Page 23 of Cowboy of Convenience
"That's a rental." Grady stopped, all his focus on the unexpected vehicle. "Any idea who might be driving around a rental?"
"I guess it could be somebody visiting Dianna. I still occasionally get some of her mail, so maybe they just picked the wrong house?" She swallowed hard, hoping against hope that was the case.
Even though she knew it wasn't.
She knew exactly who was parked in her driveway and she knew exactly why they were there. Should have actually seen this coming.
Grady turned toward her, pulling her in. "We don't have to go back. I can make a phone call and have Cooper or Peters come see what they want."
Once again, Grady was stepping up to take care of her. To handle a situation he seemed to know she didn't want to face. Unfortunately, there was no escaping this. She was stuck. She knew one day her time would run out and it looked like today was that day.
The driver’s door of the sleek sedan opened and a man got out. He straightened the lines of his suit before opening the back door, holding it wide. He held one hand out, offering assistance to the slim, perfectly poised woman who climbed from the backseat. Her expression was stern and serious as she looked down her nose at the house in front of her.
"Probably could've picked her out of a lineup." Grady shook his head. "You want me to go tell her she's an idiot now, or should I save that for later?"
Evelyn choked, the sound a cross between unhinged laughter and a panicked giggle. Unfortunately, it was loud enough to draw attention their way.
Her grandmother turned, gaze sharp as it landed on her. She stared at them for a few long seconds before turning to go up the driveway and onto the porch.
“Shit.” All the air rushed from her lungs.
“Seems like our new neighbor might have made a few phone calls.” Grady met her eyes. “What’s she here for?”
The answer was simple and devastating. “To finish ruining my life.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
GRADY
"WE MIGHT AS well get it over with." Grady kept one arm around Evelyn, keeping her close.
Evelyn’s expression was solemn. "I think all the fun you’re having is about to come to an end. She’s the biggest killjoy I know.”
He knew better than most how debilitating family responsibility and expectations could be. The way they could rule your life and halt your trajectory. Maybe that was why he wanted to tackle this moment head-on. There wasn't shit he could do about his own issues, but he'd had a lot of practice working other people's out and was ready to put it to good use. "I bet it won't be as bad as you think it will be."
"You've clearly never met my grandmother." Evelyn straightened her shoulders, spine stiff as she walked toward her house. "You should actually probably go."
"No way." He tipped his head to where Sasha was practically skipping across the street. "Especially not with him headed over."
Evelyn let out a little groan. “I really don't feel like dealing with them right now."
"Then I guess it's a good thing you don't have to do it alone." He lifted her hand to his mouth as Sasha glared their way, brushing his lips across her knuckles. "You've got your fiancé to help you get through it."
Evelyn stared at him, looking unconvinced. "Fair warning, the whole fiancé thing is going to go over like a lead balloon."
"Don't care." He was good at dealing with people who liked to throw their weight around, whether it was money or connections or literal mass. They were nothing more than bullies. And if there was one thing a bully hated, it was someone who didn't give a shit about them and didn't play their game.
And that was his forte.
Grady led Evelyn up the driveway, keeping her close as they rounded the corner and Sasha and her grandmother came into view, heads tipped close together as they shared hushed, but sharp, words. They suddenly quieted and her grandmother spun to face them, thin lips pressed flat.
But her focus didn't go to Evelyn. It came straight to him. Her cold eyes moved down his frame, looking wholly unimpressed. "What have you done now, Evelyn?"
"I believe you mean who." Sasha dropped his two cents like he was a part of this. The prick was butthurt Evelyn didn't sleep with him and didn't miss any opportunity to show his ass about it.
Grady surveyed the situation and the people in it. He could play this one of two ways. He could let Evelyn take the lead. See what she did and fall in line. But he'd never been good at letting someone else be in charge, so he decided to grab the bull—or the grandmother in this case—by the horns.
He walked up the steps, smiling wide as he went straight for the frigid old woman, arms outstretched. "You must be Evelyn’s Gram-Gram." He grabbed her, squeezing her tight. "I am so excited to finally meet you."
