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“Ms. Delores Vitale knows Joaquin Griffin?” The brunette covers her mouth.
“Well, I met the young man when he brought my granddaughter to me. Is he a stand-up guy, as he seems?” Grandma pulls her attention from the tree trunk and settles her gaze upon the women.
“Isabella would know if any of us?” The brunette chuckles as Isabella grows redder than I just did.
“He’s a great guy. Terrific father.”
“I see… where’s the mother to that boy, anyway?”
Wow. After all the time I’ve been with her since Joaquin dropped me off, Grandma has not cared to bring him up. And I’ve refused to share with her about our fling or anything. That’s why I have friends to group chat with, not spill my beans with my Nonna.
“Oh. She took off. Left him at the altar and everything.”
My heart rate picks up. I tuck my hair behind my ears, and my third eye is itching like a fresh mosquito bite announcing its existence.
“Sounds horrible. That little boy has no mother, huh?”
Does Grandma really want to hear about this tragedy? This is all too heavy for me to hear, and more than anything, it seals the deal to make sure I keep my promise to Adam.
“No, but he has a great relationship with his grandparents.”
“Oh, the mother’s side or the father’s?”
“Joaquin’s side.”
Grandma smiles brightly, “That’s a blessing. Glad to hear that. So, are you two teachers here?”
“Yes, I’m Martha. I teach 9th-grade history.”
“And I’m Isabella. I teach 11th-grade math.”
“Wonderful. Teachers are amazing people. Continue the good work. Don’t mind me if you see me popping up trying to find my name under all these initials.” Grandma laughs.
She has to be joking unless she plans on having Pearl, her house manager, drive her here. The last thing I want to do is come to Isabella’s job regularly.
“It’s so wonderful meeting you. I heard you were back in town a year or two ago, but it’s super cool to see you right in front of me.” Martha pulls out her phone.
“Would you be okay if I took a picture with you?”
Grandma shrugs and sighs. She then belts out a string of laughter that eases Martha.
“Come on, sweetie. Of course.”
“Come on in, Isabella,” Grandma urges.
This leaves me with having to take the picture. I take several of them back to back. Isabella’s smile is rigid as if she’s stuck between loving and hating this moment. She’s clearly annoyed to have discovered who my grandmother is, but it gives me a mini-win for the day. Maybe, now, Isabella will hold a bit more respect for me.
Chapter 10
Joaquin
Idon’tknowwhyI never exchanged numbers with Nadia. We were living together, eating together, playing games, and making the greatest of love to each other. And, now, I have no way of reaching her unless I were to drive to central Evergreen with the audacity of standing outside her famous’ grandmother’s mansion. Ridiculous. Here I am, closing my shop for the day, ready to take Adam to my parents with a free weekend ahead of me. Now would be the perfect time to check in with her. She’s been on my mind like I’ve never imagined. Whenever the bells of my shop rang, I spun around, hoping to see the amber-stoned eyes of my exotic California beauty. What I would do to smell the sea salt and sunshine off of her skin. Fuck, I need a date. I need someone to help get her off my mind, but there’s no point in wasting my time or anyone else’s.
I have to give it more time.
I usually find myself buried in a book, seeing an R-rated thriller, or hiking throughout Evergreen or its surrounding areas whenever my parents ask for Adam. I may even go fishing with a few friends. But tonight, I want to go out. So I put on a bit of cologne and slide into something nice, a sterling gray polo sweatsuit set to hit the town in.
“You look good, Dad!”
