There was a loud thud, so we rushed into the hallway … and found her lying face down on the carpet with her arms thrown out wide as though she had been struck down by a vengeful God.
Kai gasped. “Holy shit! Janet! Are you—”
She lifted her head an inch and peered up at us.
“Oh hi, darling. Don’t mind me. Just practicing my dramatic exit in case fate strikes during my show.”
“You—” I stared. “Seriously, Gran?”
“Death comes for us all, darling. Even during prime time.”
Kai knelt beside her, his brows furrowed with concern. “Are you actually okay? Do you need water? A defibrillator?”
Gran patted his arm. “You sweet thing. If I die, you and Tori get the house.”
“GRAN!”
She winked at him. “I’m kidding. Mostly.”
Kai grinned like she’d handed him a medal and if I hadn’t already known I was doomed, I would have realized it at this point.
When he straightened up, he glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. “I got to run soon. I’ve got practice in an hour.”
“Practice?” Gran perked up, lifting her head up all the way now. “Sounds like fun.”
I scoffed. “What about football practice sounds like fun for an eighty-seven-year-old woman?”
“For research, obviously,” she quipped, slowly getting up from the floor and brushing dust off her clothes.
Research my ass.
“She can come. I mean…” Kai rubbed the back of his neck when my gaze snapped his way. “Both of you can.”
Gran clapped her hands together in delight. “Wonderful. Let me just get ready.”
“You’ve got no idea what you’ve just done.” I shook my head in horror.
Kai just shrugged, his cheeks a little flushed, then hitched a thumb over his shoulder. “Got to go grab my stuff. Meet you out there?”
“Sure.” I sighed, knowing there was no way I’d talk Gran out of this now.
Twenty minutes later, she appeared in the doorway, wearing a giant sunhat, sunglasses the size of satellites and another one of her feather boas, red this time. Another wave of horror swept over me as I spotted the plastic megaphone in her hand.
“Tori,” she declared, “take me to see the big handsome men tackle each other.”
Kai choked on his own spit, covering his mouth with his hand to hide his laughter.
“I am not bringing you to practice like that.” I vehemently shook my head. “No way.”
Gran waved a dismissive hand. “I need fresh air. Vitamin D. A reason to live.”
“You have me.” I shot a sideways glance at the giant next to me. “And Kai.”
“Yes,” she agreed, dramatically flapping her boa around. “He is very easy on the eyes. But I also want to judge the other boys.”
Kai whispered to me, “It’s fine. Tane won’t mind … I think.”
“Tane is terrified of her.”
