Page 36 of Maid For Each Other

I was very aware that Declan’s arm was still resting on the back of my chair and we were kind of huddled together like an actual couple.

“Wonderful,” she said, “just wonderful.”

“Nana,” Declan said, standing. “I’d like you to meet Abi Green. Abi, this is Nana Marian.”

I smiled and leaned closer, for some reason nervous all of a sudden. Ormorenervous than I’d already been.

“It’s so nice to meet you,” I said, holding out my hand.

She looked at my hand but didn’t take it. Instead, she narrowed her eyes behind her big round glasses and said, “I know you.”

My stomach dropped and my heart started racing. “You do?”

“I don’t think so,” Declan said, giving his grandmother a teasing grin. “Abi hasn’t—”

“I know who I know, Dexxie,” she said, scowling at him, “and I know that I’ve met her.”

I looked back and forth between the three of them while wearing a guilty smile, clueless as to what to say to this woman. “Well then, it’s nice to meet youagain.”

That made Elaine smile, but the old lady pursed her lips and shook her head before turning her chair to focus on the Q&A.

“Well, that went well,” I muttered, feeling like a failure.

I glanced at Declan, and his smile was gone. His eyes were narrowed as he watched his family, and then his eyes met mine. I didn’t like the way he was looking at me, like he suspected me of something, so I said, “What?”

“Nana remembers everything,” he said at my ear, “so you must’ve met before.”

I stared at him, waiting for the rest, but he just looked at me expectantly.

Which was irritating as hell. “That’s great that your Nana Marian is so sharp, but I’ve never seen her before in my life.”

His jaw jumped as he watched me, and then he said, “Is there anything about your life that you need to tell me?”

“What?”

“Is there anything I don’t know that maybe I need to know?” he asked, and the man said it like I was a child hiding the fact that I’d stolen a piece of candy he told me I couldn’t have.

And I don’t know why, but the fact that he was whispering made it worse.

Like I was in trouble during church.

He said, “Something you’re involved in, somewhere that you frequent; I just need to know where she might’ve seen you, because shewillremember. Probably within the hour.”

“Why are you saying it like that, like you want to know if I’m a drug dealer or something?” Technically he hadn’t insulted me, but something about his tone was insulting.

“I just want to be ahead of it if she knows you from something that doesn’t work with our story.”

I glanced at the rest of the table as we whisper-argued, but they all seemed enthralled by what Warren was saying, thank God.

“I mean, Idoubtshe frequents my sex club,” I said, leaning close enough to smell his shampoo and ensure it looked like we were adorably sharing secrets, “and I’ve never seen any elderly women at the place by the airport where I dance, so—”

“Okay. Got it,” he said, turning his head just a little to level me with an annoyed look from point-blank range.

I couldn’t have him glaring at me, the perfect girlfriend, so I whispered, “You’re cute when you’re serious.”

And I dropped a kiss on the tip of his nose.

His eyes narrowed, and my heart started racing becausewhat the hell had I just done?I wasn’t someone who kissed strangers, on the nose or anywhere else, so what the hell was that?

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