Page 88 of Cowboy of Convenience
Muriel’s face dropped in sympathy. "Poor baby’s probably exhausted."
Evelyn sighed again. "I am."
Muriel's eyes lifted from where they were fixed on her belly, widening the tiniest bit.
"Ahh." Evelyn shook her head with a little laugh. "You weren’t talking about me."
"All right ladies." Gram-Gram strode over, waving her hands to disperse the group. "My granddaughter is growing a little human and she looks exhausted." She looped one arm through Evelyn’s, stealing her away. "She needs to go rest before the group from The Inn comes for their afternoon class." Gram-Gram led Evelyn from the building, taking her through the enclosed porch connecting it to their new home.
In the year they'd been in the house, they’d done a lot to update the space and make it into something that was both like the house in his memories and also one where they could raise their children in the future. Reminders of his parents were everywhere, from the safe in the office, to his mother's potted plants that Evelyn faithfully tended, to the cast iron horse that had been on the living room shelf for as long as he could remember.
But plenty was different too. The hardwood had been refinished, walls had been painted, furniture had been replaced. Wood blinds now covered all the windows and the kitchen had new cabinets and marble countertops.
It was the perfect combination of the past, present, and future.
Grady trailed behind as Gram-Gram led Evelyn straight into the living room. "Go sit down, dear. I'll make us some coffee." She sat Evelyn on the couch before going to the kitchen, using the maker like an expert. She set the coffee to run and turned to face where he stood at the fridge. "She's working herself too hard."
Gram-Gram had come a long way to becoming a warmer version of herself, but she was still no-nonsense and straight to the point. It was part of her charm.
"Are you going to tell her that?" Grady shook his head. "Because I think that's gonna go over like a lead balloon." Since they'd gotten married, he’d discovered his wife didn't mind being bossed around in certain situations, but Evelyn had her limits.
He could put her to bed when she was tired. He could calm her down when she was wound up. He could even get her back on track when she was fired up over someone she loved being hurt.
But you couldn't tell Evelyn shit when it came to her business. She was as protective of that thing as she was of him, and there was no way she was going to back off those classes.
"I'm not saying she needs to stop teaching." Gram-Gram's eyes widened. "Lord knows I would never try to tell her how to handle her business." She rested her palms on the top of the island between them. "But I think there are areas where we could arrange for someone to come in and be helpful." She waved one hand around the kitchen. "You could hire a housekeeper, for instance."
"She'll never go for that, Gram-Gram." Grady cracked open the bottle of water he’d pulled from the refrigerator. "She's still not over Larry breaking in. She doesn't trust anybody coming into her house. That's why there's two dead-bolted doors between the studio and the kitchen."
"I understand she wouldn't want just anyone coming in, but what if we were able to find someone we could absolutely trust?" Gram-Gram tapped her fingers against the marble counter, eyes shifting to one side. "Bernard and I have been discussing our options recently, and we are considering making a more permanent move to the area."
Grady tried to follow her train of thought. "I don't think Bernard can handle cleaning this house." The guy was in good shape, but he was still almost seventy.
Gram-Gram's head tipped back, her brows pinching together. "I'm not speaking of Bernard." She lifted her chin. "He is quite retired and has no interest in anything like that." Her eyes moved to his. "But he has a granddaughter who needs a change. And I thought it might be beneficial for you and Evelyn to have someone around to cook and clean and eventually help care for the baby."
Grady's brows lifted. "You mean like a nanny?" He wasn't a fan of someone else raising his child. "I don't—"
Gram-Gram lifted her hand. "Hear me out." She stood tall, ready to plead her case. "You are a very busy man, Grady. Regardless of how wonderful you may be, there are still only so many hours in the day and many of those hours Evelyn will be here by herself." She motioned toward the barn. "It's not as if you can take the baby with you when you go out to work the cattle, and you certainly can't take him with you when you go for your shifts at the department."
Grady scrubbed one hand down the back of his neck, hating that Gram-Gram had a point. He’d hired a new head ranch hand and brought in a manager, but he still liked having his hand on the pulse. "I don't know. She might go for it, she might not."
Gram-Gram’s eyes held his. "I know Evelyn can be very protective of the people she cares about, which is why I was hoping you would help me make her see how useful it could be to have someone to assist her."
Grady tipped his head to one side. "She might be willing to consider someone who worked as a personal assistant, but you will never get Evelyn to agree to having a nanny."
Gram-Gram tucked her chin. "Fair enough. Even if she simply has someone to vacuum the carpets and load the dishwasher, that will be helpful."
"You know I don't appreciate other people making plans for my life." Evelyn walked into the kitchen, one eyebrow lifted in a way that some people would think meant she was upset.
Not him.
Because he'd learned a lot about his wife over the past year and a half. And while it hadn't been quite as effortless as it was with strangers, he'd finally started to be able to read her.
"I wasn't planning anything. I was simply asking Grady if he thought it would be useful for you to have a personal assistant." Gram-Gram jumped right into the personal assistant angle. "I just don't want you to be overwhelmed and overworked. I want you to be able to focus on your baby and your business."
Evelyn's eyes came his way before moving back to her grandmother. "Do you have someone in mind for this position?"
Gram-Gram's eyes widened, like she was surprised Evelyn was even considering it. "I do. Bernard's granddaughter. She's a lovely girl."
