Page 50 of The Cowboy Complication

Griselda’s lips flattened. “Hmm.”

Isla gave the older woman as much of a smile as she could manage then turned and went back to the task of scrubbing down the kitchen sink.

“Did you know it took me five years to seduce your grandfather?”

Her body froze, unable to move thanks to the horrifying images playing through her brain. “No?” And she could have gone her whole life without knowing it.

“It’s true.” Griselda didn’t seem to be aware of the trauma she was dishing out as she rounded the island. Standing next to Isla, she continued her story as she retrieved a glass from the cabinet. “We’d become very close over the years and I wanted to take things to the next level. I dropped little hints, thinking he’d figure it out.” Her eyes rolled Isla’s way, one perfectly groomed brow lifting. “He did not.”

Isla dropped the scrubby sponge she’d been using with enough force to exfoliate the top layer of stainless steel from the basin. “Really?”

Her grandmother had died years before she was born, leaving her grandpa to raise their children alone—one reason they were all so close—and as far as she knew, he’d not dated anyone besides Griselda. And while she didn’t necessarily think of him as a romantically aware sort of person—he was her freaking grandpa—she also didn’t believe he could be that oblivious. Griselda was many things, but elusive and bashful weren’t two of them.

When she wanted something it was pretty obvious. A point that was made when she lifted her brows at Isla.

Moving out of the way, she waited as Griselda used the smaller tap that filtered the regular water into drinking water to fill her glass.

As the waterline slowly rose she said, “I could have laid naked and spread eagle in front of him and he would have simply asked me if I needed help getting dressed.”

Gross. And pointless information to be shar?—

She thought back to the sexy picture she texted to Cooper. When he sent that single word voice recording and photos of his own, she thought things might heat up between them. But the next time they saw each other, it was like nothing ever happened.

Then a week ago she’d walked past him wearing nothing but a towel. He’d watched her every move but never budged from his spot on the couch. At the time, she thought he seemed a little interested, but again, nothing came of it. Things went right back to normal.

“So what did you do?” Was she really asking her grandpa’s girlfriend how she got into his pants?

Apparently, she was.

“I told him I had needs I wanted him to take care of.” Griselda took a drink of her water then continued. “I got very specific and told him if he wasn’t interested I’d find someone who was.”

Damn. Gram-Gram was ruthless. “Did you think he’d say no?”

Griselda scoffed. “Of course not.” She lifted her chin. “Even if he wouldn’t do anything about it, I saw the way he looked at me.” Her eyes met Isla’s. “It’s obvious when a man wants a woman. His whole world revolves around her.”

That had her thinking. Looking back at all the things Cooper had done in the time they’d known each other. The help with the goats. The driving lessons. The chicks. Taking her shopping for a coat and texting her every night.

“But weren’t you afraid things would change between you?”

“My dear, I washopingthings would change between us.” Griselda said it like she was missing the whole point.

“So you weren’t afraid you’d lose him as your…” Her grandpa and Griselda’s situation didn’t apply entirely and it was throwing her off a little. “Employee?”

“Why would I lose him?” Griselda said it like it was simple. “He still does everything he did before, now he’s just also my lover.”

Again, gross.

But also thought provoking.

“I just point it out because it seems as if you might have a little situation of your own going on.” Griselda lowered her voice. “I thought it would be helpful to hear how stepping out of my own comfort zone worked out for me.” A hint of a smile curved her lips. “Because it was the best decision of my life.”

The smile flattened almost immediately and Gram-Gram was right back to her cool self. “Speaking of good decisions, I heard you obtained your license.”

The conversation change gave her whiplash. “Uhh. Yeah. I took the test this morning.”

“Wonderful.” Griselda reached into the pocket of her perfectly tailored pants, pulling out a fob. “Then this belongs to you.”

Isla stared at where it dangled from the older woman’s fingers. “I’m sorry. I don’t follow.”

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