That Second Chance (Getting Lucky #1)(73)

No.

No, I can’t fucking help them out. I’m supposed to take Ren back to her place and spend the rest of the goddamn day in bed with her, not working at the Lobster Landing.

“You know I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important,” Rogan says.

I groan and drag my hand over my face, relenting. “Fuck. Fine. Give me a few minutes to drop off Ren, and then I’ll be right there.”

“Thanks.” Rogan looks between the two of us, spots Ren’s hand on my thigh, and smiles. “Did something happen in the woods?”

“Fuck off.” I roll up the window and pull back onto the street, headed straight for our road, steam billowing out of me.

Of course the one time I come home early from a camping trip, my family needs me. We’re silent for a few moments, the drive short from Main Street, and when I pull up to Ren’s house, I let out a heavy sigh. “Fuck, I’m sorry, Ren.”

“It’s okay, Griffin. I totally understand.” She pats my leg, presses a chaste kiss to my cheek, and then hops out of my truck and goes to pull her duffel bag from the back.

I quickly exit the truck and help her, taking her bag in one hand and her hand in the other. I lead her down the pathway to her house and stop when we reach the front door. I set her bag on the ground and turn toward her, pulling her into my arms and resting my chin on the top of her head.

I let out a long sigh of disappointment.

“Fuck, I don’t want to leave.”

“I don’t want you to leave, either, but you know if you don’t go help your parents, you’re going to be worrying about them the whole time.”

“Why do you know me so well?”

“Because I pay attention.” She squeezes me tight and then stands on her toes to press a gentle kiss to my jaw. She releases me and holds out her hand. “Give me your phone.”

I quirk a brow at her.

She smiles. “So I can give you my number. I think it’s about time you have it, don’t you?”

“It is.” I reach into my back pocket, unlock my phone, and hand it to her.

She fiddles around with it and then holds the phone up and takes a selfie. She taps the screen a few more times and then hands it back to me. “There, now you have my number and a picture on my contact so you don’t forget what I look like.”

I let out a low chuckle. “Don’t think I’m going to forget what you look like, but thank you.”

“And I sent myself a text, so I have your number now.” She grins. “Now I can send you all types of naughty things.”

“Naughty things?”

She shrugs. “Who knows? I might send you a naked selfie.”

“Really?”

Immediately she shakes her head, the freaking tease. “No.” She laughs. “But that was fun to pretend, wasn’t it?”

“Not even in the slightest.”

Smiling, she rises up on her toes, her mouth meeting mine, and she gently kisses me before pulling away more quickly than I wanted. “Text me later, okay?”

I tip her chin up. “Text you later.”



“Oh, Griffin, thank you for coming in.” My mom pulls me into a hug, my body stiff—not in a good way—and irritation rolling off me. “When Reid checked in earlier to see how we were doing, I thought it was odd, but then he said you were coming home early and could help out.”

That motherfucker!

I should have fucking known.

And Rogan got roped into it as well?

Jen’s eyes meet mine from behind the counter, and she snorts. In front of a customer, she freaking snorts and then fixes her eyes on the person in front of her.

I am going to kill every single one of my siblings for this prank.

Straight-up murder.

“Reid just offered my help like that?” I ask through my teeth, my anger starting to take root.

My mom nods and waves at a customer before turning back to me. “Yes, said you had to head home to drop someone off. Told me you were going to check in anyway. Why, was that not the case?”

Do I tell her the truth? Do I get her hopes up and tell her that I was actually going to spend the rest of the day with Ren, a woman my mom has told me she likes, and not so subtly? Telling her would surely free me up for the afternoon, but she’d also freak out and want to know all the details. Plus, she’d be on her phone in minutes, spreading the word through the family that I’m seeing someone.

No, I’m not ready for that yet, not ready to get my family even more involved in my love life. Or to subject Ren to their crazy.

So instead, I just nod. “Yeah, I was going to drop by. Let me go to the back and look over some stuff, and then I’ll be out. Okay?”

“Sounds good. Thanks for coming in!” She pats my cheek. “Such a good boy.”

Yeah, always the good boy, the one helping out others, the one saving others, the dependable Griffin Knightly.

For once, it would have been nice to do something selfish, something for me.

Sighing, I walk to the kitchen and lean against the counter. I pull out my phone and see the text Ren sent for the first time, and I inwardly groan.

Ren: You have the sexiest biceps ever.

I scratch the back of my neck, wishing that instead of looking at the little selfie she took, I were staring into her deep-green eyes in person.