Page 83 of The Best of Times

He laughed despite how rotten he felt.

“I love you, Granny. Do you know that?”

“I do and I love you too. Now, we left you two full of the Christmas spirit last night so I’m presuming Paul is involved in this upset. If you won’t tell me, then perhaps he will.”

“You can’t go round there. It’s bad luck.”

“I don’t give two hoots about such nonsense if there is something wrong. Make your choice.”

She had him cornered. Even so, he couldn’t bring himself to confess to her what had gone on.

“Would it help if I told you I know all about the pandemic affair between the two of you?” she said.

He almost dropped his cup in shock. “What? Who told you?”

I bet it was Alexander. That huge mouth of his wouldn’t be able to keep it in.

“Oh, Aron, you know by now that nothing gets past me,” she said. “And for your information, nobody told me.”

“Then how?”

“Did you really think I wouldn’t notice your sneaking him in after I’d gone to bed? Then all of a sudden, you both run away to the four corners of the world. It didn’t take much to piece things together.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because for once in my life, I decided to let the winds of fate control things. Not something I will be doing again, that’s for sure. Since you’ve been gone, I’ve watched so many wonderful men find each other.”

That was putting it mildly by all accounts.

“So when this wedding caper started up, I saw it as the perfect opportunity to throw you both together and see what happened.”

“Are you saying that forcing us to sort out your wedding was your way of matchmaking?”

She sniffed and took another sip of her drink.

“Just giving you a gentle nudge.”

Aron shook his head. “You are a shocker.”

“Didn’t work, did it?”

“It kind of did. Then it kind of didn’t.”

He relented and told her the whole sorry tale. From the hen do to the previous night. She listened intently. Her jaw dropped when he told her what had happened to Paul in Afghanistan.

“I don’t think the Professor knows about that,” she said. “He would have said.”

“You can’t tell him.”

She squeezed his hand. “I don’t believe in secrets, but this isn’t mine to tell. Although, it has been far too much for Paul to shoulder on his own. It sounds to me like he needs to talk to someone far more professional than you. Maybe then he’ll stop this ridiculous vow.”

Aron shrugged. “I can’t force him to do anything he doesn’t want to.”

“That’s true. I’m sorry if my meddling has hurt you. Maybe I’m losing my touch.”

It would be typical that her one failed attempt at bringing two people together would be for him. Strangers had benefited from her wily ways. Her own grandson was evidently past help.

“Where does this leave the job opportunity?”