Page 42 of Somebody to Save
Seated behind her, I couldn’t see her face, but I caught Addison’s nervous gaze in the rearview mirror. I gave her a quick wink, hoping to calm any anxiety. “Yes?”
“What do you do for a living?”
“I’m an attorney.”
“Actually,” Addison added. “He owns his own law firm.”
“I do,” I agreed. “It was my father’s, and he passed it on to me.”
Nana hummed as we turned out on the highway. “And what kind of law do you practice?”
“I have a mixed practice, actually. Immigration and labor andemployment are the main practice areas, but I’ve also done some work in construction law.”
“So, you must work a lot then. Running your own firm, dealing with your own practice and cases. Do you have any free time?”
Grams cleared her throat next to me and threw me an apologetic smile.
“I have some,” I said. “Not a lot, but enough that I can spend time with my Aunt Michelle, who recently moved to Lake Hills, and keep in touch with my friends.”
“You’re close with your family then?” she asked, and Addison groaned.
“Nana, what are you doing? He’s not on trial.”
“Well, of course he’s not, Addie Wren,” Nana said. There was a beat of silence before she added, “But if he were, he’s an attorney, he should know how to defend himself.”
More silence followed until the three of us burst into laughter. And I swore I heard Nana join in for at least a second.
“Well, anyway,” Nana continued after our laughter finally died down. “Do you have a thing for younger women? Is it a kinky thing or something?”
Addison gasped, and Grams leaned forward to smack the back of Nana’s seat.
“Oh my gosh, Nana!” Addison abruptly stopped at the next light and shot Nana a disbelieving look with her jaw dropped and her eyes wide.
“Helen, are you kidding me?” Grams scolded as Addison shook her head and angrily whispered her own dismay.
“It’s okay,” I said. “I understand why you’d ask. And this is the first time I’ve ever been interested in someone significantly younger than me, but I can promise that it is not what drew me to Addison.”
“So, you’re telling me age has nothing to do with it?”
“Well, whether we like it or not, age almost always hassomething to do with it,” I reasoned. “But her age is the least interesting thing about her. She’s smart and funny and kind and a million other amazing things. Age is the least important part of it.”
Expecting Nana to say something more, I was surprised when silence followed.
TWENTY
BABIES?
Beckett
“I’m soglad you’re here,” Aunt Michelle said, reaching over and squeezing my hand.
We’d finished eating some incredible food and were nursing plates full of dessert. I wasn’t sure I could eat another bite, but the pecan pie was hard to say no to.
“How are you liking your new place? Seems like you’ve made a ton of new friends.”
She took another bite of apple pie and pushed away her plate, leaning back in her chair and patting her stomach. “I love it here,” she said around a mouthful of food. “The food’s great, the residents are great, thestaffis great.”
She wiggled her eyebrows at me, and I shook my head. “That’s really great,” I said, ignoring her obvious insinuation.
