Page 13 of Séance

She leans forward, her expression intent. “I want you to spend time with the boys who live next door while I’m gone. Have them show you around town or invite them over for lunch.”

That’s the last thing I expected her to say, and I immediately want to reject the idea. “Nan?—”

“No.” She shakes her head and leans back in her seat, adamant about the notion now that she spoke it out loud. “That’s the deal. I won’t have you cooped up in this house by yourself. I want to know you’re protected and safe while I’m gone. Those boys can be a bit of a handful, but they have a good heart. What say you?”

I narrow my eyes at the old bird, then tell her the truth. “That I want to strangle you and hug you at the same time.”

“That’s the way it should be.” She cackles, swatting my shoulder with a proud smile. “So you’ll do it?”

My throat tightens at the thought of her being away. It’s only for a few weeks. Although I just met her, I didn’t realize I would miss her this much, and she isn’t even gone yet. With a lump in my throat, I give her a small nod. “Very well.”

The thought of spending more time with the men upstairs is about as appealing as it is intimidating. “But I have my own terms, old woman. The guys have to agree. I won’t?—”

“We agree,” one of the guys yells from the stairway, while three others shush him, quickly followed by, “Ouch.”

Heat fills my cheeks at knowing they were listening, and my eyes widen in panic. Nan just cackles again. I narrow my eyes on her, suddenly suspicious that I’ve been set up. “Nan?—”

“Sorry, sweetie. I need to get ready for my trip if I have any hope of making it on time.” Nan pushes to her feet, rinsing her cup before rushing from the room.

I watch her disappear, then I heave a sigh and climb to my feet. Stepping out of the kitchen, I halt in surprise when I find all five of the guys hovering on the steps, none of them having moved from where they were caught spying on us.

I cross my arms and arch a brow. “Gentlemen.”

Ellis and Jaceson have the decency to look sheepish. Jameson just smiles, while Hicks and Gunner remain impassive, standing like they had every right to eavesdrop on my conversation. “Well, since you already heard everything, you might as well join me in the kitchen for tea and cookies.”

Jameson is the first to react, a cocky grin on his face. He pushes his way between the other men, loping the rest of the way down the stairs and nearly trampling the others in the process, sending them tumbling down the steps. He passes close to me, completely oblivious to the curses and chaos he left in his wake. His tantalizing cologne weaves around my senses, potentenough to distract me. It’s light, almost floral, luring me closer in a silent invitation to take another whiff.

The rest of the guys mutter threats of bodily harm under their breath as they slowly untangle themselves, then they follow us into the kitchen. The room suddenly feels like it shrank two sizes. I retreat to the other side of the table, needing a moment to gather my wits, but Ellis pulls out a chair for me to sit.

Suddenly flustered, I wring my hands together and grab the first excuse that pops into my head. “Let me get you something to drink. You must be thirsty after working so hard.”

I rush toward the cupboard, reaching for the glasses, but Jaceson leans over my shoulder and snatches them from my grip. I turn and watch as Ellis retrieves the lemonade from the fridge, while Jameson grabs the cookies…but not before he shoves one in his mouth first.

Tea with Nan is obviously a frequent occurrence.

Gunner heads straight for the table with a container of sugar in one hand and milk in the other before he takes a seat. Hicks stands near the stove, waiting for the teakettle to warm, watching over everything with his too perceptive green eyes. I reluctantly take my seat at the table, feeling awkward having all their attention on me.

My ass barely hits the seat before Nan bustles into the kitchen, pulling a bulging suitcase behind her that is nearly twice her size. I jump to my feet and reach to help her, only to have Hicks beat me to it.

He picks it up with one hand, not even straining under the weight, and I’m left to do nothing but wring my hands. I glance down at Nan and barely suppress my smile. Her gaudy outfit is a dizzying array of colors, her paisley scarf clashing horribly with her floral dress, which is a perfect match to her quirky personality.

The ginormous floppy sunhat she’s wearing is a bright red, the monstrosity sitting at a jaunty angle on her head so only part of her face is visible. Pink ribbons tumble from the brim and trail after her, the strands nearly dragging on the ground. It completes her flashy outfit, but the crowning glory is the long feather stuffed haphazardly into the hat that prevents anyone from coming within a three-foot radius of her without getting whacked in the face.

Every time she moves, Hicks is forced to dodge out of the way, and I barely contain my chuckle. My amusement rapidly fades, though, and I suddenly want to take back my words and beg her to stay. “You’re heading out already?”

At seventy, she should be a sweet, gray-haired old granny who’s content to bake cookies and knit scarves. Instead, she’s an agent of pure chaos, her pixie-like appearance resembling the ageless goddess of Hecate about to dispense some ancient wisdom. She pats my face with a fond smile. “You’re going to do fine, Tallie-Rue.”

It almost sounds like a blessing.

I swallow hard around the lump in my throat, suddenly wishing I was going with her, even though it’s a singles’ cruise for people over sixty-five. “Why don’t I grab my purse and drive you to the airport?”

Honestly, how hard can it be to operate a vehicle?

The owner’s manual made it sound simple enough.

“Nonsense, dear. A cab is already on the way.” She sniffles and dabs at her eyes with her scarf, then she fusses with tying it around her neck. As if to emphasize her point, a horn honks outside. She pulls a pair of sunglasses from her giant purse, then plops the most ridiculous oversized lenses on her nose, the glasses nearly covering half her face in the process.

I smile at the way her flamboyant personality shines through her clothing, the whole outfit finally coming together in anadorable image of pure cuteness only she can pull off. “You look amazing.”

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