CHAPTER 5
Saturday morning, Vi heard from Rose. “Got your text,” she said by way of hello. “What in the world is going on?”
“I’ll get to that in a minute. Tell me about the spa.”
“It’s fabulous, the best I’ve been to. Tasty, healthy food, friendly people, great places to walk and work out. The shopping in the area is also good. I’m already planning to come back next year. Hey, why not join me? It’s not as pricey as you’d think.”
Wouldn’t that be nice?. “As much as I’d like to say yes, we’ll have to wait and see.”
“Come on, Vi, you never pamper yourself. A me-time vacation is just what you need. I shouldn’t say this, but I don’t miss Peter at all,” Rose added.
Their relationship seemed to wax hot and cold, but Rose had never said anything like this. “That doesn’t sound good.”
“We’re okay. I think we needed a break from each other. I have a massage scheduled in a little while, so please get to the point. What’s so important that talking can’t wait till I get back?”
“You’re gone for another week, and so much has happened. I’ll make it quick, I promise.” Skipping most of the details, Vi started with the DD Telecom bankruptcy and the postponement of her bonus and raise—if she was lucky enough to get eitherone. “You know what that means. I can’t help Gran with the down payment.”
“That’s terrible about DD Telecom. You must be so disappointed. Poor Gran will be booted out of a place she likes. I know from when we looked for a senior retirement home for her before, we kept running into long waiting lists. It was so frustrating. Where will she live?”
“If I had room, she could bunk with me. Your house has a spare bedroom with its own bath. I was hoping she could stay there until we found her something else, but?—”
“Living with her would be hard. I doubt Peter would go for that.”
“Gran wouldn’t want it, either. Anyway, it doesn’t matter anymore. You won’t believe what’s going on with her.”
“Don’t tell me she’s sick?”
Lovesick, maybe. “Not in the way you think.” Vi filled her in.
When she finished, Rose’s disbelieving huff came through loud and clear. “That can’t be true. Gran wouldn’t fall in love and certainly wouldn’t think about getting married, especially so quickly.”
“You’d think. You should see the way she and Malcom make googly eyes at each other. It’s enough to ruin your appetite. Blake is just as upset about it.”
“Who?”
“Malcom’s grandson.” Vi explained that the older man was wealthy and moved on to Gran’s decision to cash in her life insurance policy to help finance their move into a bigger unit.
“They want to live together at their age? That’s crazy. If this Malcom person has all that money, why can’t he pay for the whole thing?”
“You know Gran. She’s adamant about paying part of the cost.”
“She was willing to take your bonus money for the down payment.”
“Only because we’re family and we guilted her into it. She’s changed her mind and decided to make the down payment for the unit by cashing in her insurance policy.”
“Boy, I sure wouldn’t, especially if someone else offered to pay. I’d be fine with it. Even if I wanted to use my own funds, Peter wouldn’t let me. If I suggested anything like that, he’d have a fit. He likes taking care of me financially.”
Vi suspected her sister put up with him for that very reason. And a good thing, as her part-time job at a boutique didn’t pay much. She lived a lush life, even if Peter kept a tight rein on his money. “Yeah, well, you’re not as headstrong as Gran.”
“That’s for sure. I had to sign a prenup before Peter and I got married. Does Malcom want the same?”
“That’s a good question. Blake might know. I’ll see what I can find out from him.”
“Is there a reason they want to get married so fast?” Rose asked.
“Blake asked Malcom about that in private, at the same time Gran and I had our little chat. Both say they’re in love and don’t see any reason to wait. So odd for Gran, and according to Blake not Malcom’s normal behavior, either. I’m guessing the real reason for the rush is that Gran’s supposed to make the down payment on her unit sometime in the next three weeks. It’d be crazy to use her life insurance proceeds for the unit she’s not planning to stay in and then hassle with getting the money refunded so she and Malcom could live together.”
“That’s understandable. What’s stopping them from cohabiting now, which I don’t even want to think about, and getting married later? Or not at all.”
