Page 24 of Betrayal & New Beginnings

This was true and the main reason whyIstuck with it.Ithelped me with my coordination and set me up with my first kiss.Agirl namedHeatherfrom my ballet class.Also, my second kiss withBridget, and third kiss withStephaniefrom gymnastics.

I chose that moment to walk in and interrupt my sisters, who were no doubt getting ready to embarrass me more.

“WhenItold my friends how many girlsIgot to make out with after class they all wanted to sign up a week later, so it worked out for me,”Isaid, flashing a sly grin at my sisters.

“You are such a sleazy braggart,”Willasaid, sticking out her tongue.

“Children!” my mother said, chiding us like we were little kids again. “Quitacting like you are five years old in front of our guest.She’sgoing to thinkIraised you this awful on purpose.”

I heardElliechuckle as my sister andIboth rolled our eyes.Normallymy mom wouldn’t care, butIknew she was trying to impressElliewhile also trying to learn everything about her to see if she would be great wife material to give her more future grandkids.Iclosed my eyes and shook my head.

“Get your handsome face over here and hug your grandma beforeIdie of old age and never get to see you again,” said my grandma, who had been sitting quietly enjoying the show from the side of the kitchen island.

“Hey,Nana.How’reyou doing?”Iasked, walking over to her and giving her a hug and kiss on the cheek.

“Better now that my whole family is here,” she said, smiling.

I knew she meant it politely, but it also made me feel a little guilty becauseIwas often the holdout for these gatherings.

“What amI?Choppedliver?”Whitneyasked from beside her.

I leaned over and grabbed her and squeezed her hard until she begged me to let her go while laughing.Idid, but not before rubbing my hand over the top of her head and messing with her hair, causing her to growl at me asIwalked back over toward the kitchen island.

“You toldWilla’smini-spawns you needed my help,Ma, so what canIdo?”Iasked my mom, who was still getting all the food together.

“Your sisters andIhave it covered for now, but when the rolls come out of the oven,I’llhave you start carrying things into the table,” she said, pointing at several bowls already laid out on the kitchen island.Man, it smelled good.Mymom was a great cook, and so was my grandma, though she mostly just supervised nowadays since her arthritis was bad.Usually, she just gave my mom a hard time, telling her how she was cooking stuff wrong just to get on her nerves.

Just then my niece and nephew came into the kitchen with their hamster in their hands.

“Ah ah ah,nohamsters in my kitchen!” my mom said, shooing them out.

“ButGrandma, we wanna showWade’sgirlfriend our new pet!” they whined.

“Then you can do it in the living room whereIdon’t have to worry aboutSnickersleavingpresentsin my kitchen,” she told them.

They both looked up atEllieand pleaded with her to come with them.

“Sure,Iwould love to.”Shesmiled as she followed them out of the kitchen.

She was gone no more than five seconds before all the female members of my family pounced.

“She seems very nice.Howlong have you two been dating and not telling me?” my mom asked in a sweet voice but with definite cheeky undertones.

“She’s good with the kids.Youshould marry her quickly soIcan get some more great-grandbabies beforeIdie soon,” my grandmother added.

I scoffed dramatically asIreplied back to her with just as much attitude as she gave me.

“Nana, you’re going to live to be 120 just to spite all of us.You’vegot plenty more time on thisEarthto give us all hell, so quit meddling.”Ishot her a knowing look, and she stared right back at me with a calculated smile.

“I don’t meddle, young boy.Iuse years of wisdom to come up with impeccable ideas and execute them to perfection.”Shesmirked right back at me, full of sass as usual.

I laughed, first because she still called me young boy, even thoughIwas nearly thirty and almost twice her size, and second because she’d always been witty to a fault, andIloved her for it.

“She told us you work together at the bar, and she lives right next door to you…Howconvenient,”Willainterjected with an evil smirk.

I knew she was trying to stir the pot too, butIwasn’t going to take the bait.

“Yes, we do work together,”Isaid, giving her the bare minimum.

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