Page 38 of Stilettos & Whiskey
“You want to see your apartment?”
I nodded. “I really do, Grandpa.”
“Let’s go.”
Nate released me. “I’m coming too.”
Grandpa eyed him for a long moment, then nodded.
We stepped over Lucas and walked to Grandpa’s white cargo van with the Reynolds’ Egg Ranch logo on the sides. It was armored and had bulletproof glass. The interior held weapons of every kind and sacks of chicken feed.
Grandpa opened the front passenger door and helped me inside. “You armed?”
“Yes, Grandpa.”
He smiled. “Good girl.”
“Wait,” Lucas called and staggered over to the van. “I’m coming too.”
Scowling, Grandpa asked, “Are you going to behave?”
“Yes, sir.”
Nate snorted and shoved Lucas inside the van.
Edgar jumped into the cargo van too.
“Out, you mangy mutt. You’re slobbering all over me,” Lucas snapped.
“The dog stays. You don’t. Get out,” Grandpa said as he started the engine.
Lucas glowered at Grandpa. “Roger Evans and twelve of his cousins are still on the loose. Where Julie goes, I go.”
“When is your date with Samuel?” Grandpa asked out of the blue.
“Date? That paramedic asked you out?”
Trying not to laugh at the outrage in Lucas’s voice, I shrugged. “Dunno. I decided to wait until I can go out in public without scaring children.”
“He didn’t seem to mind your cuts and bruises when he asked you out,” Grandpa replied.
“That’s true. I’ll ask Mom if I can invite him for dinner Friday. Dad’s grilling steaks.”
Lucas let out an indignant huff, “Does he even know how to use a gun?”
“Inviting him to dinner is a good idea,” Nate interjected. “That way we can vet him.”
I smothered a groan. They would have Samuel running for his life in a very short time.
Grandpa pulled into my apartment’s parking lot. I scanned the area. Bertha and her male friends were doing it in the pool. Yep, everything seemed normal.
“That skinny old lady with the humongous boobs has got to be Bertha,” Nate said.
Lucas frowned. “I thought those were floaties.”
“Bertha is very proud of her new breasts, and she’ll happily show them to you,” I warned and opened the car door.
“Julie!”
