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“So, we’re square, right?” Jay called. “I don’t owe you, and you’re not going to call council? Right? Dick?”
Exhausted and confused, I slumped through the front door at River Oaks and passed the living-room door only to skid to a stop and backtrack. No, the eyes don’t lie. Mr. Wainwright and Aunt Jettie. Kissing.
“What the?” They jumped apart. “What is going on? Were you two making out?”
“No!” Aunt Jettie cried.
“Yes!” Mr. Wainwright admitted.
“Oh, come on. Dating Grandpa Fred wasn’t enough, now you’ve moved on to my surrogate grandpa? Wait, what about Grandpa Fred? Does he know?”
“Yes,” Aunt Jettie said, the slightest hint of color slipping into her translucent cheeks. “He was very upset about it. He and all of your other step-grandpas are refusing to speak to me. It’s cut me off from almost half the dead people in town.”
I glared at her. “So, you were sneaking off to be together.”
“We didn’t want to upset you or make you worry,” Mr. Wainwright said.
“We’re in love.”
“Oh, yuck. I mean, I’m happy for you, but this is just a lot to absorb. We’ll deal with this later, OK? After I’ve had some sleep. I love you guys, both of you. But for the love of all that’s good and decent, make yourselves invisible or something when you do that.”
19
While were clans place special emphasis on male leadership, it’s important to remember to show proper respect to the packs’ older women. They don’t lose their teeth until well into their 90s.
—Mating Rituals and Love Customs of the Were
I didn’t know if or how I was going to approach Grandma Ruthie with Jay’s information about Wilbur. Fortunately, that decision was taken out of my hands when I woke a few nights later to find her in my living room. With Wilbur. And my parents. And my sister.
I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. No matter how many times I changed the locks, Grandma Ruthie always managed to get in. River Oaks being her ancestral home, she felt she has the right to come and go whenever she wants. I considered an electric fence, but Jettie said it would ruin the aesthetics of the property.
“What are you guys doing here?” I asked.
“Well, I thought that since you haven’t been able to make it to dinner lately, we would bring dinner to you. I’ll just pop this into the oven to keep it warm.” Mama clapped her hands in her excitement over “roast on the go.” She does love to take her food on tour. “I wanted to give you and your sister time to talk,” Mama stage whispered as she hustled me into the kitchen. “I think she’s ready to apologize to you.”
“Couldn’t have stopped her, huh?” I muttered to my dad.
He shook his head sadly. “I tried. I really tried.”
“Why shouldn’t I be able to come see my own granddaughter?” Grandma Ruthie sniffed, stroking a china shepherdess that Jettie had loved. “Besides, I grew up in this house. The doors of River Oaks are never closed to an Early.”
Aunt Jettie, who appeared behind Grandma Ruthie, rolled her eyes.
“They will be if I get that electric fence,” I muttered.
Grandma’s watery blue eyes narrowed at me. “What’s that?”
“Nothing, Grandma,” I said, forcing myself to sit without any petulant flopping.
“Well, I think it’s nice to see a big family getting together like this,” Wilbur said, making himself comfortable on the couch and grabbing the remote control. “Do you get the Weather Channel, Janie?”
“You are losing control of your own home, pumpkin,” Aunt Jettie said.
“I know.”
“Well, are you going to offer us something to drink, or do you normally let guests die of thirst?” Grandma Ruthie demanded in a tone that had me jumping back to my feet. Man, she was good at that.
“Would you like some iced tea?” I asked.
