need anything. And lock your door again, okay?”
“I will,” she agrees.
The door closes quietly behind him, and Mara gets up to slide the lock back into place. She lays in bed, wide awake, and settles in with another movie, preparing for a long, sleepless night. Her phone pings with an incoming message a few minutes later. A smile spreads across her face when she picks her phone up and sees that it’s from Grant, checking in one last time before he heads to bed.
With everything going on, Kate being gone and the terrible feeling she has about this place and the incessant whispering and stares from almost everyone here, Mara is grateful she has him.