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“Yes. Again, it’s why my grandson is so infatuated with you. We only covet the best.”
There wasn’t a rebuttal worthy of that statement, so I raised my glass, and she did the same, knocking back the liquid in one fierce sip. I did the same, surprised the liqueur didn’t burn as bad as I thought it would. It had a pleasant floral taste with a mild, fruity aftertaste. Huh.
“See? Never doubt the wisdom of a Kelly. Is your tongue loose enough yet, or do you need another?”
I swiftly covered the top of the glass and shook my head, clasping a hand over my stomach. “I’m one drink away from the room swaying. I need to stop while I still have my wits about me.”
“As if we’d let you make a fool of yourself here,” she huffed, pushing up her jewel-encrusted glasses and putting her hands on her hips.
“Him. The Professor. My old neighbor.”
“Yes. What did the douche-kabob do?”
I rolled my eyes and took a deep breath, steadying my nerves. If I was ever going to tell Simon the truth, I might as well do a trial run with Nana. “We, um, hooked up several years ago.”
“I’m well acquainted with premarital sex, you know. Stop stalling,” she snapped.
“He was married when we slept together.”
“I see.” She took off her glasses and pulled a monogrammed handkerchief out of her pocket, taking a moment to clean the lenses.
Here it comes—the judgment.
“And you knew he was married, choosing to disregard the vows he took to his wife?”
“No.” I’d started shaking my head before she’d finished her sentence, waving both my hands as a tight, miserable feeling crept up my chest and wrapped around my throat. It was hard to swallow, hard to breathe, but she had to know—needed to know, that wasn’t true.
That purple liqueur was some sort of magical truth, panic-inducing elixir, making my poor brain spiral and black spots dance in the corner of my vision.
“Absolutely not. I—”
“Addison. Stop.”
My jaw snapped closed with a clap, and she cupped my cheeks, jerking my head down to her level with more strength than someone her age should have.
“You do not need to justify or explain anything else to me. That man took advantage of you. And now, you feel you have to protect your intern. I’m only going to say this once. Just because you don’t think you deserve love doesn’t mean someone doesn’t love you with all they have.”
How did she know that? How did she sum up my insecurities and tie them neatly with a pretty pink bow?
I opened my mouth to ask her just that as she patted my cheek, but a booming voice shouted over the noise. “The menfolk have arrived. Time to put the titties away.”
“Beth. Go wrangle that handsome husband of yours. He’s on dish duty,” she called into the living room before giving my cheek one final pat.
“Yes, Nana,” she said, passing a take-away plate to Betty and squeezing her in a tight embrace.
A shock of platinum hair stepped through the archway of Nana’s foyer and into the living room, and my heart did that stupid pitter-patter again, watching him adjust the cufflinks on his black button-down and straighten the royal blue pocket square peeking out of his black silk vest.
As he moved around the room, the light caught his vest, and I noticed intricate designs detailing constellations stitched into the fabric. The craftsmanship was uncanny, and I tilted my head, studying the graceful way he moved until his eyes found mine and the corner of his mouth turned up. I lifted my hand, and he made it by my side in three long strides, wrapping one arm around my waist and letting his fingers glide underneath my sweater.
He nuzzled my neck, stepping between my legs and saying the two words that were quickly becoming my favorites.
“Hi, honey.”
