Page 1 of Gwen's Delta
Chapter 1
“Don’t ignore me, Gwen. I’m serious. You spend way too much time working. You need to go on a date or at least out with your friends—something. If you keep this up, you’ll turn into an old maid,” Rebecca Dedmond remarked as she tapped her foot.
Gwen Dedmond couldn’t ignore her grandmother if she wanted to. The petite woman was like a force of nature when she set her mind on something. Except for her shoulder-length, silver hair, no one would believe she was in her eighties, especially as she stood in the doorway, lecturing Gwen in jeans and a T-shirt that said, “King Arthur rocks my socks off.”
Gwen barely hid her exasperation as she looked up from the computer at her grandmother. “I’m not ignoring you. I’m trying to get the new inventory onto the website. Mom and Dad sent a huge list of items for the store last night. And since when is twenty-eight an old maid?” If she didn’t keep the bookstore website updated, they’d lose half their business or more. Lately, they had more online and phone orders than customers in the shop.
Every time Gwen’s parents were on a buying trip—which was almost always—Grams would push her to get out more. She loved her grandparents to death. They’d practically raised her, and Gwen wasn’t old. Besides, she knew most of the men in the tiny town of Lancelot, Texas, and they weren’t boyfriend material.
“Fine, but you’re not getting any younger. I want great-grandbabies before Gramps and I go to the great Camelot in the sky.”
Gwen laughed. “What if I don’t want to have children? Anyway, you’re still young, and you can’t leave me alone with Mom and Dad. They’ll drive me out of my mind.” Her parents were like teenagers on a never-ending class trip, and when they were home, they were restless and ornery. It was almost a relief when they left again.
“You’re right, and for the life of me, I can’t figure them out. I love Arthur, but damn if he doesn’t get on our nerves, too. Last time they were home, Gramps threatened to slap him into the next county if he didn’t cut it out.”
“How did I miss that?” Gwen asked. Gramps was one of the sweetest men ever, but look out if someone poked at him enough to piss him off. She’d love to know what Dad had done to awaken the bear in him.
“You’d already gone home. But I swear, Arthur didn’t have this wanderlust before he married your mother.”
“I can’t help you there,” Gwen said with a smile. She’d finished entering the items from the one manifest. One down, five more to go.
“Smart Alec.” Grams laughed.
“They’re perfect for each other, and you know it. Just like you and Gramps. If I could find a love like that, I’d get married, too.”
“You will. It’s how it works for our family. The first time I laid eyes on Gramps, my heart knew he was the man for me. It was the same for your dad. He strode into the house, carrying his sack of laundry and walking on air. He told us he’d met the woman he would marry. And sure enough, as soon as they graduated, they eloped.”
Gwen heard those stories countless times over the years, so much so she’d expected to get swept off her feet by her knight when she’d gone to college. Countless horrible dates had shattered the dream until it had become just another story told by her family. “I love you, Grams, and I know you worry about me. But I’m good. I love my life just the way it is now.”
“You’d love it a lot more if you didn’t work so hard. If you don’t get out and meet people, how do you expect to find your prince?”
Good question, but it was easier to keep busy in the bookstore than risk her heart. “I guess if you’re right and it reallyjust happens, then he’ll walk in here one day and knock me off my feet.”
“You’re impossible,” Grams said with exasperation.
Gwen grew up listening to Grams’ real-life fairy tale and every Arthurian legend ever published. It was in their blood or maybe their DNA, but it only took a few minutes after meeting them to know why they owned the Camelot bookstore in a town named Lancelot.
Hoping to divert Grams from the discussion of her love life, she changed the subject. “Do you think my parents will ever get tired of traveling? They could stay here and handle the day-to-day, and I could do the buying for a while.”
“That’s what the fight with Gramps was about. He wanted them to stay home and take over the business so we could retire, do some traveling. But your father refused. He said they had the connections. Or some such thing.”
Gwen sighed and turned back to the computer. Why would they want to come back to Lancelot? She took care of everything. She always felt like the adult, and they were the children when they were together.
“I’m sorry, Gwenie-bee. I’d like to tell you they’ll get over living out of a suitcase, but I just don’t see it. That’s why you need to get out of here, go out with your friends, meet new people. You’re smart and beautiful, but no one can see it when all do you is work at that computer.” Grams wrapped her arms around Gwen and squeezed her shoulders. “We love you, and we want what’s best for you even if your parents don’t see it.”
Gwen returned the hug, then drew away to smile at her grandmother.
The wrinkles at the corner of Grams’ eyes were deeper, and she looked tired. Was there another reason for the push to get her a man? They had her best interests at heart and were the reason she dreamed of a prince taking her off to Camelot. They’d been the ones to instill those fantasies when she was little while her parents were off gallivanting all over the world. But they were just childish dreams; men like that didn’t exist.
Turning back to the computer, she pushed a lock of her auburn hair behind her ear and adjusted her glasses. She needed to get her head back in the game; rehashing her little-girl dreams wouldn’t do her a damn bit of good.
“Is there any of the lemonade left?” Gwen asked.
“Changing the subject? Don’t think you’re getting around me, young lady. I’m not letting you off the hook. But I’ll see if Gramps left any.”
“Thank you. You’re the best.”
“Yes, I am. I’ll be right back,” Grams said with a chuckle as she went through the doorway into the kitchen.
