Page 2 of Undoing the Grumpy Guy

Sitting upright, Sandra plants her hands on the table and leans forward. “I didn’t say she was in love with him! Just that she had a crush on him.”

Waving her hand dismissively, Elliot rolls her eyes. “Same difference. Besides, even without their scores perfectly lining up, her having feelings for him already gives them an edge.”

The room is silent as Sandra mulls things over.

“Please,” Elliot says softly, covering Sandra’s hand with her own as her thin body sags and something like pain fills her watery eyes. “Reed’s lonely. I see the sadness in him and hear it in his voice. For whatever reason, he’s never married and over the years his girlfriends haven’t lasted long.”

“He is gorgeous,” Charlotte pipes up.

Sandra can’t argue that point.

“He’s a good man. Please, give him a chance,” Elliot implores.

Sighing, Sandra nods and pats at Elliot’s trembling hand covering hers. “It’s only right that I leave this up to Winnie to decide. She might say no.”

Surprised gasps fill the air, but Sandra’s voice doesn’t waver. “Just no hard feelings if they don’t end up working out.”

“Of course no hard feelings. I only hope Winnie realizes how special Reed is.”

“And I hope that Reed has a softer side that he’ll share with Winnie.”

“He’s a good man, you’ll see,” Elliot says with a small smile.

CHAPTER ONE

REED

Pinching the skin at the bridge of my nose, I remind myself once again that Elliot is the only grandparent I have left, and others would love to have theirs still alive. Then my gaze darts over to the flash of pink and purple in the dark green holly bushes where my current date is hiding, and I revise those thoughts.

Grandma or not, I’m going to let Elliot know I don’t need her assistance in my love life. I can screw it up just fine on my own.

A perfect match! She’d thundered in my ear when I took her call four days ago. Even at eighty, her voice was still commanding, a long-held trait from her days as a district attorney, and one that made my back snap up straight like I was an errant schoolboy.

Soul mates, she just knew it, she claimed when I had lunch with her on Tuesday at her retirement home.

And because I not only respect but love my grandma, I agreed to this farfetched date instead of adamantly telling her no. The fact that a small ember of hope flared within my cold, lonely heart may have also played a part. I should have known better.

No, I do know better.

Yet here I am wasting a perfectly good workday sitting outdoors in the middle of Grantwood Gardens while my date does who knows what behind those blasted bushes!

Although… A sudden thought hits me. Perhaps this isn’t my date at all, and I’ve been stood up.

Surprisingly, that thought doesn’t make me any happier. Though it has happened in the past.

A date cowering from me? Now this is a first.

Even I’m not that bad.

At least women don’t think so until they get to know me. This one hasn’t even said hello.

With a barely muffled oath, I lurch to my feet. I don’t have the time or the patience for this.

And that goes for dating as well.

I haven’t dated in months, so why am I bothering to try now?

My displeasure continues to rise, but this time more self-directed. I’m getting far too old for this; I should just declare myself to be a grumpy bachelor for life and call it a day.

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