Page 21 of Hooked
“Yeah, he’s not sorry to see the rain go though. Or the cold.”
“It was a cold winter.” Pop dug into his steak. “He plant anything?”
“I don’t think so. Just pruning the oranges this year. He did mention putting in new acreage, but I think he was talking about the Oxford ranch.”
Pop shook his head. “That girl gonna ruin that ranch.”
“She’s not ruining it; she’s planting trees.”
His pop grunted. In Gus’s opinion, anything that displaced cows for crops was a crying shame. He’d had to do it himself and always regretted it. According to him, Melissa Rhodes was ruining the Oxford ranch by cutting back on cattle and turning the most fertile parts of their land into orange and tangerine groves.
Jeremy served himself beans, grabbed the veggies out of the microwave, and poured them in a cereal bowl. He put the lot on the kitchen table and sat across from Pop. “You say grace?”
“Waiting on you.”
Jeremy lowered his head as his grandfather blessed the meal. “Amen.” He put a scoop of vegetables on Pop’s plate.
His grandfather raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t.” Jeremy took two. “They’re good for you.”
“I don’t remember you being my mama.”
“Do you want a lecture from your daughter-in-law? Eat some vegetables. You can pick out the lima beans if you want. I won’t tell anyone.”
“I’ll eat the green stuff if you get me a beer.”
Jeremy rose. “Done.” He grabbed two cans of Metlin Brew from the fridge and set them on the table.
His pop looked at the can with suspicion. “What’s this?”
“Local beer, Pop. We’re supporting Metlin businesses.”
“Do I want to know how much this cost?”
“Not when I’m the one buying it.” Jeremy cut his steak and devoured it. He was hungry. “You meet with your chess club today?”
“No. Frank had a gout flare-up.”
“I’m sorry I asked.”
“We fishing this weekend?”
“I don’t know. You want to fish?” His brain kept circling back to Tayla. “Pop, when you were talking about wooing the other day, what did you mean?”
Pop opened his beer. “Why you asking me now?”
“Because Tayla…” He took a deep breath. Let it out. “She’s probably interviewing for a job up in the city.”
“San Francisco?”
“Yeah.”
Gus shook his head. “What’s that girl thinking? That’s no place to live. Can’t see the damn sky in the city.”
“She likes it, Pop. Now talk to me about wooing.”
Pop leaned his elbows on the table. “What are you thinking? You finally gonna get off the fence? Now that she’s getting ready to move? Don’t you think you’re a little late?”
