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“They have a lot of energy at that age,” she said, smiling.
“They do.” Boy, was that an understatement. I’d taken him to hockey camp last night, which had been fine, but then Hadley had called early this morning saying Benny had a fever and she was worried that whatever he had might be contagious. I’d blown off going to the lab and had picked Joey up instead. We’d run a few errands and then I’d called Grandma G to see if she felt like going to lunch.
Now we were on our way.
There was a buffet-style all-you-can-eat pizza place that had a small game room in the back, so I figured Joey could eat and then I’d give him a few bucks to play games while Grandma and I caught up.
“I love pizza!” Joey announced, his mouth full.
“Me too,” Grandma G agreed, though her plate was full of salad at the moment.
“That’s salad,” Joey pointed out needlessly.
“Salad first, then pizza for me,” she said.
“Yuck.” He took another bite of pizza and then stood up. “Can I go play now?”
I wanted to tell him to finish eating first, but what difference did it make? He’d come back when he was hungry. The play area was gated, with no exits, so I could relax and finish my own lunch.
“Go on,” I said gently, pulling a few dollars out of my purse. “Do you know how to buy tokens?”
“From the machine!” He nodded, snatching the money out of my hand before taking off.
“He’s a ball of energy,” Grandma G said.
“He’s a good kid. I don’t mind helping out.”
She eyed me. “Tell me about you and Boone.”
“Oh.” I was pretty sure my cheeks got red, but I tried to play it off. “There’s nothing to tell. We’re just friends. You know, from hockey camp.”
She laughed. “I was born in the morning, sweetheart. But not this morning. Every time his name comes up, your eyes sparkle.”
“They do not,” I muttered.
“It’s okay to like him,” she said. “Why are you acting weird?”
“Because even if he was interested, and I’m not sure he is, Dad would never allow it. So what’s the point?”
“Your father is a good man, but he’s not God. He can’t determine who you should be with, no matter how hard he wants to try. He chose Jarvis for you and we all know how that turned out.”
“Yeah, but Boone has to think about his career and Dad basically controls it.”
“So you do like him.”
“What’s not to like? Gorgeous, successful, athletic, rich, a good brother and uncle from what I’ve seen. He ticks off a lot of boxes. But the truth is we barely know each other.”
“And yet here you are, taking care of little Joey. Seems to me there’s something there, whether you want to acknowledge it or not.”
“Maybe.” I chewed my lip thoughtfully. “There’s something about him. I can’t explain it.”
“I knew I was going to marry your grandfather the first time I saw him. Sometimes all it takes is a split second and your soul understands before the rest of you gets on board.”
“I had no idea you were such a romantic,” I said, smiling at her.
“I wasn’t always old, you know. And even though my body is falling apart, on the inside, I’m still a woman with wants and needs and memories. It manifests itself differently now, of course, but it never goes away. So don’t waste time, my love.” She put one of her hands over mine. “I don’t know if Boone is the right man for you or if there’s anything there, but don’t be afraid to find out. Life passes you by in the blink of an eye.”
“You must miss Grandpa a lot.”
