“You might have a little bit of a tell,” Mr. Dunn says, giving me a wink.
Joyce scowls at him.
I have no idea what my tell is, but it doesn’t matter because it’s almost time for me to leave. Bronco said he was taking me back to the farm tonight. When I tell them this, the whole table erupts into big smiles.
“Proud of you, girl,” Mr. Dunn says, giving me a fist bump like his five-year-old grandson taught him to do last month.
I return his bump and chuckle as I leave the room. Joyce follows, trailing after me, and I intentionally slow my steps so she can catch up.
“Aren’t you late for your tango class?” I ask, detouring to the employee kitchenette where it’s more private.
She pins me with an intense stare, her warm brown gaze filled with worry. “Are we…are we losing this place?”
“What do you mean?”
“I saw the newspaper article. The fundraiser.” She blows out a breath. “In all of my years here, Elaine has never let anyone hold a fundraiser or help her out. It makes me think something happened.”
I hesitate, not sure what to say. Aunt Elaine will be returning in a few hours. By that point, I’ll be on Bronco’s ranch, but I don’t want her coming home to a group of worried residents. “Things got a little bit hard,” I finally admit. “But we’re seventy-five percent of the way to the funding we need. I think by the end of the week, we can expect to hit our goal.”
She nods. “You’ll tell me if it doesn’t?”
“I’ll tell you what I can when I can.” It’s the best promise I can give her. After all, I know Aunt Elaine doesn’t want what’s happened to become public knowledge. No one would blame her or me, but she’s a strong woman. She won’t accept pity or sympathy. It’s not in her nature.
She seems to accept this and gives me a quick hug before hurrying off to teach her tango class.
I blow out a soft breath when she’s gone, hoping I handled that the right way. Without Aunt Elaine nearby, I had to wing it. I’ll make sure to text her later so she knows that the residents are worried. She’ll find a way to reassure them.
“She worries about you,” a voice says softly.
I look up to spot Ryan in the corner of the breakroom. There’s a little alcove that’s easy to overlook if you’re not paying attention.
He’s sipping a soda with a soft expression on his face, the kind that you have when you’re thinking about someone you love. He’s always seemed fond of her, and she appreciates his doting.
“You must think of her like a grandma,” I tell him.
He chuckles, but it’s wrong. It sounds sad instead of filled with mirth. “Do you want to hear a secret?”
“What?” I ask going to the fridge to dig out my own soda. I’m not thirsty. I just want to do something with my hands while he talks.
“She’s my grandma.” His shoulders slump. “She doesn’t know it.”
“What do you mean she doesn’t know it?” I uncap my bottle and frown. Joyce has never once mentioned having grandchildren. She told me that she has no living family, so maybe she doesn’t have a clue about Ryan.
He shrugs. “I grew up in foster care and got bounced around here and there. I finally did one of those DNA tests. Turns out I had a living relative in a place called Courage County.”
“And that’s why you got the job here as the security guard,” I say after setting my soda on the counter.
He nods. “Kind of nice to think I have some family.”
“You should tell her. She’d probably be really excited.” My own heart swells at the thought. If anyone deserves some good news around here, it’s definitely Joyce. She spends so much of her time trying to bring cheer.
“Yeah, but if she’s not…I mean, it’s better this way. At least, I have the idea of family. But if I talk to her and she doesn’t want me—” He swallows rather than finish the sentence.
“She would adore you,” I insist, knowing deep in my gut that it’s true. Joyce would love to have a grandson to spoil.
Bronco comes into the kitchenette and gives me a big grin. He pulls me into his arms without a word and kisses me like he hasn’t seen me in three years. “Missed you,” he murmurs when he finally lets me up for air.
I’m dizzy and blinking away black spots from my vision when I glance toward Ryan.
