“Actually,” Beau says, “I was?—”
I send him a warning look. I don’t need the questions or thescolding that’ll come if Grams knows there was a Palmer inside her house. And I definitely don’t need Sandra spreading it around the retirement home to the likes of Harold Shuman.
Beau clears his throat. “I’m afraid that’s confidential information, ma’am. Where’s Tristan?” he asks Sandra.
“He should be back soon,” she replies.
I shut my eyes. If word of this incident gets to Beau’s dad, it’s over for Grams.
“Can I have a minute alone with my grandma?” I ask.
Beau and Sandra nod, and Beau’s gaze lingers on me for a minute. I know exactly what his eyes are saying.I’ll wait.
Right. Because I need a ride home. Again.
The door closes behind them, and I take a seat next to Grams on her bed.
“Don’t you lecture me, Gigi,” she barks. “I’ve wiped that butt”—she slaps the part of it she can access while I’m seated—“and seen you with boogers down to your chin.”
“Thanks for the visual. I’m not here to lecture you. I’m just letting you know that standing up the physical therapist might cost you big. You were already on probation after the hunger strike.” I turn toward her. “I’m going to ask one more time: are you sure you don’t want to try a different retirement com?—”
“No.”
I grimace.
“This is where I want to be. I can’t have family near, so I want to be with the closest thing I have.”
A sliver of guilt niggles at me at theI can’t have family nearpart, but I cock a brow. “The Palmers?”
She grabs me by the cheek. “You watch that smart mouth, young lady.” But then she smiles. She loves my smart mouth. She basically gave it to me.
“Fine,” I say. “But if you want to stick around, you need to play by the rules and behave yourself.”
Her lips turn down at the edges like I’ve just sucked the joy out of her life.
“You can have fun,” I say, “but it’s got to beharmlessfun.”
Her gaze meets mine through those thick-rimmed black glasses, and I see the first glimmer of worry. “You really think they’ll kick me out after today?”
“I don’t know, Grams. It’s a real possibility. I’ll see what I can do, but there’s only so much groveling a Sawyer can bear.”
“Let me do it.”
My eyes widen, and I put my hand out to stop her from getting up. “No way. Let me.” Seeing Grams groveling would destroy me. Assuming she’s even capable of it. She’d probably go in meaning to apologize but end up inciting a riot.
She smiles and squeezes just above my knee. “You’re a real gem, Gigi. And you deserve better than me.”
From her, that little squeeze is the equivalent of a seven-page love letter.
“Wish me luck,” I say, standing up and tugging down the hem of my shirt.
“Go get ’em, tiger!”
“Have you seen B—Officer Palmer?”I ask Sandra.
There’s no sign of him in the lobby.
“He walked out a few minutes ago,” she replies in a flat tone without even looking up at me.
