Page 20 of Putting Out
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“I’m not going to do it,” Reilly announced.
The people seated with her at the dinner table looked at her expectantly. Kenny’s fork was halfway to his mouth when she spoke. The clatter of it hitting his plate seemed to break everyone out of the temporary spell they were in.
“Dessert,” Reilly clarified. “I’m not going to have dessert.”
Kenny turned to Luke.
“Do you see? Do you see what I have to put up with?”
Luke nodded. “She’s evil. She’s also crazy if she’s going to pass on this pie. This is your best one ever, Grams.”
Grams smiled serenely as she nibbled on her crust.
“She’s not your Grams,” Reilly reminded him.
“Sure she is. Aren’t you, Grams?”
“You are such a dear,” Grams crooned even as she patted him on the arm and offered him the remnants of her slice.
Luke flashed Reilly a smug smile and for whatever reason, it annoyed her just enough to want to spoil his second piece of pie.
“Did you tell yourGramsabout your third divorce?”
“Oh, dear. Luke! I do wish you would stop getting married.” Grams pulled her plate back in front of her and frowned.
“She doesn’t watch Access Hollywood,” Reilly informed him.
Luke arched his brow and the look was unmistakable. It was his I’m-going-to-get-you-later look. It wasn’t the first time Reilly had seen it and it wasn’t the first time he had gotten her. But he didn’t scare her.
“I’m sorry, Grams. I thought she might have been the one.”
“Oh, posh!”
“She was an Oscar winner,” Reilly stated.
“Take me! Leave him. I beg you…take me!”
She and Kenny recited the most memorable line from Holly-Two’s Oscar-winning film.
“Hey, that was her best work. All the critics said so.”
“What I want t o know,” Kenny said, turning to his grandmother, “is why you’re telling him not to get married when all you ever do is complain I should get married.”
“Because Luke doesn’t do it very well.”
Luke shook his head. “That’s not true, Grams. I marry very well. It’s the staying married part I struggle with.”
“Sing it, sister.” Reilly raised the glass of water in front of her in support.
“Don’t you encourage him, young lady,” Pop said. “You know it’s very upsetting to both your Grams and me to think about your failed marriages.”
“And one engagement,” Luke added.
“We don’t like to count that,” Grams mumbled.
“Me, either,” Reilly concurred.
