Page 44 of Hold Me Until Morning

I was still shaking from our interaction from earlier when I’d gotten home from work.

Refusing to contemplate it, I turned back to place a stack of teal-colored plates into the cupboards with the glass doors that ran above the countertop.

Affection pulled at me when I heard Lolly shuffle into the kitchen from behind, and I tossed a glance at her from over my shoulder.

“Is she asleep?” I asked.

Her smile was sly. “Out like a light…that is only after reading her favorite book fifteen times over.”

“She knows exactly how to wrap you around her finger.”

“Well, I didn’t get to spend a whole lot of time with her for a lot of years, so I think a little spoiling from her Lolly is in order.”

“Just don’t spoil her too much. She’ll have you convinced there is no harm in both of you trying the monkey bars out back if you let her,” I teased.

She’d been eyeing them since we moved in, but I kept telling her she wasn’t big enough to give them a go yet. Of course, she’d looked right to Lolly to see if she might have something different to say about it.

Lolly pulled out a stool at the island and sat down. “You aren’t implying I’m too old to take a little jaunt across the monkey bars, are you?”

“The only thing I’m implying is if you get hurt over here, my father is going to have something to say about it. Hell, he’d have you on the first plane to Santa Barbara.” I raised an eyebrow at her.

She waved it off as inconsequential. “My son doesn’t get to tell me how I spend my days. Bossy, that one, I tell you. He might think he gets to toss around all the orders, but I go right on like I didn’t hear a word.”

I sent her a soft scowl. “He just worries about you.”

“Just because that man thinks he knows what’s best for all of us doesn’t mean he’s right.” She folded her arms on the counter. “God knows, he’s made plenty of mistakes.”

“We all have, haven’t we?” I hummed.

“Yeah. The only thing we can do is hope we learn from them.”

I got the sense she was trying to give a gentle prod in the direction of Pruitt, the horrible choice I’d made to stay with him for as long as I had.

“Can I get you a cup of tea?” I asked, changing the subject.

“That sounds nice.”

I went about filling two mugs with water and setting them in the microwave before I moved to the pantry where I’d placed a variety of tea bags. I picked out a nice chamomile for us both.

By the time I made it back, the microwave dinged, and I set the cups on saucers, tucked the tea bags under the cups, then slid one across the counter toward her. “There you go.”

“Thank you, sweet one.”

Standing on the opposite side of the island, I unwrapped my tea bag, eyeing my grandmother, hating that I was feeling any nerves at all. “I need to ask you something.”

Interest tipped her drawn-in brows toward the ceiling. “And what might that be?”

“I need a favor.”

I didn’t know why I was so nervous to ask. Probably because she was already watching Maddie for me during the days.

“What kind of favor?” she asked as she dunked the tea bag into the steaming water.

“An old friend called and asked if I wanted to go out with her and her friends tomorrow night. I don’t want to take advantage—” I rushed behind it, knowing I was asking a lot.

Maddie might be the cutest thing that had ever come into existence, but I’d be a liar if I said she couldn’t be a handful.

Something devious creased every wrinkle on Lolly’s face. “If that means you might go out and earn yourself a bit of a reputation, you know I’m game for it.”

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