The Gratitude Guarantee (Boyfriend in the Bargain #4)

5. Zach

5

ZACH

G rant is not as supportive as I thought he’d be when I tell him about my deal with Brenna. I call him on my way home from the gym to fill him in about the reason behind her phone call.

“Seriously?” Grant groans. “Didn’t you learn anything from me and Annie?”

He’s referring to his wife, whom he made a similar deal with, now that I’m thinking about it. Except their arrangement was to fake a relationship in order to keep his family off his back during his brother’s wedding. This is different. There’s no faking involved. I’m going basically as a friend to provide Brenna with a partner for the holiday competition, which I haven’t even told him about yet. I’m afraid it won’t help my case because he’ll think it’s weird. I guess it is, a little. Maybe weird isn’t the right word—but it’s definitely unusual enough that I might just not mention it in light of his reaction so far. All he knows is that she needs a date to save face in front of her family.

“You of all people shouldn’t be casting stones about acquiring an unconventional date in order to avoid scrutiny,” I point out. “Besides, it worked out great for you. You married her.”

“Technically, yes. But it wasn’t the easiest way to start a relationship. You know how close we came to never seeing each other again.”

“True,” I concede. “But this is different because she doesn’t even want a relationship right now and I’m on a break from dating. I’m specifically not looking for romance.”

“Neither was I if you’ll recall. What’s this about a break from dating?”

I pull into my driveway and park but remain in the driver’s seat. “I decided to take your advice and give up dating for a while. I won’t go on any more dates until January.”

“Good for you, man.” Grant’s approval on this point makes me feel better. “I’m glad you decided to stop trying so hard.”

“Yeah, well, it’s not forever. In about six weeks I’ll be right back at it. In the meantime, I think having Thanksgiving with Brenna’s family will be a good distraction for me.”

His tone is doubtful. “I hope you’re right. Hopefully you know what you’re getting yourself into.”

“I’m a grown man, Grant. What’s going to happen to me?”

“Look, you’re one of the few guys I know who has a romantic streak a mile wide.” Grant is well aware of my never-been-kissed status. “Don’t let yourself get caught up in the ambiance of the situation and fall for a girl who doesn’t want a boyfriend. That’s worse than more bad first dates.”

He’d be right, except there’s no way that could happen. I mean, I’ve interacted with Brenna three or four times a week for several months now and I’ve never noticed any feelings for her other than friendship. If I had, I would have asked her out. But we’re completely platonic, making me the perfect man for the job and making the potential for romance a non-issue.

“This isn’t just low stakes, Grant. There are literally no stakes for me in this arrangement. I’m just going to support a friend and do something different for the holiday. That’s all there is to it.”

“Whatever you say. Hey, I almost forgot. There’s a guy at work who needs some yard work done and I gave him your number. His name’s Jim.”

“Thanks, man. I’ll watch for his call.”

“And there should be an email coming your way from the team lead on the private residence sales team. They have a couple of houses that need a little yard TLC before they take photos for the listings.”

We chat about work for another minute before hanging up. I go inside and take yet another shower to wash off the sweat from my run. All the while, my mind is like a see-saw, teetering back and forth between my offer to help Brenna and my conversation with Grant. I appreciate his concern, even if it’s completely unnecessary. He’ll see that for himself, though, when I come back from Knoxville with my heart intact.

No reason to worry.