Page 222 of Cross Check

“Do I have time for a power nap?”

“The towels are in your bathrooms, and we have three hours before we need to leave for dinner,” I say. “Plenty of time to do whatever you want.”

“In that case, I’ll see you all in two hours and fifty-nine minutes,” Sienna announces, popping to her feet. “Don’t expect me a second sooner.”

“We’re so glad we get to be here with you.” Lainey kisses my cheek and stands too. “Thanks for inviting us, sweetie.”

“Anytime,” I say, and my heart is so full.

I’m buzzing when we sit down for dinner later, and I take a long sip of Chardonnay to calm my nerves.

“This place is cute,” Lainey says.

“What’s the dating scene like here, Amelia?” Sienna asks. “Better than Denver?”

“I’m not sure.” I open the menu and stare at the specials. “I haven’t gone on any dates yet.”

“Really?” Lainey turns my way. “Is that by choice, or do the men in Baltimore suck?”

“By choice, I guess. I don’t have much free time. When I do have a night off, I don’t want to spend it talking about my favorite color on a dating app.” I tuck my ankles under my chair, drumming my fingers on the side of the menu. “Other things hold my interest more.”

Heavy footsteps echo behind me. They’re followed by a deep laugh that I know well and I adore, and I spin in my chair. My gaze locks on Grant’s, and for the hairbreadth of a second, the rest of the world disappears.

We’re the only two here, and I can’t help but grin at the sight of him.

That is what’s holding my interest, and no one could blame me.

He’s wearing a crisp white shirt that’s tucked into dark jeans. His sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, and a winter coat is draped over his forearm. A lock of hair falls across his forehead, and his grin matches mine.

I like him so much.

The thought rattles behind my ribs. It presses against my sternum, heavy when Grant stops at our table with his sister by his side.

“Amelia?” His voice is tinged with the perfect amount of surprise, as if I didn’t wake up in his bed this morning. The low, sultry sound of my name slides down my spine. “Hey.”

“Grant,” I breathe out, smoothing my palms over my leather skirt. His eyes follow the path of my palms, a blush staining his cheeks when he gets a peek at the thigh high stockings I’m wearing. “Hi. What a nice surprise. It’s so good to see you.”

“What are you doing here?” he asks.

“Having dinner with my friends. Lainey, Sienna, this is Grant Everett.” I gesture to him. “Grant, these are my friends.”

“Baltimore is turning out to be quite lovely.” Sienna beams and holds out her palm, shaking Grant’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet y’all too. Since we’re doing introductions, this is Hannah, my younger sister,” he says, gesturing to the blonde next to him. I’ve seen photos of her, but they’re even more alike in person—same nose, same jawline. Besides the height, hair and eye color, they’re twins. “We were in the area and thought we’d grab a bite to eat.”

“Hannah. Hi.” I smile at his sister. “I’m Amelia Green. Emmy Hartwell has mentioned you a few times.”

“Amelia Green.” Her eyes bounce between me and her brother. “It’s so nice to meet you.”

“Do you want to join us? There’s plenty of room,” I say.

Grant springs into action, tracking down another chair and adding it to the table. We rearrange our positions until Grant is next to me, with Hannah beside him. Lainey and Sienna are across the table, and we get settled.

“Where are you two visiting from?” Grant asks. “Are you college friends?”

“Nope. We live in Denver. That’s where we met Amelia,” Lainey fills in. “We’re here for the weekend.”

“Will we see you tomorrow?” Sienna tips her head. “Are you a proud member of the Sea Crabs?”