Chance snorted. “You would have hated that.”
“I did, but I also knew I needed to do things to help. I took over laundry. Gabe ruined the white towels once by having colors in the load and my mother was very particular about those things. My father had to go to the store and buy new towels before my mother could find out. It’s kind of a funny story now.”
He didn’t have many funny family stories like that. His were more heart to hearts with his grandmother telling him to pull his head out of his ass more than anything else.
Or beating herself up over letting him down.
Not feeling as if she could give him the upbringing he needed since Rhea didn’t feel she’d done that great of a job with his mother.
His grandmother had never been married either. It was a cycle he was determined to break.
He didn’t even have any men in his life to learn from. If his grandmother dated, he never knew. No men came around. He asked her once and she brushed him off.
It wasn’t as if he wanted to know about her sex life, if she’d even shared anything personal. Which she hadn’t.
“I had more tough love,” he said.
“Come on, Chance. I’ve seen your grandmother around you. She loves you.”
“Of course she does. But there weren’t or aren’t a lot of warm, loving words.”
Jocelyn laughed. “There wasn’t a lot of them in my office two days ago with my mother. So don’t delude yourself into thinking we were some fairy tale family that never fights or has issues.”
“I don’t know what I’m thinking. Obviously, your mother got better and has been fine for years, right?”
“Yes. Thankfully. But the fear still lingers. For years I worried she’d get sick again. That she’d die. I’m outnumbered in my family and the thought of being alone with all those men was hard.”
He could see her trying to lighten the talk. “You would have gotten through. Your father and brother would have made sure of it.”
“You’re right. But it hadn’t happened. Let’s talk about something not so depressing. You mentioned your grandmotherhad an idea for you to come up with monthly type specials. Got any ideas there?”
“I’m still working on it. Any suggestions?”
“I like the taco thing, but maybe have fun stuff. Like trivia or dart tournaments. I don’t know.”
“I don’t have dartboards in the place and I don’t have the room. Trivia might work, but it’s overused and not my thing. I don’t want to put more on my grandmother to come up with ideas for it. Food specials would be the chef’s domain.”
“You’ll figure it out,” she said. “I don’t want to step on toes, but I’ll let you know if I come up with something.”
“Thanks.”
They finished their dinner in silence. He didn’t want things to be awkward, but they were and he couldn’t put his finger on it.
He had planned to spend the night, but maybe he’d just leave soon.
Once dinner was cleaned up, she put her arms around him from behind and gave him a hug.
“I’m sorry if our conversation put you off,” she said.
“It didn’t. I thought it did for you?”
“Nope. I still want you in my bed. How about you?”
He turned. “Always that,” he said.
She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward her room.
“Then we should get to it,” she said. “Maybe we can make each other feel better.”
