Page 14 of A Table for Two
“Are you coming? I need to stop by Flora’s and pick up some collards, green beans, and tomatoes first.”
Sighing, Gabriel walked around to the passenger side and got in. “Do you have enough time? Maybe we should go after your appointment.” He buckled his seat belt.
She started the engine, backed down the driveway, and hit the button to close the garage. “It’ll only take fifteen minutes to do both. She doesn’t live that far.”
She pulled off in a burst of speed that had him clutching the armrest. “Aren’t you driving a little fast, Nana?”
“This is how I always drive, and I’m not going that fast. Relax.” Nana started humming along to the song on the radio. She blew her horn and waved at an older couple walking down the street. “It’s good to see them out and about. They’ve both been sick. I’m going to have to take them some dinner.”
Gabriel didn’t utter a word. He couldn’t. She whipped around a corner so fast, it pressed him against the car door. He hadn’t prayed in a long while, but today he offered up a steady litany, in hopes that they would arrive at their destination in one piece. Less than five minutes later, she slowed and turned onto the gravel driveway of a farm-style house with a wraparound porch, and his heart rate started to slow. He spotted a huge colorful garden off to one side with a light-brown-skinned woman wearing a calf-length lounging dress and a colorful wrap on her head pulling weeds.
Nana got out. “Hey, Flora.”
“Hey, Della. I’ve got your box on the porch. We have so much growing this year, I can’t get rid of it fast enough.”
Gabriel finally felt steady enough to get out of the car and approach the women.
Nana beckoned him forward. “Flora, this is my grandson, Gabriel. He’s taking Andrea’s place in watching over me like a mother hen. Gabriel, this is Flora King. We go all the way back to primary school.”
A smile creased the woman’s weathered face, and she waved a hand. “Nice to meet you, Gabriel. And don’t mind your grandma. We old ladies think we can still do everything we did when we were young and don’t like to admit we need help, but it’s nice to see grandchildren who care.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too, ma’am.”
“Handsome and polite. I might need to introduce you to my two grandsons. Neither of them can spell ‘manners.’Hmph.” She rolled her eyes. “Let me get this box.”
He chuckled. “If you show me where the box is, I’ll get it.” He followed her up the steps and lifted the large box overflowing with vegetables she indicated. Two others sat next to it, and he assumed they were being given away as well.
After loading the box into the trunk, Gabriel braced himself for another mad dash to the doctor’s office. When they arrived, Nana breezed in and gave her name to the receptionist, while Gabriel dropped into the nearest chair and wondered ifhewas the one in need of a doctor.
She sat next to him, smiled serenely, and patted his knee. “I want to walk down to the bakery and get a piece of peach cobbler after we leave.”
“Okay, but I’m driving back.”
She pursed her lips and scowled at him but didn’t reply. It took only a few minutes for her to be called in.
He leaned his head back, closed his eyes, and took a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm his nerves.
“Gabriel.”
His eyes popped open, and he came to his feet quickly. “Serenity, hey.” Today she wore a pair of purple scrubs and had swept her braids up in a bun, giving him an unobstructed view of her beautiful face.
Serenity frowned. “Are you okay? You look a little…I don’t know.”
“Still shaken up after riding here with Nana. The woman drove like she was trying to qualify for a spot in the Indy 500. My blood pressure is probably through the roof,” he added with a shake of his head.
She laughed softly. “Do we need to get you in to see the doctor?”
Gabriel scrubbed a hand down his face. “Maybe.” Seeing her smile brought back memories of the fun he’d had at the last dinner. The relaxed and playful side she’d shown intrigued him more than he cared to admit, and as he’d told her, he really wanted to get to know her. More than that, he sensed a growing attraction he was helpless to stop. However, he dismissed any thoughts of him and Serenity becoming more than friends. He didn’t plan to stay and shouldn’t start anything he couldn’t finish. To distract himself, he asked, “Is Nana okay?”
“She’s fine. It’s just her annual checkup. I’m sure she’ll fill you in.”
“I doubt it,” he said.
“I’ll let Dr. Jacobs know you’d like to talk to him.”
He blew out a relieved breath. “That would be great. Thanks, Serenity.”
She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. “Anytime.” She crossed the room, stopping to comfort a fussy baby before disappearing through the door.
