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And she got her skills from my grandmother.
But my grandmother didn’t cook often anymore. She had arthritis in her hands, and it made it hard for her to do the things that she used to be able to do so easily.
So for her to cook us lunch was a very special occasion.
Castiel led me to the chair he was using, then went to the dining room and collected another one.
I looked at my grandmother when she raised her eyebrows up at me.
“What?” I asked.
Bud snorted from where he was still practically sitting in my grandmother’s lap.
“What my ass,” he muttered.
I flipped him off, and my grandmother smacked us both upside the head.
“Stop cussing,” she ordered.
I demurely zipped my mouth with my fingers, causing her to roll her eyes.
The door to the house slammed, and we all turned just in time to see my Papaw, clad in his regular blue coveralls, shirtless and barefoot, walking into the kitchen with a catfish in each hand. Both of them were flopping around, mad as hell, causing my Papaw to grunt with the effort to hold onto them.
Once he reached the kitchen sink, he tossed them inside and washed his hands over the top of them.
Still flopping around in the farmhouse sink—yes, they’d put a new sink in for this very reason—he walked into the living room, not sparing a single person a look.
“Boy, get out of your grandmother’s lap so she can get me some dumplin’s.” My grandfather came in and sat in his chair.
Bud rolled his eyes but ultimately did what my grandfather said, going to the dining room and not coming back for a good long while.
I had a feeling he was talking to Castiel, but instead of being alarmed, I chose to trust them both not to kill each other.
I stared at my grandfather who was staring at me.
“How’s Grandma doing, Papaw?” I asked.
My grandmother scoffed, but my Papaw, a World War II vet, was an honest man. I trusted him to tell me the truth.
“She’s okay…now,” he admitted. “Had to take her to the hospital the other day because she thought she was having a heart attack. Turns out it was only a panic attack. They gave her some anxiety meds, after fighting with her on which hand she was getting the IV through, and she was fine.”
I frowned and turned to my grandmother.
“Why were you fighting over which hand to get the IV into?” I asked curiously.
Castiel and Bud walked in with more chairs just as my grandfather said, “She didn’t want an IV in her wiping hand.”
I frowned. “Her wiping hand?”
“Yeah.” He held up his hand. “Her ass wiping hand. She said that it doesn’t feel right to wipe her ass with the other hand and wanted them to put it in her left hand, not her right.”
I closed my eyes and started to laugh.
That was my grandparents for you.
“God.” I shook my head.
Bud and Castiel shared a chuckle as they laughed beside us.
“Y’all might as well carry chairs back,” my grandmother said as she stood up. “Your grandfather is ready for lunch. Go sit down and we’ll eat.”
I stood up and started to follow my grandmother, who was already hurrying toward the kitchen. Reaching for my chair, Castiel knocked my hand away gently and said, “Got it.”
I looked up at him and smiled, then walked into the kitchen to help my grandmother.
Which was not at all.
She ladled up each person a bowl of dumplings, then cracked pepper and salt—the perfect amount—over each one.
“So you have a man,” Grandma said, startling me from my hunger.
I looked up to see her grab one of the kid bowls that she used for when the grandchildren came over and ladle up a small portion for me.
“Uh, yeah,” I admitted. “I guess?”
Grandma smiled. “He called himself yours when he introduced himself.”
I shivered as the words hit me.
“I…I want him to be,” I admitted, licking my lips nervously. “But he drives me a little bit crazy, or he used to, and, well…he’s really hot. And out of my league.”
Grandma looked at me sharply.
“Have you looked at yourself lately?” she asked. “You were always a beautiful child…but now? You’re breathtaking. When you’re not being all snarly to keep people at a distance.”
I did do that.
“Anyway,” I admitted. “I’m not altogether sure that he won’t see reason and leave me.”
She shook her head and handed me two bowls. “I think you’ll be surprised. The young man that showed up at my door worried about you making it through seeing me today isn’t one that doesn’t stay for the long haul.”
A silly grin on my face, I walked into the dining room to find my grandfather, Castiel, and Bud in a standoff on who could be the most intimidating.
“Soup’s on,” Grandma said as she laid my grandfather’s food down first.
