AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I find Gramps sitting at a table, staring at the sports pages of the newspaper. He has his glasses on and his walker is next to his seat. He hates it, but he can’t move around without it or a wheelchair yet.
“Hi,” I say, sitting down in the chair opposite his. “I brought you some treats.” He asked for Tootsie Rolls of all things, so I bought a bag of them, along with some cookies he loves from the local bakery. “I’ll put them in the kitchen when I leave.”
“No, leave them with me,” Gramps says, his voice raspy. “People steal things from the kitchen.”
“They do?”
“Yep. I took somebody’s cheese sandwich from there the other day.”
I try not to laugh. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I want to go home.”
“You can’t yet,” I say lightly. “There’s no way you can deal with the stairs.”
“I don’t like my bed here. And the nurses keep treating me like I’m old.”
I press my lips together.
“Don’t laugh,” he says. “I’m not so old that I can’t wipe my own ass.”
Eeek. Way too much information.
“I got your afternoon cup of tea for you, Wayne,” the nurse says, sliding a cup and saucer in front of Gramps.
“Thank you, sweetheart,” he says, smiling at her. I swear she blushes. My dad got his charm from his dad. They both know how to sweet talk anybody.
“Any time.” She smiles at him and walks away.
“Stop looking at her ass,” I whisper as his eyes follow her every move.
“I can’t help it. There’s nothing else to do.” Then he tips his head to the side, as though remembering something. “So your dad called, We’re gonna put on a show.”
“An exhibition match,” I correct.
“Whatever. Great news, huh?” He’s grinning now. “We get to raise some money and put the team on the map, too.” He looks at his walker. “And now I have a deadline to get up and about. I want to be there in person to watch the game.”
“You should talk to Eli about it,” I tell him. “Decide if the Mavericks are up to playing another game. It’s a busy season for them.”
“Of course they’re up for it,” he says. “They’re young and hungry. Giving them a chance to play against some hockey legends is going to make them even hungrier.”
“Do you think they’re ready?” I ask. “What if it’s completely one sided?”
He looks at me as though I’m an idiot.
“We need the money, Mackenzie. That’s why you’re here.”
He’s right. It’s the only reason I’m here. I don’t care about the team. Or at least I’m not supposed to. But I’ve seen how hard Eli’s worked with them. I know how much they want to succeed. I don’t want them to sacrifice everything just to pay off the IRS.
Gramps picks up his cup and puts it to his mouth, still looking at me. Except he’s not, his eyes are trained over my shoulder. He winks and blows a kiss and I don’t have to turn around to assume that his favorite nurse is behind me, still serving people drinks.
How is it that my eighty-eight-year-old grandfather can flirt without embarrassment yet I’m finding it impossible to say yes to a date with Eli?
It’s annoying. I seem to have skipped the gene for that the same way I skipped the gene for being able to stand up straight on an ice rink.
* * *
ELI
