While Phoebe sputters around blushing and being embarrassed about her faux pas, I walk to my kitchen and find a bottle of tequila and some bowls. I scoop half the ice cream into my bowl and sit back to enjoy it. I know the quiet won’t last long. I can see out of the corner of my eye Hailey is bursting to start throwing questions at me.
Best to get this shit over with. I wave my spoon at her. “You may begin.”
“Who was the woman at the bar? How is she connected to Grayson? What did he mean when he accused you of digging into his past?”
My stomach sours at her questions. I place my bowl on the coffee table no longer in the mood to eat my way through my depression. What I need to do is ask the uncles to put a security system in at my brew shack to stop Hailey from breaking in and asking her nosy questions again. Oh, who am I kidding? Those same uncles are the ones who taught her how to burglarize.
“It’s okay.” Phoebe pats my shoulder. “You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to.”
Hailey gasps. “Are you kidding? Of course, she has to tell us. We’re her friends. She has to spill her guts to us. It’s in the girlfriend handbook!”
I pat Phoebe’s thigh. “Thanks, but you and I both know I’m going to have to reveal my secrets or someone is going to lose her mind.”
“The woman in the bar was Liz Morris. Her husband was Grayson’s best friend. He was killed in action and Grayson blames himself,” I start and then tell them all about Grayson’s past. He won’t thank me for revealing his secrets, but there’s no way I’m going to get out of here alive if I don’t tattle.
“Wow.” Hailey shakes her head. “Heavy. Poor guy.”
“It explains why he’s been off lately, though,” Phoebe comments.
“Exactly!” I shout. “He’s been depressed. I needed to take matters into my own hands.”
Phoebe raises a hand for me to stop. “Hold up. Grayson didn’t tell you any of this himself?”
“No wonder he made the ‘You had no right to dig your nose into my past!’ comment,” Hailey says in a deep voice in the worst impression of Grayson ever. “What did you do?”
I drop my head to study my jeans. “I had Wally dig into Grayson’s background, and then I went and saw Liz.”
“Is this the part where I get to say I told you so?” I raise my eyebrow at Phoebe’s comment. “I did tell you your nosiness would get you into trouble someday.”
“Gee, thanks for the reminder.” I pick up one of the shots of vodka and guzzle it. The alcohol burns as it makes its way down to my stomach. I cough and slap my chest.
“What are you going to do? You can’t let the man you love slip through your fingers.”
Hailey’s remark causes my nose to wrinkle in confusion. “I don’t love him. The whole baby daddy thing wasn’t serious.”
“What?” she squeals. “Baby daddy? You’ve been holding out on us.”
Phoebe fills my shot glass. “Some more liquid courage because you know you are spilling your guts to us tonight.”
Ugh. She’s right. I take the second shot. This one goes down much smoother. My head spins a bit, but I manage to set the shot glass down on the coffee table without dropping it.
“Shit. I dropped a bottle in the brew shack. I need to clean it up.” I stand, but Hailey puts a hand on my lower arm and pushes me back into my seat.
“I’ll do it. But first I want to hear all about how Grayson is going to be your baby daddy.”
“Not. He is not going to be my baby daddy. He said no. He doesn’t want to donate his sperm. He wants to be involved with the children.”
Phoebe squeals and claps her hands. “I knew it! He wants you.” She snaps her fingers at Hailey. “You owe me fifty bucks.”
“I do not owe you fifty bucks. I didn’t bet with you on whether Grayson wants Suzie. I’m not stupid. Everyone who has eyes knows he wants her.”
I groan. “What is it with everyone thinking Grayson and I have chemistry?”
“Because you do!” Hailey and Phoebe shout in chorus and then dissolve into giggles.
“I hope neither one of you is driving tonight.”
“We’re staying over.” Hailey points to their bags by the front door. How did they get there?