Vi was fine with that. “I’ve never kissed anyone in an elevator,” she admitted on the way to the Mercedes dealership.
He grinned at her. “Sure was fun.”
“I thought so.” But sticking to kisses, period, was frustratingly unsatisfying, like starving for days, then sampling a mouth-watering appetizer with no other food in sight. If she weren’t careful, she’d throw caution to the winds and have sex soon, when she wasn’t ready.
Or was she?
Ready or not, the way she ached for him meant holding off much longer was doubtful. Now that she and Blake were in a relationship of sorts, it made sense. As long as she remembered not to expect any promises of a future together, which she didn’t, she ought to be okay. This was not the time to decide, and she shoved her thoughts and longing aside until later.
Traffic was light, and they soon passed the first of three different dealerships. “The population here is about twenty-five thousand,” she said. “I’ve always wondered how these dealerships survive.”
Blake shrugged. “No idea, but they do. There it is, up ahead.” He nodded at the tall blue sign with the three-pointed star and pulled into the lot. “Let’s go find Grandpop.”
Locating him wasn’t difficult. He was seated at a table, engaged in an intent conversation with a salesperson. The man left and headed for someone’s office. “Hey, Grandpop,” Blake said.
Malcom’s frown included both him and Vi. “What are you two doing here?”
“Yes, it’s good to see you, too,” Blake said as if the man had greeted them with a pleased smile. “If you’re out and about, you must be feeling pretty good.”
“Still sore, but much better.” He nodded at Vi. “Hello.”
“Hi, Malcom. I’m trying to find Gran.”
“We don’t know where she is, and you hung up on me before I could ask. At least you answered the phone. What’s the deal?”
“I’ve been busy.” Suddenly, Malcom’s face lit up. “Here she comes.”
Vi followed his gaze, saw Gran and was shocked. “You two made up?”
“We did.”
Blake looked stunned. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
“You didn’t ask.”
“How could we, when you refused to answer your phones?”
“Well, hello.” Gran nodded at them. “What are you two doing here?”
“Malcom asked us the same thing,” Vi said. “The better question is why areyou,Gran?”
“I’m keeping Malcom company while he negotiates a better price for his new Mercedes. He’s really good at that.”
Malcom beamed. “Almost as good as you.”
Whatever that meant. “The last time you and I spoke, Gran, you and Malcom were still mad at each other,” Vi reminded her. “What changed?”
Her grandmother squinted at her as if she’d asked a ridiculous question. “We talked it out and made up, like any couple does. The day my insurance check arrived, I signed it over to him.”
He nodded. “We went to the bank and deposited it.”
Without a word to Vi or Blake. “All this time, I worried about that check, Gran. When did it come, and why didn’t you tell me?”
“On Tuesday. How was I supposed to know you expected a call. Why would I? It’s my business, not yours. As soon as Malcom deposited the money, we went straight to the finance department at the 709 and signed the documents for our new unit.”
“Back up,” Blake said. “What brought you around, Grandpop?”
The man gave Blake ayou-have-to-ask?look. “I love her, I missed her and I can’t live without her. I’ve always appreciated a challenge, and she drives a hard bargain.” He winked at Blake and Vi. “She’s tougher than I am.”
