Page 41 of Cowboy of Convenience
Grady's eyes fixed on Evelyn as her grandmother stiffly sat down beside her. He took a big bite of his toast and she could almost see the gears working inside his head as he chewed through it.
He was coming up with something to say and she was willing to bet it was going to be good. Good enough she ignored her coffee because having it come out her nose didn’t sound like a great way to start the day.
Luckily she’d prepared herself. Without his unintentional warning, she would have lost it when he said, "It's going to be real hard to put your feet behind your head in that outfit."
Even knowing it was coming she still had to fake a coughing fit to hide her laughter. Her grandmother gave her a sidelong glance before looking down her nose at Grady. "And what would you suggest I wear?"
Grady's expression was innocent as he offered up an alternative. "Ev has a whole drawer full of yoga clothes. You aren’t much bigger than she is. I'm sure she’ll let you borrow something."
Evelyn nearly swallowed her tongue. Good God she was going to die if he kept this up.
Her grandmother’s spine straightened, lips curving downward as she scowled. "Evelyn and I are the exact same size. I have been the same weight since I was eighteen years old."
"In that case, you might not want to spend too much time downtown because our next-door neighbor, Dianna, makes some of the best cinnamon rolls you've ever tasted." Grady lifted up a forkful of eggs between them. "They’re sure as hell better than anything I can make."
Her grandmother stared at him for a second, like she was still shocked to find him there. Finally she turned to Evelyn. "Would that be the same Dianna who owns this house?"
Her question wasn't actually a question. She was making a statement. Letting Evelyn know she’d done her homework and knew exactly what her situation was.
"That's right." Grady answered for her without missing a beat. "Ev and I decided to stay here until the lease is up since it’s close to town and only a five-minute drive from her studio. Then we’ll move to my place up on Grizzly Peak."
Her grandmother studied Grady. "You don't live on your family's ranch?"
Grady shook his head. "No, ma'am. I'm a big boy with a place all my own."
Her grandmother poked at the eggs on her plate, shifting them around before finally lifting a small bite into her mouth. She chewed slowly before swallowing. "Your eggs are acceptable." She lifted the coffee to her lips and took a sip. “But this isn’t nearly as good as the one I had yesterday.”
Evelyn's head bobbed back in surprise. That was the closest thing to a compliment she'd ever heard come out of her grandmother's mouth.
"I'm glad to hear you don't hate them." Grady shoveled in another mouthful. "I'd be happy for any pointers you have."
The line of her grandmother's mouth hardened, and once again Evelyn was caught on the edge of laughing. Her grandmother had never cooked a thing in her life and wouldn't have the first clue about how to scramble an egg.
But she would never admit it.
"The famed chef Herbert Fleming put heavy cream in his eggs." Her grandmother said it with a level of authority only someone of her social stature could muster up.
Grady lifted his brows, nodding as he turned to Evelyn. "We'll have to add heavy cream to our shopping list. Try out Herbert Fleming’s famous scrambled egg recipe." Grady turned back to her grandmother. "Thanks for the pointer, Gram-Gram."
Evelyn slowly pulled in a breath through her nose, trying to keep her mind blank and her expression neutral as she exhaled. Every freaking time Grady said Gram-Gram she almost lost it.
Initially, she didn't really see how any of this could be fun for him. It certainly wasn't for her. But maybe she'd been wrong. Maybe this was every bit as entertaining as Grady believed.
Her grandmother nibbled on a little of her toast, eating half a piece of bacon and a quarter of her eggs before standing. "I suppose I should get ready." She smoothed over her blouse. "Change my clothes, as Grady has so helpfully suggested." She turned to Evelyn. "Would you please get me something to wear?"
Grady pushed back from the table and stood up, looking sexily ridiculous in her robe. "I can get something for you, Gram-Gram." He turned. "Follow me. I’ll get you all set up."
The second they were out of sight, Evelyn bent at the waist, putting her head between her knees and sucking in air, trying to get it together. Something told her whatever Grady pulled from her drawer was going to test her ability to maintain her composure.
She quickly cleared the table, scraping plates and loading them into the dishwasher before setting it to run and peeking her head out into the living room. There was no sight of Grady or her grandmother, so she crept down the hallway. The bathroom door was closed as she passed. Grady was in her bedroom, a pair of athletic pants slung low on his hips as he tugged his T-shirt over his head.
"You're really coming to this class?" Evelyn kept her voice quiet, closing the door behind her.
Grady grinned. "Sweetheart, you couldn't keep me out of that class."
She heard the bathroom door open and a second later her grandmother came barging in. "I'm ready."
Evelyn took a steadying breath before turning around. She focused on her breathing, forcing her lungs to work as she took in the sight in front of her. Her grandmother might not have gained any weight since she was eighteen, but she also hadn't gained any muscle mass. After years of seeing her in nothing but flowing pants and blouses, the sight of her scraggly form in a pair of hot pink cotton leggings and a matching racer back tank was startling to say the least.
