Page 46 of Fight

She turned and nodded. “You as well, Patricia. I will see you again.”

When she started walking toward the house, I looked at Ioan, who nodded, a motion I took as my cue to leave.

Ioan

“Patricia’s a lovely girl.”

Bunica Mary was sitting in her recliner, looking far more mischievous than a woman her age should. She was fishing, but I wouldn’t take the bait.

“You shouldn’t be out walking like that,” I said, frowning at her, a frown she completely ignored.

“A little walk never injured anyone,” she said.

“Yeah, but not by yourself. I don’t like you out like that,” I said.

After my mother died, Bunica Mary had been everything to me, mother, grandmother, best friend, and even now, we still shared a special bond. She knew me better than anyone, and I would run through a brick wall for her. I’d also put up with her meddling, something the little smile on her face told me she enjoyed at my expense.

“I wasn’t alone. Patricia was with me. She must be special. You’ve never left a woman alone in your house before,” she said.

“You keeping tabs on me?” I asked.

She simply deepened her smile. “I like her,” she said.

“Good,” I said, still unwilling to engage in this conversation. “Call me if you want to come over, okay?”

She nodded, but I knew this matter would come up again. Still, I kissed her on the forehead and after making her promise to rest, left.

Seeing P with my grandmother had been jarring, but for the entirely wrong reasons. She knew about Clan Petran and what we did, but I shielded her from that area of my life. It wasn’t an attempt to hide, but more about respect. My father and grandfather had done the same thing.

But I hadn’t been thinking about that when I saw them. Instead, I had been struck by how normal it seemed. Bunica with the cane she refused to use, P laughing and then looking at my grandmother with the same worry I did. It felt right, and I’d liked it, something that left me puzzled.

I’d opened this door by bringing P to my home, but I couldn’t let her into my life, my real life. I still hadn’t figured out what it was about her that made me so intent on her protection, but no matter what it was, I couldn’t let it become something else. I’d have to keep my guard up.

I quickly made my way back home and entered, found P sitting at the kitchen table.

“Bunica Mary made breakfast for you,” she said.

On cue, my stomach grumbled, and I went toward the waiting plate. I’d planned on talking to P, but first things first. As I ate my breakfast, I couldn’t help but be keenly aware of P watching me but going out of her way to make it seem like she was doing otherwise.

I huffed and then smiled at her, smiled deeper when I saw her guilty expression.

“What?” she said.

“You can look at me, jefe. And I might regret saying this, but you can even talk to me,” I said.

She scoffed. “What makes you think I want to?”

I laughed. “Such a big mouth.”

“Am not!” she exclaimed almost before I had finished speaking, and then she closed her mouth and looked down sheepishly.

I laughed and then said, “You were okay last night?”

I’d only been asking about her accommodations, but as soon as the words were out, I thought back to that kiss and how all I wanted to do was come and finish what I’d started. If P’s expression could be trusted, she was thinking the same thing.

She cleared her throat and broke my gaze and then nodded. “I was a little scared, but it was okay.”

I could see that admission of fear bothered her, but I was pleased she had shared it with me.

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