Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 43827 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 219(@200wpm)___ 175(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43827 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 219(@200wpm)___ 175(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
“Grandpa I promised to show you Gigi’s new foal, come along and let’s leave daddy and his little friend to talk.” I hope Grant didn’t miss that slight, the pig. I grabbed grandpa’s arm and practically lifted him from the chair in my haste to get away.
“Girl what in the Sam hill is your hurry?” That hint of laughter in his voice told me he knew damn good and well what my hurry was. I was trying to keep him from making a damn fool of me in front of the stuff shirt. I didn’t look back as we left the room, and didn’t breathe easy again until we were halfway to the stables.
“Ohhhh, so that’s the way the wind blows.” I wonder if I can buy him off? “Grandpa.” I gave him one of my pleading looks that always worked to get me my way in the past. Of course just when I needed it most it was a dud. “Come on, tell me about it girl, sure as spit the others are gonna catch on soon enough if you can’t help mooning over him like that.”
“I did not, you take that back.” How long was he watching me anyway? I made myself busy getting treats for the horses, anything but look at the old meddler, but I’m afraid it was too late. “So he’s the one you want? Why didn’t you just say so?”
“Grandpa.” I sounded like a broken record, but how could I explain this to him so that he would understand? Everyone else thought I was all torn up over Joel, he’s the one I’d been set to marry after all. What will he think of me if he learned the truth? That a few hours after my engagement was destroyed I’d been ready to throw myself at another man?
“It’s complicated.” In the end there was no use hiding it from him. He has always been good at getting me to open up where no one else could. My shoulders slumped in defeat, because I knew better than anyone that this was one prize he couldn’t get for me. I had the past rejection to prove it. I mean why else would he spend a whole afternoon making love to me and then not call or anything, if he wasn’t done with me?
“Aren’t these things always? Complicated I mean. Now why don’t you sit here and tell grandpa all about it?” I wasn’t too surprised when he led us both to bales of hay on the other side of the barn. I was a little mystified when he pulled the joint from his shirt pocket though. “You want some?”
“I’m pretty sure that’s still illegal, in fact I don’t know how you’ve been allowed in a state that’s so prohibitive.” He rolled his eyes as he lit up. “I’ve got my ways, now tell me how you came to be in love with the great Grant Colfax.”
“In love? Now come on grandpa, nobody said anything about being in love.” I started to fidget uncomfortably. I didn’t want him seeing that much; after all, I hadn’t even allowed myself in all these years to think about that. It was one thing to acknowledge a certain liking or attraction for a person, but love? That was taking it a bit too far dammit. At least I’d tried to convince myself of that for years.
“I have eyes don’t I? I can see as well as the next guy, and what I just saw in that room back there is love pure and simple. A heavy dose of lust to be sure, but I know love when I see it.” Good grief. He puffed away on the semi sweet smelling weed hard enough to send smoke fumes in all directions. Even the horses were starting to get restless in their stalls and I wondered fleetingly if it were possible for animals to get high.
“Grandpa listen, there’s no none of that. It was just a look, just a moment of weakness shall we say.” I was hoping to throw him off the scent because apparently he saw more than I was ready for anyone to see, but I should’ve known better. I spent the next half hour trying to convince him that what I felt for Grant was nothing more than the remnants of a schoolgirl crush.
***
By the time we got back to the house he was gone. I felt relieved and disappointed at once as I slipped away to my room after threatening grandpa to silence. I had the feeling that all my explanations were in vain. He was going to believe what he wanted to anyway. “Isn’t it exciting?” Mom came bustling into my room with an armful of clothes.
“Isn’t what exciting?” I turned from the window where I’d been trying to catch a glimpse of the house next door through the trees. I missed him, which made no sense because we were hardly in each other’s company. But ever since that night, I find myself missing him in a most horrendous way.