Page 38 of Every Promise Broken

“I’m in my thirties, Nana,” I drawl. “I stopped getting taller over a decade ago.”

“Jack the Bean Stock over here,” she teases as she pulls back, giving me a good, hard look before turning her attention to Whit at my side. He’s stiff as a board, face void of any color as he stares at her wordlessly. “Oh, and you must be the Whit I’ve heard so much about!”

His eyes fly to mine, wide with panic, as she pulls him in for a hug next. Nana is a big hugger… Whit is not.

“Nana.” I touch a hand to her shoulder. “Not everybody is as affectionate as you. Let him breathe, would you.” I chuckle as she lets him go, and I see the way his shoulders sag in relief.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Mrs. Strauss,” Whit says so formally.

“Oh, please, honey,” she waves him off. “You’re family now. Call me Nana.”

“Oh, um…” Eyes darting to mine again, I see the unease. “Okay, then.”

Helping Dad with Nana’s bags in the back of his truck, we all make our way inside. The hearty aroma of my mom’s cooking surrounds us, my stomach rumbling. Lapskaus is a favorite of my family’s, and something my mom always makeswhen my nana comes into town to visit. It’s a Norwegian beef stew, and the smell is so comforting.

After I help Nana settle into the guest bedroom at the far end of the house, we all gather in the living room for a while before dinner is done. Mom loves going all out when we have company; nobody ever goes hungry with her around. By tomorrow morning, my nana will also be in the kitchen helping her, I can almost bet on it.

“So, I hear you’re going to school at Copper Lake University,” Nana says to Whit as she sips her first of what will probably be many dry martinis with extra olives. “How are you liking that?”

Whit lights up with the question. He loves school, and talking about school. “It’s going great. I’ll be graduating this year, and then in the fall, I’ll be starting veterinary school.”

“Following in your daddy’s footsteps?” She smiles.

“Yes, ma’am. That’s the plan.”

“Oh, enough with the ma’am,” she scolds teasingly.

The rest of the evening goes by smoothly, and more than once, I catch myself stopping for a moment, noting how nice it is to have all the people I love here under one roof. I can already see a connection forming between them, and it makes my heart swell. My nana is staying until after the wedding, and I’m so thankful she was able to fly in and not miss it.

Whit excuses himself around eight-thirty to head back up to the loft to go to bed. On busy days when he has to be around several people at once, his social battery drains faster than usual. I’m not at all surprised that he wanted to call it a day so early. Typically, he stays up later than I do.

I’m finishing washing the dessert dishes, about to dry my hands, and go up to bed myself, when Nana waltzes into the kitchen.

“Figured you would go to bed early tonight,” I say. “Jet leg and all.”

“Oh, it’ll hit me soon enough,” she replies. “I know it, but I think I’m too amped up from seeing all of you.”

I chuckle. “I can understand that.”

“I’m so happy to finally meet this boy of yours.” There’s a glint in her eyes as she watches me from across the kitchen. “He’s a sweet one. You hold on to him.”

“I plan to,” I mutter with conviction.

“The way he looks at you…” Her smile widens as she appears lost in thought. In a memory, maybe. “Reminds me of how I used to look at your grandfather. Like there’s nothing we couldn’t conquer as long as we were together.”

I don’t know what to say to that. My throat tightens.

“He loves you dearly, Connie boy.” Emotion is thick in her words. “You hung the stars in his sky. It’s clear to see.”

“I love him too, Nana.” My voice cracks, the words hard to get out.

Her glassy eyes find mine. “I know you do, Connie.” Crossing the kitchen, she reaches up, hand flat on my chest. “I know you do. Well, I’m going to head off to bed, and I suggest you do the same. If you’re anything like your grandfather and your dad, you’ll be up before the sun.”

Chuckling deeply, I cover her hand with mine, squeezing gently. “Life of a rancher, nana. You know that.”

“That I do.”

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