Page 32 of Cowboy of Convenience
Even if Evelyn didn't know how to make coffee or drive or balance a checking account, she was still nowhere near as helpless as Sasha or even Gram-Gram. She'd proven that.
And Sasha was a fucking ass. There was no way in hell someone as sweet and kind and gentle as Evelyn should ever have been set up with him. It was bullshit, which was why he accidentally opened his mouth.
"And you thought Sasha and Evelyn would have asuccessfulmarriage?" This time he couldn't temper his words. Every bit of disbelief and anger he felt over Gram-Gram's shitty matchmaking attempt bled into his tone.
Gram-Gram’s already tight posture went even more rigid, the paper bag crinkling as her hand fisted. "Sasha is the son of an old friend. I was advised he was extremely successful and well spoken."
"He's an ass." Yet again, Grady couldn't temper his words. Couldn't keep himself in the normal, easy-going place he normally resided.
Gram Gram's lips flattened. "So I've been told."
Grady stared out the windshield, trying to pick apart the bits and pieces of their conversation, hoping he could reassemble them in a way that made sense. A way that would answer all the new questions he had. Questions about Gram-Gram. Questions about Evelyn.
Questions about himself.
But the answers weren't fucking there no matter how hard he looked.
Gram-Gram stayed quiet the rest of the short drive, downing what was left of her coffee and nibbling on the croissant. When he turned onto the little road leading to Evelyn's bungalow, there was a large box truck parked on the curb across the street. "Well I hope you plan to see a lot more of him because it looks like Sasha’s officially moving in."
Gram-Gram's chin lifted. "Sasha's gone. He flew back to New York last night." She collected her cup and bag as Grady pulled into the driveway. "Those are my things being delivered."
CHAPTER ELEVEN
EVELYN
EVELYN STOOD ON the porch of her tiny bungalow, watching as two movers carried in the truckload of items her grandmother seemed to pull out of thin air. "She can't be serious."
"Sweetheart, I've only spent half a day with your Gram-Gram, and I can tell you she is always serious." Grady stood beside her, one arm draped around her shoulders as her grandmother barked orders, sending the movers into the spare bedroom taking up one front corner of the house.
Evelyn rubbed at the ache forming in one temple. "I just don't get why she's going to all this trouble."
Getting all the furniture and bedding, not to mention the movers carrying it, overnight must have cost a fortune. It seemed like a ridiculous amount of money and effort to spend simply to prove a point.
Grady’s grip tightened, pulling her out of the way as the movers came past with a king-sized mattress that would dominate the majority of the space in the spare bedroom her grandmother clearly planned to claim as her own.
Grady leaned into her ear. "I've got some good news. It might make you feel a little better."
Evelyn frowned as the items continued coming. "I doubt that."
Grady’s eyes fixed on hers, like he wanted to witness this mood-altering moment. "Sasha’s gone.”
Evelyn’s eyes widened, jaw going slack in surprise. "You're kidding."
Grady shook his head. "Nope. Sounds like Gram-Gram might've shipped his ass back to New York City last night."
What? "I thought she and Sasha were in this together."
Grady shrugged. "That's what I thought too, but it's lookin’ like maybe I don't know as much as I thought I did."
Evelyn glanced at the house across the street. Sure enough, the rental car was gone from the driveway and no one was peeking out the windows, trying to get a look at what was happening. "I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing."
She'd spent her whole life tiptoeing around her grandmother, learning from her mother's mistakes, hoping to fly under the radar and avoid being married off before she could buy alcohol. It was the first of the plans she'd concocted, and when it worked, she just kept making them. Kept coming up with ways to drag her freedom out longer until eventually she decided to do everything she could to ensure it permanently. She went to work ruining her name. Tarnishing the shiny image her grandmother valued so much.
That was when her grandmother started to zero in. She began dragging Evelyn to everything from fundraisers to cocktail parties. Doing damage control and attempting to force her into the role she didn't want.
And Evelyn had to comply. Her grandmother held the proverbial purse strings with an iron fist, making it impossible for Evelyn to really and truly escape with anything more than the clothes on her back.
Which was when she concocted her plan of selling anything and everything she had, stashing the cash in a safety deposit box while she lived on borrowed time.
