Page 47 of No Greater Love
"Some of us just get it right the first time," he replied with infuriating smugness before disappearing into the crowd.
I downed half my drink in one go, feeling the tension build in my shoulders. This was exactly why I'd hesitated to bring Nate and Paige here. Every interaction felt loaded, every comment a potential minefield.
I made my way around the yard, fielding questions about Nate, about my job, about when I was going to "settle down properly" or "come to my senses and go to medical school." By the time I spotted my grandmother holding court under the elm tree, I was ready to fabricate an emergency at the hospital.
"There's my Tasha," Grandma Rose called, patting the seat beside her. "Come sit with your grandmother."
I obeyed, leaning in to kiss her papery cheek. At eighty-one, Rose Williams was still sharp as a tack and twice as dangerous.
"Where's this man of yours?" she asked without preamble.
"Mom kidnapped him," I replied. "Probably interrogating him in the garage."
She chuckled. "Your mother means well."
"Does she?" The question slipped out before I could stop it.
Grandma Rose fixed me with a penetrating look. "She wants for you what she thinks will make you happy. Problem is, she doesn't always know what that is." She patted my hand. "Neither do you, sometimes."
I looked away. "I'm doing fine, Grandma."
"I didn't say you weren't. But you've always carried that chip on your shoulder. The one that says you have to do everything differently from what's expected, just to prove you can."
"That's not fair."
"Isn't it? You were brilliant enough for medical school. Everybody knew it. But you chose nursing because your father pushed too hard for medicine." She held up a hand when I started to protest. "I'm not saying nursing isn't a fine profession. Lord knows we need good nurses more than we need mediocre doctors. But I wonder sometimes if you make choices based on what you want, or based on what will surprise everyone else."
The words hit uncomfortably close to home. "Nate's not like that. He's not a choice I made to shock anyone."
Her eyes softened. "Then he must be special indeed."
Across the yard, I spotted Nate emerging from the house with my mother, both of them laughing about something. The sight was so unexpected it made my breath catch. He looked... comfortable. At ease in a way I hadn't expected.
"He seems like a good man," Grandma Rose observed, following my gaze. "Steady. The quiet kind who sees more than he says."
"He is."
"And the girl? His daughter?"
"Paige. She's amazing. Smart, kind. She reminds me a little of Jasmine at that age, but more serious."
"And how do you feel about being in her life? That's a big responsibility, loving someone else's child."
The question startled me. I'd been so focused on navigating my relationship with Nate that I hadn't fully considered what it meant for Paige.
"I care about her," I said finally. "A lot. More than I expected to."
"That's the thing about love," Grandma Rose said. "It never comes the way you think it will. Never looks like what you planned."
Before I could respond, a commotion near the trampoline drew our attention. My heart sank as I recognized one voice rising above the others—my father's new wife, Deanna.
"I saidno roughhousing! You're going to hurt someone smaller!"
I was on my feet and moving before I fully processed what was happening. As I approached, I saw Paige standing near the trampoline, face flushed, while Deanna towered over her.
"What's going on?" I asked, stepping between them.
Deanna turned, her perfect features arranged in a mask of concern. "Oh, Tasha. The older kids were getting too rough on the trampoline. I was just making sure everyone stays safe."
