“It will,” Grace said, her words firm.
Ryan appreciated her words of comfort. “When her treatments ended, and she started to feel better, Grandma decided it was time to enjoy herself and have some fun.”
“Quite right, too.”
“For the past couple of months, she’s been visiting family and friends and spending time with the people she loves and doing things that make her laugh. It’s my turn right now to play host.”
Grace smiled, her eyes lighting up at this news. But no sooner had the smile appeared than it vanished.
“Oh! But here I am shoving my way into the precious time you’re meant to be sharing with your grandmother and guilt-tripping you into looking after a stray dog!” Her voice was filled with anguish as she spoke, and the look in her eyes was one of utter torture. “I feel terrible! I’m so sorry!”
Ryan laughed, eager to brush off her baseless concerns. “You haven’t shoved your way into anything and you aren’t guilt-tripping me into doing anything I didn’t want to do, either.”
She didn’t look convinced, so Ryan added, “If anything, having Stanley here today was a useful way to encourage my grandmother to slow down a little. When she arrived yesterday afternoon, she came armed with a list of activities for us that nearly made my eyes fall out of my head in shock. If I did everything on her list, I’d be completely knackered, and I’m much younger than she is and I’m not dealing with the brutal after-effects of cancer treatment. She insisted on coming here on the train yesterday by herself from her last stop-over, and then we were straight off to the cinema together. Today, she wanted us to go out to lunch, then have a long afternoon walk out in the countryside, and then go to some pub quiz night afterwards.”
Ryan shook his head, imagining how exhausted Miriam would have been had they done all of that.
“But thanks to Stanley, we ended up having a leisurely stroll to the shops on the high street and then Grandma enjoyed somekitchen pottering while she made her casserole. Even that much left her winded, as you just saw. So, if having Stanley here means I can use him as an excuse again tomorrow to make sure Grandma maintains a sensible pace, then the truth is you’re doing me as much of a favour as I’m doing for you.”
He said these last words with an eye on the doorway, in case Miriam should happen to reappear and overhear what he was saying. She didn’t want to be handled with kid gloves and he didn’t want to upset her or make her feel that he was treating her like a child—but he did want Grace to understand the delicacy of the situation, if only so she wouldn’t worry about it.
The look in Grace’s eyes a moment ago had told him shewouldworry terribly unless he put her straight.
“Your grandmother was so kind to me tonight, inviting me to stay for dinner,” Grace said. “And it was incredibly kind of her to allow her plans to be derailed by a stranger with a stray dog.” She added the last of the glassware to the dishwasher and gave him a hard look. “Are you sure having Stanley here tomorrow won’t be a nuisance?”
“We already went through all of this, and my answer’s the same now as it was then.”
“But this time you’re spending with your grandmother is important.”
“Yes, it is. And the way I see it, so long as we’re spending that time together, it doesn’t much matter what we’re doing. All I care about is that my grandmother is here and that she’s happy.”
Ryan watched as she considered what he’d said, mulling it over. Eventually, she gave him a nod.
“Okay. Well, once we get past tomorrow, I’ll be off work for a few days anyway to look after Stanley and I won’t have to exploit your good nature.”
“So, we’re agreed on the plan? No more going back and forth punishing yourself about all this?”
Ryan grinned and was pleased when a smile at last returned to Grace’s lips, too.
“Agreed. We’ve got a plan and we’re sticking to it.”
Stanley appeared beside them just then, having completed his final check around the dining table and the floor beneath the kitchen counter for any signs of food morsels that might have been dropped. He planted his bottom on the ground and wagged his tail while looking between them and his empty food bowl on the other side of the room.
“I see what your game is, mister,” Ryan said. “But there’s no way we’re feeding you anything else tonight. Considering how much you ate earlier, I’m surprised you haven’t exploded already.”
Stanley sniffed and turned to Grace instead, cocking his head at her.
“You won’t get past me with that cute look, Stanley,” Grace laughed. “I’m no more of a fool than Ryan is.”
Stanley let out a whine followed by a sigh and continued staring at them both.
“Hope springs eternal,” Ryan said, still smiling at the daft dog. “Do you think it’s weird that we talk to him like he’s a human?”
Grace gave him an amused look and shook her head. “I quite like talking to him.”
“Me, too.”
“I mean, look at that cute, friendly face. Whywouldn’tyou want to talk to him?”
