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“No, I just—”
“Fine, we can start with why you moved to New York City…”
Gram proceeded to question Anne about every aspect of her life. It was like being interviewed for the FBI. She quizzed her about her home and her family in Texas, her marriage, her children, her education, her hobbies, and even her dog.
“You’ve barely touched your food, dear,” Gram noted.
Anne wondered how she could possibly have eaten while answering the barrage of questions, but she simply nodded assent and forked a mouthful of meatloaf into her mouth.
“Do you miss your girls?” Gram asked.
Anne forgot her nerves when she thought about her daughters. “I do. But they’re coming on Friday for the whole weekend.”
“That’s wonderful, dear. The three of you should come to dinner while they’re here.”
“Will you be in New York City this weekend? I thought you lived a few hours away from here.”
“Yes, but I still keep the home here in the city. I was planning on a short visit, but now I think I may stay for a while. That way you and I can work on getting my grandson together with the perfect woman. You see, I intend to see him happily married before I die, but I don’t have much time left.”
“Oh no! Do you have a health problem?”
“No dear, I’m perfectly healthy. But I’m ninety-five years old. I’ve got one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel. I’ve got to work fast.”
Anne chuckled. “You haven’t lost your sense of humor yet.”
“Yes, but this is serious business. I’ve been at this for a while. Steven doesn’t have the best judgment when it comes to women. I’ve tried to encourage him to date more, but he refuses to get close to anyone. And since he broke off his engagement with Michelle, he’s been even more withdrawn. It’s been more than five years, and he just can’t seem to get over it. I’m sure it’s because of his past.”
“What happened to him?” Anne couldn’t hide her curiosity. It was fun to get a better understanding of Gherring’s past.
“His parents put him in a boarding school when he was a young boy. I told my son it was a bad idea, but they traveled a lot and didn’t want to be bothered with a child. He was ten when they died in an airplane crash in France. I’ve always loved him, but that’s not the same as having your mom and dad. He inherited his father’s flare for business, and Gherring Inc. has grown into a billion-dollar company under his guidance.” Gram’s mouth drooped. “But I’d rather he’d thrown the company away and had a wife who loved him and a family. Believe me, at the end of your life, when you look back at what you’ve done, you won’t care about how much money you have. Family is what really matters.”
“You’re so right. Didn’t you tell him that?”
“I’ve talked to him ‘til I was blue in the face, but he doesn’t listen. He just says I’m all the family he needs.” Gram leaned in close and put her hand over Anne’s. “But someday I’ll be gone, and he’ll have no one.”
Anne fought back tears for the little boy without a mom and dad, and for the man who was married to his work.
“Don’t worry, Gram. We’ll find someone for him. We just have to.”
When Anne returned to her desk, Gherring was waiting for her. “How was your lunch?”
“It was great. I had meatloaf. Papa’s makes the best meatloaf. That is if you like meatloaf. If you don’t like meatloaf, their other special was—”
“That’s not what I meant. How was lunch with my grandmother?”
“She’s a very interesting lady.”
“You had a rather long lunch. What did you talk about?”
“A little of this. A little of that. You know. All kinds of stuff. I really can’t remember anything exactly.” Anne forced a smile on her face. “She asked me all about Emily, and Charlie, and Gandalf.”
“Who are Charlie and Gandalf?” His brows knotted.
“Charlie is Charlotte, and Gandalf is my Irish wolfhound.”
His face relaxed. “Ah… Charlie’s your daughter. And I didn’t know you had a dog.”
“Gandalf isn’t just a dog. He’s a member of the family. I think he may be almost as tall as you.”
