Page 14 of Always Be True: Tino
His answering laugh was a bit wheezy, but he clearly enjoyed her tactics. “I bet it did. You do know I would have gone if you needed me to.”
“I know, but luckily Mom didn’t realize I was bluffing. I would’ve caved before I asked you to dust off your tuxedo.”
“Thanks for that much.” He set his teacup aside. “I’ll keep your secret, but I’ll want a full report on how the date goes when I see you next week. If you find you really like this guy, I’ll want to meet him. For now, I need to take a nap, and you’ve got better things to do than entertain an old man.”
She came around to his side of the table to give him a careful hug, hating how frail he felt. “I know you don’t believe me, but our visits are always the high point of my week. I love you, Grandpa.”
“I love you, too, but you need to find a man your own age to fill that role in your life. I won’t be around forever, and I’d like to see you settled and happy before I go.”
“I’ll work on that.” She kissed his papery cheek. “I’ll let Esther know you’re ready to come inside. Be nice to her and scratch Digger’s ears for me the next time he comes to visit.”
“That dog’s a pain in the backside.”
“So are you, Grandpa, but that’s why I like you so much.”
He was still laughing when she disappeared inside the house.
