Playing for Keeps (The Game #2)(54)
Author: Emma Hart

I grab a pillow, bury my face into it, and groan. “This is going to be a disaster.”

Chapter Twenty-Four – Aston

“This is going to be a disaster,” Megan mutters, pulling onto a street with houses worth more than I could ever dream of making. Most are three-story buildings, all with driveways, garages and perfectly pruned front yards.

I fidget in my seat. A small voice in the back of my mind whispers about the differences in our lives. It reminds me how different it is here compared to where I started life in San Francisco. I glance at Megan and tell the voice to f**k off.

My past doesn’t define who I am. The here and now does.

Gramps whistles low. “What, you got a pool and all?”

“Hope you brought your swimming trunks,” she comments in a chipper voice.

“Good job I did, then.” Gramps pats his stomach. “Love a good swim.”

She turns the car onto a driveway leading to one of the three-story houses. The drive is lined by circular bushes and winter flowers. I look up at the house. Painted white, it looks like something out of a movie.

You know … The ones where the rich, unattainable person always lives.

You’re not worth anything. I clench my jaw and push the voice away. I won’t let it ruin this weekend for Megan.

Megan hops out of the car. The front door opens, revealing a woman that could be Megan in twenty years’ time. Looking at her mom’s blonde hair, slender figure and bright smile, it’s easy to see exactly why Megan is so damn beautiful.

Gramps whistles again. “That’s one hot momma,” he whispers to me, chuckling.

I roll my eyes and step from the car, turning to help him out. He waves me off, and I roll my eyes again. Damn stubborn man.

He brushes his hands off on his legs. “I’m going to meet me some beautiful ladies.” He hobbles up the drive on his stick, approaching Megan and her mom, and promptly introduces himself. I smirk when he leans forward to kiss Megan’s mom on the cheek, taking her totally by surprise. She laughs, and Megan turns to me, smiling.

My stomach jolts, and I repeat my mantra in my mind. My past does not define me. My past does not define me.

“Mom, this is Aston. Aston, this is my mom, Gloria,” Megan introduces us.

“It’s lovely to meet you, Aston.” Gloria’s eyes twinkle with genuine happiness. She holds her hand out, and I take it, kissing her fingers.

“The pleasure is all mine.”

She beams, leaning into Megan. “And he’s polite! I like him already.”

Gramps winks at me, and I stifle my grin as Gloria leads us into the house. Megan slips her hand inside mine, and I squeeze it lightly.

“Roger?” Gloria calls. “Where are you?”

“In the yard, darling,” a deep voice calls back.

“He’s getting the grill fired up,” she explains, leading us into the house.

It looks nothing like I expected it to. In my mind it was immaculate and filled with expensive trinkets, but it’s not. The walls are adorned with certificates with Megan’s name on – from swimming to horse riding, pictures of her and Braden and family photos. My eyes flick from one image to another, drinking them in.

“You were a really cute kid,” I murmur as we pass a photo of Megan with her hair in pigtails, grinning at the camera with a tooth missing.

“Shut up,” she mutters back. I grin.

The back yard is about the size of Gramps’ house. He whistles again, and I resist the urge to join him. We step onto the decking that houses the grill, a large table and chairs, and a few random plants. A pool house is at the far end next to a fair sized pool.

And you could still get another house in the free space.

I knew Braden and Megan came from money, but holy f**king shit.

“Megs!” The man at the grill calls, turning around.

“Dad,” Megan groans, and I see why. His apron is that of a naked guy’s – sporting a six pack and burger bun over the space where his privates should be. I chuckle.

“What?” he says innocently.

“You had to wear that apron, didn’t you? Remember? Guests?” she implores desperately.

He looks at me and Gramps. “Too late now, darling daughter. They’ve already seen it!”

“And I’ve got a real one!” Gramps laughs throatily, patting his rounded stomach. He steps forward and introduces himself to Megan’s dad.

Megan sighs and rests her forehead against my shoulder. I kiss the top of her head.

“And this must be the boy that stole my girl’s heart.” Her dad turns to me, smiling widely.

“Yes, sir.” I wink at Megan. She’s giving her dad the death stare.

“Roger,” he introduces himself, shaking my free hand. “Sure is nice to meet you, Son. If she ever had a boyfriend in high school, we never got to meet him. Braden scared him off before we even got close.”

“Dad!” Megan gasps. “What are you talking about?”

“The fact you never brought me some eye candy home from school,” a smoky voice rasps from the kitchen. “About time you did. He has a nice behind. Is his front that nice?”

“Mother,” Gloria warns.

I raise an eyebrow at Megan, and her mouth drops open. A slight flush rises on her cheeks, and we both turn to look at the old woman sweeping out of the house onto the decking.

“What? I was talking about the fine gentleman sitting at the table over here.” She takes a seat opposite Gramps and runs her eyes across me. “Although, good choice, Megan. He’s a pretty one.”

“And he has brains.” Megan shrugs.

“Go off to college and you get picky. Mind you …” Her nan grins. “I’d be picky too, if he was on offer.”

“And he got them looks and brains from somewhere,” Gramps butts in.

“And it was clearly you.” Her nan beams at him. They strike up a conversation, and I smile. Bringing him here was a good idea.

“So you really never had a boyfriend in high school?” I tease Megan.

She opens her mouth, closes it, and opens it again.

“Not one she brought home,” Gloria explains. “Braden definitely scared them off, so imagine my shock when she told me about you! I thought you were definitely going to show up with a broken arm or a black eye.”

“A broken arm?” Roger exclaims, poking the coal. “I expected him to show up in a wheelchair. Maybe that girl is good for Braden.”

“Maddie,” Megan corrects. “Not ‘that girl’, Dad. Her name is Maddie.”