I looked back at the inn, glaring. “Asshole.”
18
GREYSON
I could still taste Harper’s amazing food in the back of my mouth hours after she cooked for me. I honestly wasn’t hungry, but Zack wanted us all to meet at his place for beers and hamburgers. He had some new girlfriend he wanted me to meet, and he promised the kids he’d have a baby deer he just rescued in the back yard for them to play with.
We all showed up around seven and even though it had been hours since I saw Harper, I couldn’t pull my thoughts from the encounter.
Zack offered me a beer at the door and then showed the kids to the back where the baby deer was waiting, as promised.
His new girlfriend was a twenty-something with blonde hair tied back in a ponytail and a fit, athletic build. She smiled warmly while planting her palm on Zack’s chest and then getting on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “Hey baby,” she said. “Is this the famous Greyson Ashford?”
“Hardly famous,” I said. I tried to smile and be friendly, but I felt a pent-up anger inside that was refusing to fade.
Zack looked at me a heartbeat too long, then smiled. “This is the man, the myth, the legend. Straight from the big city to slum it with us small town folk.”
The girl smiled and stuck her hand out. “I’m Sarah.”
“Greyson,” I grunted, shaking her hand. “I should go check on the kids.”
I excused myself and went to the back. Zack had a large fenced in yard behind his small house. I knew he spent more time out here than inside, and he’d made the place more homey than the interior was. Hamburgers were sizzling on the grill while my two cousins, Griff and Jay argued over whether they were ready to be taken off the heat yet. I was surprised to see Katie was there as well. She was chatting with two more of my cousins, Ashley and Margo. It was a regular thing for the cousins to come to my brother’s place in Fairhope. Everybody in the family seemed to love the place except my dad and our youngest brother.
I hovered near the kids, hoping nobody would come talk to me.
I was doing a pretty good job of glaring everyone into keeping their distance until I saw Harper’s friends, Lin and Farrah come out from the house, smiling with beers in hand. Shit. What the hell were they doing here?
Both women spotted me almost immediately and shot me dirty looks. So it looked like Harper already told them about our conversation.
Zack came up beside me with a plate of food. “Hungry?”
I peeled my eyes away from Harper’s friends. “Not really.”
“Eat anyway, asshole.”
I took the plate and picked up a chip, chewing with disinterest.
“Gonna tell me what has you so pissy? Sarah asked if she said something wrong.”
I let out a breath. It annoyed me that I was letting this all get to me so much. I should be able to control my fucking emotions enough to put on a happy face for an evening. “I’m fine.”
“Yeah? Because you look ready to tear someone’s head off.”
“Are you volunteering?”
He chuckled. “See? Even pissier than usual.”
“It’s nothing. Just drop it.”
As if sensing my temper was high, Katie walked over to join us. “What’s up your ass, Greyson?”
I felt my anger threatening to boil over. All I needed was to sort through this on my own. Why the hell did everyone in my life feel the need to butt into my business? I tipped back the beer and drained what was left.
Katie made an unimpressed sound. “That’s mature. Drink until your problems go away. Is that the plan?”
“It’s one beer,” I snapped. “Why don’t you take the kids home tonight. I can pick them up next weekend.” My heart sank at my own words. What the fuck was I doing? I never gave up time with the kids, but I also could feel I was on the edge of losing my temper. I didn’t want to let it loose on them.
Katie’s face lit with concern. “You want me to take them early?”
She didn’t need to say more. The unspoken parts hung in the air between us, dripping with accusation and worry.
“Can you?” I managed.
“Yeah, sure,” she said.
Zack was watching me with worried eyes, too.
“Great. Thanks.” I went over to Molly and Billy, using every shred of control I had to smile and be normal for them. “Hey guys, I am feeling a little off tonight. I’m going to have mom take you back with her a little early. You can come get your stuff after this. Okay?”
They both stared up at me with confused, big eyes. Dammit. They were probably wondering why their dad didn’t want them. Of course that wasn’t fucking it, but I couldn’t explain what was going on in my head. I could hardly understand it myself.