Page 7 of Follow My Heart

Grandpa’s lips set into a stubborn line. “I plan on living to one hundred years old, staying in my home, mowing the grass, and tending the gardens.”

My lips twitched at his declaration. “I have no doubt you’ll make that happen.”

We ate in silence for a few seconds.

I drank some of the lemonade in the glass he’d set out before I arrived. “Did you walk today?”

“Four miles,” Grandpa said proudly.

“You walk that every day?” I asked, curious about how my grandfather maintained his zeal for life and stayed positive after the love of his life died.

“I walk more but never less.”

“What motivates you to keep going?” I lowered my pizza so I could focus on his answer.

“If I want to keep doing what I’m doing, I have to walk.”

“I love that.”

He grabbed a second slice of pizza. “Don’t work so hard that you forget to take care of yourself.”

“I take care of myself,” I said, even as I wondered what I’d actually eaten for dinner last night and why I’d stayed up so late when I knew I had a long day today.

Grandpa raised a brow. “Do you?”

I sighed. “All my focus is on the business right now. You know how it is when you’re starting out. Plus, the location is great, but the rent is high even for such a small space.”

“I don’t want you to work too hard. That’s not why your grandmother gave you the money.”

I frowned. “I thought she wanted me to live my dreams of opening a shop.”

“She wanted you to be happy. She thought if you opened a store, you’d find everything you were looking for.”

“I’m not looking for anything.” I wanted the business to be a success, and in the past, I wanted to find love. But that didn’t seem like a good proposition anymore.

“You shouldn’t be spending all your spare time with me.”

“You’re my favorite person in the whole world.” I hated moving away from my grandparents when I was a kid. They were the only ones who understood me, who gave me space to fly. My parents tried to get me to fit into a box, and it never worked.

No matter how many times I tried to please them, it wasn’t possible. I wasn’t my smart, strait-laced older sister, Danielle. She excelled at everything: school, sports, and volunteer work. She even got her LPN license in high school when she wanted to be a radiologist.

We finished our pizza, and I cleaned up, placing the leftovers in the fridge, cataloging what he might need from the store over the next few days. He could shop for himself, but I always brought him a few of his favorite things. I liked taking care of him. When I returned to the lanai, I sat on the long couch facing the yard. “Have you been getting out lately?”

Grandpa nodded, his fingers drumming on the table. “I’m volunteering with the local gardening club.”

“What does that entail?”

“They set up gardens for families who need a little cheering up. They can always use a few extra hands.”

I wondered if Ryder would qualify for that as a recent divorcé. It would be nice and hopefully lift his and his daughter’s mood. But I was sure the gardening club was meant for people who were sick and couldn’t physically tend their garden.

“What do you plant for them?”

“It sounds like flowers, shrubs, and plants that are hardy, and easy to care for. They’ll even start vegetable gardens for those that are interested.”

“What an amazing thing to do.”

“I thought I was doing okay at home, going for my daily walks and seeing my favorite granddaughter?—”

---