Page 32

Cha pter 32

Chloe

We’re up and out of the house early the next morning.

I feel bad that I missed Greyson, but I told Mrs.

Coftman to tell him how much I enjoyed watching him play.

She promised to, and we hugged.

I thanked her for her hospitality and a great weekend, and that was the end of that.

Gunner stopped just a few minutes down the road to fill up on gas, and I ran into the coffee shop next door to grab coffees.

They didn’t have much for food, but I grabbed a banana and a yogurt parfait for Gunner and an apple for me.

I walk out just as he finishes with the gas.

I place his hot coffee in the cupholder on the left and my iced coffee on the right and hand him the banana and yogurt as soon as he’s settled.

“They didn’t have a lot by way of food.”

“Thanks.” He eats the banana in an impressive four bites and picks up his coffee.

“Don’t worry. It’s black and awful,” I tell him.

He blows on the top and turns to me.

“You tasted it?”

“No way. I just mean that all black coffee is awful.”

He smirks.

“You know, I do put half and half in sometimes.”

I mimic shock.

“Well, alert the press. Coftman doesn’t always drink black coffee.”

He just shakes his head.

“What did you get?”

“I got an iced caramel and vanilla latte with oat milk. Want a taste?” I can’t resist.

He grimaces.

“No, thanks. Did you get anything to eat?”

“I grabbed an apple; they didn’t have much.”

“We can stop whenever you want,” he offers.

“That’s fine. I’m just anxious to get home.”

He puts the truck in gear, and we hit the road.

We settle into the ease we found on the way here, surprisingly.

I get some work done while we drive.

We stop for lunch at about the halfway mark and eat stir-fry bowls that are delicious, and then hit the road again.

It doesn’t take long for signs for Green Bay to show up.

“Do you want me to take you home or to your grandma’s? I know it’s Sunday.”

“You don’t have to do that; you can just take me home.”

“Are you going to go there today?”

“Yes.”

“Then let me take you there first,” he offers.

“Gunner, you don’t need to. I can drive over.”

“It’s an extra trip. We’re heading right past there. Besides, I owe you; you just spent the entire weekend with my family for my sake.”

“Okay,” I concede.

“Thank you. Your family is really great, Gunner.”

His face softens.

“Yeah, I know.”

It doesn’t take long for us to get to Grandma May’s nursing home.

“Are you going to come in?” I ask.

“You don’t have to.”

“I’d like to, if you don’t mind.”

“Are you kidding? Grandma May asks me every Sunday when Big C is coming back.”

He smiles.

“Well, who am I to let Grandma May down?” He shoves his ever-present black ball cap on his head before climbing out of the truck.

I climb down before he makes it over to my side.

“I’ll try to make it a quick visit,” I tell him as we head inside.

“Don’t, not on my account. I don’t have anything until tonight.”

“Game night?” I ask, and he nods.

We head inside and make our way to Grandma’s room.

I knock and then open the door.

“Grandma May, I'm coming in, and Big C is with me.”

I hear muttering from her room. “Let me check on her.” He nods and veers off to the small living room.

“Grandma May, I’m coming in.” I knock on the door and open it. I take one look at her, and my shoulders drop. “What happened?” I ask as I rush to where she’s sitting on the bed.

“I dropped my glasses. That's what happened,” she says, annoyed. I look down and see her glasses on the floor, just beyond her reach. I stoop down and grab them and hand them back to her. “There we go; now I can see my beautiful granddaughter. How was your romantic weekend getaway with Big C?”

I don’t let her distract me. “What happened?” I ask, pointedly looking at her face that’s bruised all over.

“I was tired of all the attention you were getting from the bruises on your face and wanted to match you.”

“Grandma May.”

“Oh, don’t get your underwear in a knot. I fell, but I’m fine. Now where’s that handsome man of yours?”

My stomach falls at her words. She fell again. She’s going to need better care; she’s going to have to move to the other side. Susan told me as much, but I was really hoping it wouldn’t happen. The other side is at least double the cost of being on this side. I don’t have that kind of money, and Grandma May certainly doesn’t. Any money she once had was used up to pay Grandpa Jim’s hospice and funeral bills after he passed away. I’m barely making the payments as it is; I don’t how I’m going to be able to afford the care she needs.

Her hand reaches out and grasps mine. “We’ll figure it out together.” I look into her eyes, eyes that I love so much.

I put my head on her shoulder. “Okay.” Because really, what other answer was there?

“Now, let’s go see your handsome beau.”

I scrunch my nose up. “Nobody calls them that anymore, Grandma May.”

“I do, and I can do what I want because I’m old.”

“You’re old,” I finish at the same time she does. She always says that and gets away with murder because of it. I brace her walker as she stands up. I resist the urge to do any more than that because she hates getting help, especially if she doesn’t need it. “Lead the way,” I tell her, opening the door for her.

“Big C,” she calls out. “What’d you bring me?’

“Grandma May,” I hiss as I follow her out.

I’m standing to the side of Grandma May, so I catch his expression when he sees her. He frowns and scans her face before shifting his face into a neutral expression. I think I might just have fallen for him a little more in that moment. “Hi, Grandma May,” he says, bending low and kissing her on the cheek. He's so tender with her, and it means the world to me. When he stands back up, his eyes meet mine for a moment. I can’t find it in myself to look away, nor can I find it in me to hide whatever is on my face for him to see plainly. “I did bring you something,” he says, shocking me speechless. He pulls something out of his pocket that’s wrapped in tissue paper and hands it to her once she’s settled in her chair.

“See,” she says to me, and I can’t stop my smile. She opens it, and I wonder what in the world he found for her and when. Her face is radiant when she sees whatever it is. “Look at that,” she says, handing it to me.

I look down at the Green Thunder pin and smile. “It’s perfect.”

“Help me put it on.”

I bend over her and pin it to her shirt, being careful not to poke her. “How does it look Big C?” she asks.

“Beautiful, just like you,” he says with a smile, and I swear my heat melts into a puddle of goo.

She turns to me and raises her eyebrows. “You’d better watch yourself; you’ve got yourself some stiff competition.”

I can’t help the laugh that bubbles out of me. I meet Gunner’s eyes, and he has that soft expression on his face. Thank you, I mouth to him when Grandma May’s not looking. “What are you hungry for?” I ask as I head over to her kitchen.

“Nothing over there,” she says waving me off.

“Want me to order something?” I ask.

“Nah, I’m good.”

I frown. “Have you eaten yet today?”

“You worry too much.”

Her response makes me even more worried. “I’m starving because your granddaughter only fed me a banana for breakfast,” Gunner says. “So, I’m making an order. What do you want?”

“Chloe, this man needs calories; you know that,” Grandma May scowls.

“I gave him a banana and a yogurt parfait. And in my defense, that’s all they had to offer.” He doesn’t say anything about our stop for lunch, and I don’t either. I mentally kick myself for not bringing her something to eat.

“I like soup,” Grandma May says, and I breathe a sigh of relief. I was hoping she wasn’t going through one of her stages where she refuses to eat.

“Soup it is,” Gunner says. “Chloe?”

“I’ll do soup as well.” I’m sure he knows I’m not hungry, but neither of us are telling Grandma May that.

“Make sure it doesn’t have wheat or dairy in it,” Grandma May points out.

“Got it,” Gunner says easily.

“It’s because she’s so stressed all the time.”

“Grandma May,” I say in warning.

“It is, and you know it,” she argues.

Gunner finishes placing the order and pockets his phone. “Why she has stomach issues?”

Grandma May nods. “Yes. She works too hard and doesn’t take care of herself. She rarely takes time to eat and that affects your digestive system. Add to that her load of stress, and she’s a mess.”

“Thanks,” I say dryly.

“You know it’s true,” she says with a challenge in her eye.

“I’ve been making sure she eats lunch every day,” Gunner tells her.

“Well, good. Somebody has to take care of her.”

Gunner nods, like he totally agrees. I throw my hands up in the air. “I don’t need anybody to take care of me.”

Grandma May looks at Gunner. “Stubborn one, that grandchild of mine.”

“Oh, I know,” he agrees.

“Excuse me, could you not have a conversation about me like I’m not in the room?” I ask.

“Chloe’s always been the caretaker,” Grandma May continues on, as if I said nothing. “Even from a young age, she took on too much responsibility. We wanted her to have a normal childhood—go to sleepovers, play sports, attend parties, but she never did. She always turned down invitations and opportunities to stay home with us. We always thought it was because she was too shy.” She snorts out a laugh. “Yeah, we were wrong about that.”

“Hey,” I interject with a frown.

“But we let her stay home. By the time we caught on, it was too late; she was this stubborn woman that you see before you today.” Grandma May shakes her head. “She missed her childhood because she was taking care of two old people. I hate that for her.” Shock keeps me quiet. “Even now, years later, it hasn’t changed. She doesn’t date, doesn’t go out, and doesn’t have fun. She works too hard, and you know why, young man?”

“Why?” Gunner asks softly.

“Because she’s paying for my care.” Grandma’s words are so soft and filled with sorrow.

“Grandma May,” I say sharply.

I watch in horror as a tear drips from her eyes; Grandma May never cries. “It’s true, my Chloe; and I love you for it. But I also hate it for you. Sometimes, I think it would have been better for me to pass on at the same time as Grandpa Jim.”

A gasp sounds from my throat, and I drop to my knees next to her chair. “Grandma May! Don’t say that.”

She looks down at me, an unusual tenderness in her eyes. “You are so beautiful, my precious Granddaughter...both inside and out. I never wanted this burden for you.”

I blink back tears. “You are not a burden.” The words don’t come out as clear as I want them too.

She runs her weathered finger down my cheek. “You were the greatest blessing Grandpa Jim and I ever had. We didn’t know what we needed until God brought us you. You made us so proud and so happy, Chloe. You still do, and I know your Grandpa Jim is looking down from Heaven and is so very, very proud of his precious girl.” I swallow hard against the emotion clogging my throat. “I know the world casts a stereotype about who we should be as women. Quiet, submissive, a shadow, seen but not heard. My precious girl, you and I have never been anything like that.”

“I’ll say,” Gunner says dryly, and I can’t help but laugh.

Grandma May laughs too. “You are strong, my precious girl. And I knew one day, the right man would see it; and he wouldn’t be threatened by it...not like the last idiot,” she says with a soft look.

“Gunner knows about him,” I mutter.

“The idiot with two first names?” Gunner growls.

Grandma May smiles in delight. “Yep, that guy.” She squeezes my hand. Then she says for my ears alone. “The right guy has seen who you really are and isn’t threatened by your strength.”