Grady’s hackles were immediately—irrationally—raised. He didn’t need anybody worrying about him. He’d done just fine by himself these past seventeen years, and he’d do just fine after she left for New York. Add to that the eyeball assaulting interior, her ridiculous candy-cane earrings, and another hideous sweater sporting pom-poms that were begging to be touched, and Grady’s mood was swinging around more wildly than a wind chime in a blizzard.

How could he be so simultaneously annoyed and aroused?

It made no sense. Particularly given he’d just had to tell his aunt that he and Suzanne weren’t a couple and definitely were not having a baby. Which had been awful. Sure, she’d taken it in stride and had understood how Suzanne’s little while lie had escalated, but Grady had still felt like pond scum that she’d had a period of false hope, no matter how brief. So how could he want this woman, who had brought this unholy mess down on his head, so much?

How?

He’d thought—hoped—he’d fucked her out of his system last night, but apparently not, if the pull in his groin was any indication. Which only made him madder.

“I was at my uncle’s place.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.” Grady nodded. “Oh.”

She picked up her wine and took another slug before putting it down again. “I really am sorry, Grady. I don’t know what happened. Jenny said I looked tired; then she said I looked like she looked at the beginning of her pregnancy and I better watch out or I’ll be next, which everyone in the shop overheard and presumed, including your aunt and uncle, and it didn’t seem to matter how much I denied it. They all just nodded and smiled at me like I was trying to be coy.”

“Maybe you just shouldn’t…go into town again?” Grady suggested. Lest they suddenly start expecting triplets.

She gave a half laugh. “Maybe you’re right.” Folding her arms, she asked, “How did your aunt take the news?”

“Fine,” Grady said dismissively. Because she had. She’d taken it like a trouper. Grady suspected that was because, deep down, Cora was a romantic, and despite him stressing it was all an act, she had that speculative little gleam in her eyes his uncle called her knowing look.

“I hope you apologized for my behavior. God…” Suzanne wrung her hands in front of her. “Does she hate me?”

A small part of Grady wanted to pretend his aunt had been hysterically upset by the news just so Suzanne could feel a little bit of the discomfort and angst this predicament has caused him, but her expression told him she was pretty much feeling every one of the consequences as acutely as he was.