Page 81 of Cowboy of Convenience
And if she felt that way at thirty, she could only imagine how her grandmother felt realizing how clueless she was at nearly eighty.
Evelyn stretched her tired body, hoping to work up a last bit of energy to finish out the day. "But you can always learn."
Her grandmother came to sit beside her, gracefully lowering to the seat. "It would appear I have to if I wish to keep Bernard in my life."
Evelyn didn't hide her surprise. "Bernard gave you an ultimatum?"
Her grandmother's lips flattened. "He says now that our relationship has,” she paused, “transitioned, he's no longer comfortable with me paying him to do things for me." She tipped her head, expression stern. "And I don't understand why. If I'm happy to keep paying him, he should be happy to continue taking it."
"It sounds to me like Bernard wants more of a partnership." Evelyn glanced around, making sure the woman who was helping them earlier wasn't within earshot. "And he might feel a little dirty taking your money considering you're sleeping together. Like you're paying him to have sex with you."
Her grandmother’s spine stiffened as she sat taller in the chair. "I most certainly do not pay him to have sex with me." Her chin lifted. "He does it quite willingly."
"That's good to hear, but you need to understand how the lines there are getting really thin." Never in a million years would she have expected to be giving her grandmother relationship advice. Never would she have expected to give her grandmother any sort of advice, but here they were. "And you could always hire someone else—"
Her grandmother shook her head, the movement sharp and abrupt. "No. I don't trust anyone but Bernard."
Well. That was kind of sweet.
Evelyn offered her grandmother what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "Then I think it’s a great idea to consider what he’s asking. It sounds like Bernard wants you to be a real couple.” Evelyn paused before adding on the trickier part of Bernard's request. "He just wants you to carry a little of your own weight in that partnership."
"He wants me to make my own coffee." Her grandmother said it like it was a huge request.
"Is that all?" It did explain why she'd been so focused on learning how to make coffee, but if that was all Bernard was asking her to do—
"He also wants me to learn to cook." Her grandmother's eyes drifted to one side. "And he said something aboutlaundry." She seemed to choke a little on the last word.
And Evelyn understood where she was coming from. Having to Google ‘how to use a washing machine’ as a full-grown adult was a little humiliating.
But Bernard’s request still sounded pretty reasonable.
"Those all seem like pretty normal expectations to have of someone who's sharing your space." She leaned a little closer. "Are you two living together?"
"We lived together even before we—" Her grandmother’s eyes came back Evelyn's way. "Before."
"So it sounds like Bernard is still okay with doing most of what he’s always done, he just wants you to pitch in so he feels like he's not just another paid employee." She was kind of proud of Bernard for standing his ground and pushing her grandmother to broaden her horizons.
It was a surprisingly empowering thing to do. Not that she felt that way at first. Initially she considered burning all her clothes and just walking around naked.
Her grandmother's head turned her way. "Of course he's not just another employee." Her lips tipped down. "He's not an employee at all."
"Do you see now why he felt a little strange about you still paying him?" The situation would be funny if Evelyn didn't understand her grandmother's confusion. Navigating through the life she had before and the life she had now were two very different things.
Her grandmother sighed, shoulders slumping the tiniest bit. "I suppose I do see where he's coming from."
"If it's any consolation, it's very convenient to be able to make your own coffee." Evelyn smiled. "But you should probably have Grady show you how to do it, because he does a way better job than I do."
Her grandmother's sharp expression softened. "You know he took me to get coffee my first morning here." She pursed her lips. "I was fully prepared to tell him he was not good enough for you and then send him on his way." Her eyes jumped to Evelyn's. "Not because I was planning to find someone better for you. I just felt very strongly that you deserved so much more than your mother or I had."
Evelyn cringed a little. “I take it you were as happy in your marriage as my mother is in hers?"
“Not exactly.” Her grandmother sighed. "I had a fondness for your grandfather, but it never became more than that. We worked well together, and I struggled after he passed, but I never had the same sort of warmth for him that I have for Bernard." Her grandmother smoothed down the front of her slacks. “When I spoke with Grady that morning, I could see so many similarities between him and my Bernard. It made me hopeful that it wasn’t money that brought him to your side.” She tipped her head. “I was pleased to see how readily he signed the prenuptial agreement. He loves you for you.”
“Then I would say the fact that Bernard doesn’t want to be on your payroll anymore means the same kind of thing.” Evelyn hesitated before making a confession. “And Grady was a little pissed when he found out the prenup protected all his assets too.”
Her grandmother’s eyes widened. “Why would that upset him?”
“Apparently, what’s mine is mine and what’s his is mine.” She didn’t bother trying to hide the smile working onto her lips. “He said it will all go to our kids anyway. I might as well get my half now.”
