Page 75 of The Usual Family Mayhem

After what felt like an hour but was likely a few minutes, Gram let out a long exhale. One of those loud ones that signaled a change in mood and not necessarily a good change. She slowly turned to look at Celia. “I told you she didn’t get two weeks off.”

My unexplained vacation time couldn’t have tipped her off. Grandma radar wasn’t that sensitive... was it?

“You were right. I’d hoped...” It was Celia’s turn to deliver a dramatic exhale. “It doesn’t matter.”

The wallop of guilt almost knocked me off my chair. “The love I have for the two of you. Worrying about you. Wanting to be here. All real.”

I needed them to know they weren’t props to me. The business scenario made it sound like I used them to avoid trouble, and maybe I did, but I never meant to hurt them or disappoint them or threaten their control of their business. I really didn’t mean to shine a spotlight on their activities, poison or not.

“How did you think this sham was going to end?” Gram asked. Her voice hadn’t returned to normal. Fire still burned beneath the surface.

The question. She sounded like Jackson. Man, I wished he’d show up. Pop in and provide silent support even though it served me right to navigate this alone.

“I didn’t think it through. While I’ve been here I’ve been doing a combination of ignoring calls from the office and trying to keep Micah and Brock away from you and the business. I don’t want you wrapped up with them or their investors.”

Gram’s blank expression faded. “Micah? Is that the weird one who changed his name?”

Might as well spill it all. “Yes. He was at Graylyn. Part of their surprise visit to the area. Micah and Brock. They insisted I meet them there.”

Gram nodded. “That explains some of Charlotte’s photos. She should have done a more thorough job.”

“Yes, that’s clearly the lesson here.” I needed to meet this Charlotte person and tell her to stay out of my business. And stop taking photos. “How mad are you?”

The million-dollar question. How much damage had I done?

Celia winced. “‘Mad’ is the wrong word.”

“Oh, no. Please don’t say ‘disappointed.’”Not that. Please not that.

“Well...” She hesitated but not for long. “We’ll get over it. Probably by dinner.”

Gram glared at Celia. “Don’t tell her that.”

Celia hadn’t let go of Gram’s hand and didn’t do it now. “We know all about panic and bad decision-making. We can cut her a break.”

Nice. Good. Lovely, even. Also, way too easy. “But?”

“If you didn’t want us to even consider the deal, why poke around in the business and show the sudden interest in helping out?” Celia might think her disappointment in me would soon fade but her tone said otherwise. “I’m guessing designing a new tickler system resulted from whatever you collected while snooping. That invasion of privacy is hard to ignore.”

Gram responded before I could. “You didn’t share the information with Mr. California, did you?”

“I wouldn’t do that.” Not with Brock or anyone.

Gram’s snort said she wasn’t convinced.

“Okay, I deserved that, but it’s true.” I didn’t have the moral high ground here. I had to suck up all the sighs and snorts and whatever else Gram threw my way. While I did that I could clarify a few points. “Brock is a jackass. I don’t like him or trust him. The fact he and Harlan found each other and joined forces is not a surprise. They share a lot of the same personality traits.”

Celia went in for more reinforcements—more tea. “How would they have met?”

Gram hummed. “Harlan is a toad but a smart toad. He knew Kasey was in town and probably checked up on her.”

Okay. That part. Harlan’s weird obsession with me. That was new and very annoying.

Gram started to say something but Celia cut her off. “Let’s stay on topic. We need more information from you.”

I didn’t have much more to admit, but fine. “Take a shot.”

“Why specifically go through our computer files? Not the new tickler system you’re designing. I mean before. Right after you got here.”

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