Page 78 of If It's You

There was a suspicious gleam in Grandma’s dark brown eyes. Was this why Grandma had brought him here? Was she playing matchmaker?

“Why don’t you go talk to her?” She waggled her eyebrows in a conspiratorial way.

“I would, but I’m here with my beautiful date.” Christian winked at her.

“Oh, what a sweet boy you are. Too bad your beautiful date is also very nosy.” Grandma’s hand shot in the air.

“What are you doing?”

“You’ll see.” Grandma beamed. This was not good.

“Hi, Lyla.” Grandma said when the waitress came to check on them. “I never introduced you to Christian. He’s a friend of my grandson, and he’s visiting for the summer.”

“Oh. It’s nice to meet you.” Lyla looked down at him with her big blue eyes.

“You as well.” Christian nodded, taking a sip of water to cool his flaming cheeks.

“Why don’t you two exchange numbers on those fancy phones of yours so you can keep each other entertained sometime this summer?” Grandma clapped her hands together as if she had just thought of this idea.

Christian didn’t believe that act for a second. The romance writer in her had probably stayed up all night dreaming of ways to torture him in the love game.

“I’d love to.” Christian gave the girl a tight smile and typed the numbers into his phone as she rattled them off.

The moment she was gone with the check, Christian stood up.

“Are we going so soon?” Grandma smiled innocently.

“You’re good, Grandma,” Christian said, leading her out to the car.

“You need someone to get your mind off that girl from the phone. And if you aren’t going to date my granddaughter, Lyla’s the next best thing.” Grandma got in the car, leaving a stunned Christian on the sidewalk. She didn’t miss anything.

Twenty

“Please explain to me again why we are going to a parade,” Christian asked as he tugged on his boots to get the morning chores done before the parade started.

“It’s tradition, man. You haven’t experienced anything like the Fourth of July in Baxter.” Jayce said.

“But we aren’t kids.”

“Doesn’t matter. Everyone goes. Even people from other towns. It’s like Christmas in July.”

“I doubt it,” Christian said, still yawning as they started chores. “Where’s Maizie?”

“Who cares,” Jayce muttered. It had been four days of this, and Christian was getting sick of it.

“Are you really still mad at her?” Christian asked.

“Yep,” Jayce grunted.

“I’m sure she didn’t mean to be rude. That’s just kind of how she is,” Christian said.

Jayce narrowed his eyes at him. “Are you defending her?”

“No. But you guys are family, and it sucks to see you not talking.”

Jayce scratched the back of his head which probably left a trail of milk in his hair. “I know. I’ll talk to her soon. I just need to take a break, is all. Maizie always thinks she knows everything.”

“Sounds like it runs in the family.” Christian chuckled when Jayce glared at him.