Page 8 of Tempest

CHAPTER THREE

Sunday

Ryan stood outside Grady’s house with the sun beating down on his head. They had just gotten back from a run, and he was stretching out on the front porch. A sharp whistle caught his attention, and he turned around to see two old ladies dressed in colorful caftans with bright hair staring at him with smiles. “Good morning, ladies.”

“Good morning to you,” The woman with lavender hair responded. “I’m Gladys, and this is Agnes.”

Ryan grabbed his shirt and wiped his face before he took a step closer. “I’m Ryan, and I’ll be staying at Grady’s house for a while.”

The woman with orange hair gave him a flirty smile. “Welcome to our neighborhood. I hope you have plans to walk around bare-chested. We’re always trying to get Grady to do it, but he hardly ever does. We’re old and we like to look at good-looking men as often as we can.”

“Well, I’ll see what I can do.” Now he understood why Grady disappeared into his house when they finished their run. Before the conversation could get worse, he heard the front door open next door. Grady walked out with his girlfriend, and Ryan couldn’t have been happier. It wasn’t every day that one got propositioned by a pair of octogenarians.

Sara strolled over and gave the two ladies a disapproving look. “I hope you two are behaving and not accosting our guest.”

Ryan noticed they both immediately plastered innocent expressions on their faces as Sara approached. It seemed he wasn’t the first man to be propositioned by these two. “They were just welcoming me to the neighborhood,” he said with a grin.

“Did they ask you to keep your shirt off?” Grady asked.

“Of course we did,” Gladys replied. “We may not have long to live, and the pleasure of seeing a beautiful man half-naked isn’t that much to ask.”

Sara laughed and then tried to cover it up. “I can’t really argue with you, but I know I should.”

A car approached, and both Gladys and Agnes turned. “That’s our ride. We have bowling today, and then we’re going out to lunch,” Gladys said as she hitched her purse over her shoulder.

“We’re happy to have you here, Ryan, even if you keep yourself covered up,” Agnes commented before she followed her friend to the car.

“Have fun,” Sara called out.

“I didn’t know that senior citizens could be so entertaining,” Ryan said as they watched the ladies depart.

“You have no idea,” Sara replied. “A couple of months ago, we learned how to make a Molotov cocktail. It’s amazing what you can learn on YouTube.”

Before Ryan could ask why they needed a homemade bomb, another car pulled up, and Ivy stepped out. He caught her gaze as she approached, and a crackle of something passed between them. An arc of attraction that was sharp and clear. It was too bad that neither one of them knew what to do about it. It was an uncomfortable truth they were both ignoring…for the time being.

“Hey, you all,” Ivy called out as she approached.

Sara stepped over and embraced her in a hug. “Thank you for taking me out today. I’m in desperate need of your advice, and I’m so happy that you’re willing to spend the day with me shopping.”

Ivy squeezed her back. “Are you kidding me? I’m so happy to have a girls’ day. I’ve been traveling for over six weeks and have spent most of my time with men. Big, alpha, bossy ones. I’m desperate for female company.” Laughing, she held Sara’s hand. “I may just attach myself to you while I’m here.”

“I would love that. My two best friends here are eighty years old, so I’d love to hang out with someone my age.”

“Seems like we’re perfect for one another,” Ivy said, as she swung their hands back and forth.

Grady looked over at Ryan and grinned. “I guess we’re on our own.”

“Let me go grab my purse and then we can go,” Sara said.

“I’ll help,” Grady replied as he followed Sara closely back into the house.

Ryan watched the couple walk into the house. “Ten dollars says it takes them fifteen minutes to come back out.” He slipped his shirt over his head and grinned. “I’ve been in their company for only a couple of days, and I’ve hardly seen them without their hands on each other.”

“I guess that’s what happens when you’re in love,” Ivy said.

“Have you ever been?”

“In love?” Ivy asked.

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