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She waves me off. “I’m just lucky to see you at all. I’ll take all the time with you I can get.”
I know she only means it in the sweetest way, but I feel the guilt nonetheless. Grinny has never asked much of us kids beyond wanting to spend time with us. I see her a couple times a week, usually just the two of us for lunch or dinner once a week and then the family dinner on Sundays, but with Granddad gone, I should be spending more time with her. There’s usually a random time thrown in, something unplanned, whether it’s running into her at the store, or her stopping by to say hello to the animals.
I squeeze her hand and she beams up at me.
A few girls are coming out of the restaurant as we’re walking inside and they stop and stare at me. It’s so strange, I turn around to see if someone’s behind me, but it’s just us on the sidewalk. I take the door and it seems to jar them. They stumble out and one of them says, “I can’t believe it. He isso hot.”
I glance at Grinny and her eyes are wide and twinkling.
“Sounds like I’m not the only one who thinks you’re handsome,” she says.
I groan and that just makes her laugh harder.
When we step inside The Pink Ski, Sally Shire walks forward, her arms outstretched. Grinny hugs her and when she steps back, Sally’s mouth drops.
“Callum Landmark, is that you?”
“Has no one ever seen a haircut?” I say under my breath.
“Not onyouvery often, that’s for sure.” Sally doesn’t miss a beat. She hugs me tight and steps back, her hand on my jaw as she reaches up to study my face. “I think I know now why you’ve been hiding this face—you didn’t want to show your brothers up!”
She and Grinny cackle.
“Like that could ever happen,” I say.
Sally’s eyebrows lift. “You’re all exceptionally good-looking men, but I gotta say, the perfectlycoifedmodel lumberjack look works for me.” She winks and then laughs again when I groan.
“Is there anyone in town whohasn’theard that line?” I ask.
“Oh, quit your grousing,” Grinny says.
“Jamison described perfectly what everyone in this town already thought,” Sally says, leading us to a table. “Do you want your usual drink?”
I nod.
“Yes, please,” Grinny says. “And I’ll only be getting dessert, but Callum will be having dinner.”
A table of tourists are loud as we’re walking by and then they go silent. Sally glances over and makes a face so I look too. It’s a table of five women and every single one of them has their phones up. I can’t tell if they’re taking a picture or all on a video chat.
It’s always been strange to me how everyone is on their phone all the time, but this seems extreme.
But to each their own. I guess if it makes them happy, so be it.
Sally leaves us with the menus even though we know it by heart. I still look at it like it will tell me something new.
“The girls and I will be stopping by the farmer’s marketon Saturday. We need to stock up for Thanksgiving,” Grinny says.
“I can’t believe it’s already almost Thanksgiving.”
“Just next week,” she says. “Should I set an extra place setting for Ruby?”
I frown. “Why would you do that?”
“Well, she’slivingwith you. Seems like the considerate thing to do.”
“Oh, right. No. She left tonight. Pierre is back in town, so she’ll be staying there now.”
She makes a face. “Well, that won’t be comfortable for either one of them. Have you not been to Pierre’s before?”
