Page 43 of Cowboy of Convenience
Muriel dropped one arm around Gram-Gram's shoulders. "We have. We were just telling her she simply has to come have lunch with us tomorrow at The Wooden Spoon. Mae’s making tuna casserole and she’s going to love it."
Evelyn made a little noise, her posture going stiff as she took a slow breath and blew it back out. "Mae does make very good tuna casserole."
Grady nodded along. "The best I’ve ever had." He slung one arm around Evelyn’s shoulders. If Gram-Gram was going to be spending time with the girls, he needed to make sure everybody was on the same page. And now was as good a time as any to accomplish that.
To their credit, not a single one of Evelyn's friends said a word, but every set of eyeballs rested where his arm touched their young cohort. "Ev and I are going to go horseback riding today, so you all will have to be on your best behavior since we won’t be around to bail you out."
Gertrude's lips lifted in a wicked smile. "That sounds like a challenge to me, Officer Haynes."
"Whatever you get into is all Cooper's problem. I'm off the clock." He slowly dragged his thumb across the soft skin of Evelyn's shoulder. "So do your worst."
Muriel pursed her lips. "I think my worst is going to involve stopping off at The Baking Rack to grab some cookies and going back home."
Gertrude sighed dramatically. "My day’s going to be pretty boring too. I have a doctor’s appointment."
Helen offered up a similar excuse before the ladies turned to Gram-Gram, gushing over how wonderful it was to meet her and how they couldn't wait to see her tomorrow at lunch. Gram-Gram, surprisingly, readily agreed to join them at The Wooden Spoon for tuna casserole.
They made plans to meet up at eleven the following morning before the girls collected their purses and headed outside. Gram-Gram did the same, pulling on the light jacket she borrowed from Evelyn before pausing at the door. "Can I assume I will see you at dinner?"
“You can.” Grady pulled Evelyn in a little more, giving Gram-Gram his most disarming smile. "Make sure you’re hungry. Ev and I were planning to stop and grab take-out on our way home."
"Of course you are." Gram-Gram stretched her features out in an odd expression that almost made it seem like she was attempting to smile. "I'll see you then." She walked out just as the same rental car she’d arrived in two days ago pulled up. The driver jumped out and rounded the front, opening the back door right as she reached it, holding it wide and closing it after her.
"Looks like Bernard’s back.” Grady watched as they drove off.
Evelyn shrugged. "I’m not surprised. He's worked for my grandmother forever. He’s been around as long as I can remember."
"And he just follows her wherever she goes?" It was hard to grasp. The thought of someone driving him wherever he wanted to go was completely foreign.
“Pretty much.” Evelyn shook her head. “She must pay him really well for all the shit he puts up with.”
“Maybe she doesn’t pay him in money.” Grady wiggled his brows. “Maybe they’ve got a little something going on.”
Evelyn’s nose wrinkled. “No way.” She shook her head. “I’m pretty sure my grandmother hasn’t had sex since she got pregnant with my mother.”
Grady stared at her pointedly.
“I’m serious.” Evelyn dug in her heels. “My grandfather was a lot older than she was and I’m pretty sure she hated him as much as my mom hates my dad.”
Grady continued staring and Evelyn kept rambling, clearly convinced Gram-Gram had been living as a nun for the majority of her life.
“Yes, I recognize she could have fornicated with someone besides my grandfather, but you’ve met her.” Evelyn continued pleading her case. “Can you imagine her having sex?”
“No, and I’d rather not.” Grady grabbed Evelyn by the shoulders and turned her toward the room at the back of her small space. “Go get your bag so we can go. We have too much shit to get done to stand here and debate Gram-Gram’s sex life all day.”
Evelyn crossed her arms. “Yeah. I heard that.” She lifted her brows. “Horseback riding?”
He didn’t figure she’d missed that. “You can’t be engaged to a cowboy without knowing your way around a saddle.” He pointed at the back. “Go.”
“You’re so bossy.” Evelyn shot him a cute as fuck pout as she collected her stuff. “It’s almost like you’re used to telling people what to do, Officer Haynes.”
He chuckled, his mood much lighter than it would normally be on a day he had to go to the ranch. “Believe it or not, I was bossy way before I became a cop.”
“Oh, I believe it.” Evelyn grabbed her bag and came his way. “You probably came out of the womb that way.”
"Probably.” Grady laced his fingers with hers, taking her bag and carrying it out to where her SUV was parked. Evelyn drove them back to her thankfully Gram-Gram free house where they quickly changed into more practical clothing for the day he intended to show her.
They were pulling up to the ranch in his pickup truck just after eight. Normally he would stop at the house to check on his mother, but today he skipped it, this time going straight to the barns.
