Chapter 22

Grace walked into the house just in time to see her brother Steve pulling a stack of books from a bag with the logo of a Portland bookstore.

“What did you buy, Bro?” she asked, smirking. “That book about the guy who kept his wife in the attic?”

Steve jumped like he’d been caught sneaking cookies. “Uh ... it’s nothing. Just some light reading I picked up in Portland.”

He tried to shove the books back into the bag, but they slipped and spilled onto the table.

Grace’s eyes lit up. She sauntered over, picked up one of the titles, and burst out laughing. “The Art of Seduction?” she read aloud. Then picked up another. “Alpha Male Strategies? Oh no. Steve ... dating books? That redhead teacher’s gotten under your skin, hasn’t she?”

Steve let out a long sigh and met his sister’s eyes. “Sure I like her. What’s not to like?”

Grace dropped into a chair with a goofy grin and bounced on the seat. “Do you mean that?”

Steve ran a hand through his hair and leaned back, fingers laced behind his head.

“She’s amazing with the students. I have to admit, she’s made a real difference in their lives. She doesn’t just talk to hear herself speak.”

“Unlike someone we know?” Grace teased, grinning.

Grace had a gift for chatter—an Olympic-level talker who often spoke just to fill the silence. Steve loved his sister, but her constant commentary could wear on him. Diana, on the other hand, was comfortable with quiet. She made silence feel like a space, not a void.

“You know what else I like about her?” Steve continued. “When she talks to me, she doesn’t tiptoe around my feelings or pity me.”

Grace’s smile faded. “I don’t—”

“You do.”

“I’m sorry, Bro. I really am. It’s just ... when it first happened, I didn’t know what to say. And then ... I just never knew how to stop treating you like glass.”

“I know you don’t mean to. But it’s not just you. Everyone in town does it. They see that day written all over me—like it’s the only part of my story that matters.”

“I don’t know if that’s fair.”

Steve looked out the window. “Maybe not. But it feels true. Diana doesn’t look at me that way. She sees more.”

Grace studied him. “Then why do you need books to date her? You were already married once.”

Steve went still. His face hardened for a second before he spoke. “Peggy was the only woman I ever dated. The only woman I was ever with. I knew her since we were kids—everything with her was easy. Natural. But Diana? She’s ... she’s complicated. She doesn’t say or do what I expect.”

“That’s understandable,” Grace said gently. “But you don’t need a book. Trust me—only a woman can understand another woman. Men’s brains just ... work differently.”

Steve raised a brow. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Oh no?” Grace leaned forward. “What’s the first thing you do when you get lost on a road trip?”