Page 45 of Flirting with the CEO

Chapter Thirteen

Colton

The next morning, Iwent straight to my grandparents’ home for a late breakfast. I appreciated that everyone had time this Saturday, even though I was exhausted. Zoey and I hadn't slept at all.

I was the first to arrive at their house in the Dorchester neighborhood. They’d lived here since I was a kid. This place was practically home for me. I’d spent many hours on this porch. The green facade and white window trims had been refurbished three years ago, so the house was in good condition. I made it my mission to anticipate any necessary restorations to take the load off my grandparents’ shoulders.

"Darling, want coffee? You look like you need a little pick-me-up," Grandmother said as she welcomed me inside the house.

"Jeannie, don't pounce on the boy, for goodness' sake. He just walked through the door," my grandfather added.

I nodded. “Coffee would be good.”

I looked around with a critical eye. It was a habit. First, I scrutinized my grandfather. He seemed healthy enough. My grandmother was her usual energetic self. One thing that bugged me and my brothers was that she refused to have any help managing the household. We convinced her to employ a cleaning company back when Grandfather was recuperating, but once he was fit, she insisted they had everything under control. It was beyond me why they didn't want to make things easy, but it was their call to make, not mine.

I went to the kitchen, making myself a coffee. Grandmother was hunched over a platter with toast, bacon, and eggs. From now on our get-togethers needed to be for breakfast; it seemed far easier for her to prepare rather than the feast she always cooked if we met for lunch or dinner.

"Grandfather, what are you up to lately? We haven't seen you in a few weeks. Is your fishing partner—what’s his name—Darren still coming every week?"

My grandfather put down the newspaper he'd picked up from the living room. "No, he's got the flu. It won't go away, so he hasn't been coming lately."

"So what have you been doing when we go out with Grandmother?" I asked.

Fuck me. Did Grandmother mention this and I totally blanked out?I was trying to listen to my family, be more engaged, and not just think about work lately.

Grandmother gave me a meaningful look, and I decided I was going to talk with my brothers about this. We'd been worried about Grandmother all this time because Grandfather always seemed to find someone to visit him and keep him occupied. Besides, he'd been housebound while getting his health back in order, but now we could take him out fishing or even to lunch. Grandfather needed our attention, too, but he’d never come out and say it. I was surprised, though, that Grandmother hadn’t mentioned it.

When he walked back out with his newspaper to the living room, I immediately approached her.

"Don't start," she warned.

"I just wanted to ask why you didn't mention that he was lonely."

"Because the old stubborn mule absolutely forbade me to."

"And since when do you do anything except what you want?"

She looked at me out of the corner of her eye, shaking her head. "He's my husband. I will always stand beside him. I only fight you youngsters." She was so sincere that I couldn't help but burst out laughing. "What's so funny?"

"That you admit all of this so openly."

"I never hide my intentions. Anyway, now that you came to that conclusion, I think he'd enjoy it if you boys came by to see him now and again."

"I was just thinking we should do that."

"You're all such good boys. Maddox did take him out last week, and he seemed to enjoy that.”

I stilled at my half brother’s name. “Grandfather told them?”

"No, they just caught on faster. I think Maddox wanted to tell Spencer at their weekly tennis match, but I don't think they discussed it."

---