Page 49 of The Promise Of Rain

Conversation flowed back and forth between the three of them as my grandma systematically plowed through the broken cookies, much to Jenny’s delight.I contributed little to nothing as I considered and discarded one plan after another to gain Jenny’s trust.

Or at least get her to give me a chance.

“I worry about you, Jenny,” Ansel commented, snagging my full, frowning concentration.“You need to get out and have some fun.”

“I have fun,” she protested weakly, her eyes growing wary.

His shifty eyes and my grandmother’s sudden bout of fidgeting told me they were up to something.

Ansel leveled Jenny with his rheumy gaze as she lifted her water to her lips.“Of course you do.Darlene and I are a barrel of laughs.”

“Speak for yourself, old man,” Darlene retorted, tossing Jenny a smile.“I’m a fucking hoot.”

I grinned for the first time since arriving, chuckling at my grandma’s cheeky wink.

Jenny’s eyes bugged out of her head as her water shot down the wrong tube.She coughed and sputtered, covering her mouth with the back of her hand as her eyes rapidly welled with tears.

Aw, fuck.

Today was too much, a rollercoaster of emotions, a ride she never wanted to jump on.

I needed to get her out of here and find a way to take care of her while I did what I could to fix what I broke.

I sprang to my feet and crossed to her side, splaying my palm over her back.“Are you okay?”

She nodded, coughing into her fist as I bent to rub a slow circle over her slender back until she shuddered under my hand.

“Was it the ‘fuck’?”Darlene asked in her most innocent voice.

“Well, it wasn’t the bloody ‘hoot,’” Ansel countered.

Jenny’s shoulders began to shake.

I dropped down to my haunches and dipped my chin to see Jenny’s face.“Baby,” I pleaded.

She waved me away, lifted her head, and laughed, the sound bubbling up from deep in her belly.

Ansel’s eyes lit up, Grandma beamed, and I sucked in a sharp breath before staring back at Jenny in wonder.

“God, you’re beautiful when you laugh,” I muttered gruffly.

“She is, isn’t she?”Ansel agreed smugly.“She’s the prettiest flower in the garden.You should take her out on a date.”

Jenny’s laughter faded as quickly as it began.“Ansel,” she warned even as she blushed a dusky pink.

“A date is a great idea,” Darlene declared.“In fact, it’ll be my treat.”

“Oh, no,” Jenny protested as she swiped the tears from her cheeks.“That’s okay.”

“Nonsense,” Grandma retorted.“You bring me treats every week.Let me treat you for once.”

She turned to me.“And God knows you don’t have any fun.Make an old woman happy and take this young woman skiing in Sage Ridge.”

“Skiing?”Jenny squeaked.

Ignoring my warning look, Grandma’s attention whipped back to Jenny.“Do you ski?”

“I taught her to ski,” I murmured before Jenny had a chance to shake her head.“We used to go skiing all the time.”