Page 119 of Clean Slade
Everyone laughed.
“Promise. Okay, Grams. We got to go.”
Grams got up and gave Mac another big hug before she came over to me, and I embraced her as if it was the first time I’d seen her.
It may as well have been, considering every other time had been under Tony’s watch.
“This was so nice. Thank you for setting it up,” Grams said.
“It was. I even forgot about…you-know-who,” I whispered.
“You’ve done a great job with her. I’m proud of you.”
“Don’t!” I warned her. I didn’t want to cry again.
“Come on, Daddy. We need to go. Thelma and Louise will be hungry.”
Slade took Mac’s hand and led her out with Nino, leaving me alone with Grams.
“I’ll add you to the list so you can pick her up from school. If you can get away from him for that long.”
Grams shrugged.
“Nino and I will come up with something. Don’t worry.”
“You know me. I always worry.”
Grams cupped my cheek and sighed.
“There will come a day when you won’t have to. I promise.”
“From your mouth to…whoever’s listening ears.”
I just hoped it wasn’tmyfather listening.
“You need to stop worrying, or you’ll look older than me. And we can’t have that with the new boyfriend, can we?”
I winced.
“What? What are you talking about?”
Grams looked at the empty space behind me where Slade had been before.
“He’s just Mac’s nanny.”
“Bambino, it’s not just your father I know well. I know you too. And those eyes lit up as soon as you saw him.”
“That obvious, huh?”
“To me it is. I hope he can look after himself. Does he know what he’s gotten himself into?”
I huffed. “Does he ever! He’s looking after me too. I don’t know what I’d do if he hadn’t come into my life when he did.”
Grams smiled and hugged me again.
“I’m glad you found someone, bambino. You deserve everything after whathetook from you. And that man looks like he cares about you.”
I paused and closed my eyes, squeezing Grams in my arms.It was good to have her back in my life. It was nice to be able to talk to her.
