Page 74 of Healing Fate

“Yes Ma’am. This is Vada.”

“Vada? What a unique name.”

“Don’t even try it. I know you. You’ve already gotten all the gossip you can about my mate and Miss Vada here.”

She smiled slyly before reaching out and taking the baby from me.

“You’re mate, huh?”

“You heard me.”

“Does your mother know?”

“She does. She met them this morning. Is that why you’re here?”

Nonna seemed genuinely surprised.

“I hadn’t heard. I’m glad though. Lorraine has always wanted to be a grandmother.”

“I yike Grandma Doc,” Vada told her.

“Grandma Doc?”

“My mother.”

“Isn’t that adorable.” She gushed over the baby a little longer.

“Nonna, do you want to tell me why you’re here?”

“Well, I have this pain in my shoulder. I’m sure you’ve seen a lot of that sort of thing, what with the mudslide yesterday and all. I’m actually surprised to see you here. I heard you were hurt pretty badly in that accident.”

And there it was. Sly old gal. It was really no wonder she had adopted an entire family of foxes.

“I’m fine,” I assured her.

“And Lucy, your mate, she’s the one that saved you, right?”

“She did.”

“A healer. How wonderful!”

I neither confirmed nor denied her claim.

“Will she be assisting more with patients now?”

“Lucy has a job,” I reminded her.

“You’re not going to give me even a small tidbit, are you?”

“Which shoulder has been bothering you?” I asked.

“Oh fiddle. I don’t remember. Can’t you just give an old lady a nibble?”

“This is not gossip central. Go hang out at the Crate if you want the latest gossip.”

She looked stunned by my statement.

“I do not go to the Crate to seek gossip. I go there to spread it,” she informed me.