I’m looking forward to it, he replied.
The flutter was back, so she quickly sent him a thumbs-up emoji, because even through a text, she might send something stupid like hearts and kisses.
* * * *
Nate chuckled as he put his mobile phone in his pocket.
“I haven’t seen such a happy smile on your face in a long time. I’d love to thank the woman who put it there,” his seventy-nine-year-old grandmother said as she put two cups of coffee on the kitchen table and sat next to him.
Dressed in bright red tights and a tight, black tank top, her silver hair with pale pink streaks was pulled up in a messy ponytail. She looked nothing like a typical grandmother should. Well, what he thought a typical grandmother should look like.
“I smile all the time, and why would you think it’s because of a woman?”
“You’ve hardly cracked a decent one since you’ve come home. I would’ve thought you’d be happy to see me at least.” She huffed. “And a man only looks like that over a woman,” she said and blew into her steaming cup of coffee.
“I am happy to see you. I’ve missed you.”
“So why the long face when you visit? Are you missing the tour and your band mates already?”
“As much as I love the band, living with them almost twenty-four hours a day for three months straight isn’t always fun.”
He needed space. It was good to have a break from them. They’d tried convincing him to go to the states with them, but being back in his hometown for a few weeks was where he needed to be. New York didn’t hold the greatest of memories.
“Fi-Fi.” His grandmother had refused to be called anything grandmotherly, and they’d come up with the nickname when he moved in with her. “Are you not happy I’m home?”
He’d never thought to ask if she wanted him around. He’d rented his own house, but did he come over too often? She was a woman who enjoyed a busy lifestyle; maybe he was getting in the way.
She waved her hand in the air. “Of course I love having you home. But you seem lost, like you don’t know what to do with yourself, and a little sad if I’m going to be honest with you.”
When was she ever not honest with him? When he needed to stay grounded, she held him down with concrete boots.
“I guess I’m not used to having so much downtime.” And the thought of playing music he didn’t feel pulsing through his veins made it harder and harder to be enthusiastic about getting back on tour. “While I’m in town, I’m helping Toby out with after-school music lessons.”
“That’s wonderful. He always had great ideas for that school.”
“Not Toby’s idea. One of his teachers came up with the idea.”
His grandmother searched his face in a way that always made him feel like she could read his thoughts. And most times she’d get it right. “This teacher’s the one who’s put the smile on your face.”
It wasn’t a question. Damn, how did she do that? After all these years he still hadn’t figured it out. Maybe Jade was right and there really were witches.
“You’ll have to bring her over sometime. Anyone who can make my boy beam from ear to ear is worth getting to know.”
“She sent me a funny text. That’s all,” Nate said.
“Will you be working with this teacher?”
“Yes.”
Fi-Fi smirked. “This will be interesting,” she said as she rose from her chair. “Well, I’m off to my pole dancing class. I’ll see you later.”
Yeah, she definitely wasn’t like any grandmother he knew.
Chapter 7
Jade tried on about ten different outfits before deciding on a pale blue dress with spaghetti straps that flowed just below the knees. Tempted to call Lauren or Ava for ideas, she quickly decided against it. It was only a business meeting, and they’d make it out to be something more. Especially after she’d confessed about being in lust with the guy.
She’d already received a text message from Ava asking if she’d taken things further with him that night at Jovi’s. No, nothing happened, because he’d thought she was a crazy person and she’d walked out on him. And nothing would happen, because…well, it just couldn’t. Could it? She shook her head with confusion.
