Page 28 of The Rescue

“Good Afternoon, Mrs. MacNee. I hope you don’t mind me crashing your Sunday dinner.” Crystal steps forward with a smile.

“I invited Crystal along, she’s staying with me in the spare room until she finishes the website for the cafe. Thistle Down Farm was getting a little crowded,” I beam a wide-eyed look down at my nan.

“Oh how lovely.” My nan plasters a fake smile on her face, but I know she isn’t thrilled about just finding out this news.

I shift uncomfortably on my feet, and cough, so my nan would get the hint that we’ve been standing out here for what feels like an eternity.

“Excuse me, where are my manners? Come on in, it’s getting chilly out here,” she waves us in the door.

I turn back to smile at Crystal, and she nervously smiles back at me. God, I hope this dinner doesn’t turn into a disaster. The last thing I want is Crystal feeling unwelcome.

We follow my nan into her small living room, it’s nice and toasty in here. Crystal must feel the heat because she takes off her large leather jacket, and reveals her silky smooth legs in her denim shorts and cowboy boots. I try not to linger too long on her, so I look towards my nan, who has a small look of disapproval written all over her face that only I notice. Great, I know how this dinner is going to go.

My nan is old school, she’s the typical wartime housewife who wears an apron and old style clothing that doesn’t go higher than the mid-calf. She’s a virtuous woman and can be very judgemental at times. She would never say it out loud, but I know her better than anyone and I know all of her facialexpressions, and the one she’s giving Crystal right now isn’t good.

“Is Josephine at Thistle Down Farm?” I ask, trying to break the tension.

“Aye, she goes and has dinner with Dylan and Cam on Sunday’s. Such a bonnie wee lass.” She makes a sly dig.

“Here, I brought some leftover fruit cake that you like from the bakery.” I hand it to her to change the subject.

“Och, you are too good to me, my braw laddie,” she nips my stomach.

I flinch back, and rub the tender spot she just nipped, she wanders off into her tiny kitchen to put the cake away. And I catch Crystal looking around the room looking rather uncomfortable.

“See, she’s not so bad,” I try to make a light joke.

Crystal gives me a not so believable look, and her plump lips turn up a little.

“Please, she looked like she was going to have a heart attack when she saw me in these clothes, sorry I didn’t think. I should’ve put something a little more appropriate on,” she looks down at her feet.

“Hey, you should never apologise for wearing what makes you feel comfortable.”

Crystal green eyes shoot up at me, and she gawks at me as if she’s lost for words.

“Come sit down at the table and get ready for a peppering of questions,” I wink at her.

She lets out a soft laugh, and it’s music to my ears. I like it when I hear that soft chuckle, it comes from deep within.

We take a seat at my nan’s small table, in the back corner of her living room. It’s as you’d expect an older woman’s table to be; lace tablecloth, with matching lace doilies, and floral china. Crystal shifts uncomfortably, and I give her a reassuring smile.My nan comes rushing in with plates piled with roast beef, and every vegetable you could think of. What is it with old lady’s and serving mountain sized portions? She places a plate down in front of us both, and quickly runs back to the kitchen to bring back a smaller plate for herself.

Crystal, being the polite guest, sits and waits for my nan to start eating. She gingerly starts picking away at her food.

“This is delicious, Mrs. MacNee,” she smiles at my nan.

My nan looks up at her and gives her a pleasant smile, and goes back to eating her food. She can be a hard arse sometimes, and she’s starting to annoy me with the way she’s giving Crystal the cold shoulder. I nod softly at Crystal to give her silent reassurance, she brushes her leg against mine and I near choke on my roast potato. Surely that was an accident, she didn’t purposely brush up against my leg. We are sitting at a tiny table and my long legs are crammed under here.

“What’s the matter, laddie? Are you choking?” She starts slapping me on the back.

I finally get my coughing fit under control and catch Crystal hiding a smirk as she takes a sip of water.

“So, Crystal. Where are you from in the states?” My nan asks.

The question breaks Crystal’s smirk and she places her water down on the table. Maybe it was on purpose.

Here we go.

Crystal sits up straight and squares her shoulders, like she’s getting ready for a quiz.

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