Page 8 of Gwen's Delta
Dad
New location? They knew better than that, especially without telling her where they were going. She’d have no way to know if they were safe, but then, they rarely thought about whether she’d worry. They only thought about Gramps giving them a tough time when they returned.
She ran her hands through her hair, then took her glasses off and rubbed the bridge of her nose. Why couldn’t they have stuck with the itinerary she’d prepared for them? She was the child, but they were the ones who acted like they were in high school. Should she tell her grandparents even though he asked her not to? The churning in the pit of her stomach only happened when she had to deal with her parents. Their focus was always on the “prize” they were trying to get.
If she thought it would make a difference, she’d call them, but they wouldn’t answer, they never did. The same with emails. They got on the computer long enough to send photos and notes about what they’d purchased.
It was probably too late, but she replied to her dad, hoping that for once he’d listen to her. If she was lucky, maybe he was still on the computer.
“What’s wrong?” Gramps asked from behind her.
Startled, Gwen jumped and dropped her glasses. She had just hit send and was staring at the screen, hoping her dad would reply. “Nothing, why?”
“Because you’re sitting there, staring at whatever is on the screen and have been for about five minutes. Is there something wrong with it?”
“No, nothing, I was just daydreaming.”
“About that handsome soldier, Merlin?” Grams asked as she appeared next to Gramps.
“He goes by either Merlin or Luke, but I think Luke fits him better.” Just thinking about him made Gwen grin. She hoped he hadn’t gotten in trouble for being late.
“Becca, what did we talk about? If Gwen wants your help with her love life, she’ll ask for it.” Gramps winked.
He’d been her hero her entire life, always there when she needed him. As she looked up into the gleam in his blue eyes, she smiled. Gramps was tall, like her dad, and still had a full head of hair, though it had changed from almost black to white years ago. It didn’t matter. As far as Gwen was concerned, he still looked the same as always.
Gwen appreciated his help, but they both knew there would be no distracting Grams. If they wanted to believe she was daydreaming about Luke, she was okay with that. It was better than Gramps finding out about her parents’ change of plans.
“Yes, Grams, because of Luke. He boughtThe Life of Merlinbook we had in the back cabinet for years.”
“Really?” Gramps said, raising an eyebrow. “That’s an expensive book.”
“Yes. Apparently, collecting rare books was something he did with his grandfather. It kind of reminded me of us, you know? I guess this one was on his list after he acquired his nickname.”
“Those were some delightful times. Looking back, though, we probably gave you unrealistic expectations of romance with all the stories about knights, kings, and princes,” Grams said.
“Where did that come from?” Gwen asked, surprised by the comment.
“You told us yourself, Gwen. I still remember when you called after a really bad date while you were in college. What was his name—Ronald? No, not that. Oh yeah, Randolph. You’d said he was no King Arthur, and he’d never take you to Camelot,” Grams said.
“Are you sure you’re not making that up? I don’t remember anything like that.”
Maybe she had; she’d thought it often enough. Gwen didn’t date much, mostly because after one or two times out, the guys showed their true selves and were complete jerks. The only reason she wasn’t a virgin anymore was because of a one-night stand in her senior year of college. It had been a horrible experience. Now, seven years later, her hymen had probably grown back from lack of use. Thank God for vibrators.
“I’m not.”
“Sorry, Gwenie-Bee, she’s not. I remember it, too,” Gramps said.
“Well, if I did, you only have yourselves to blame,” she said with a grin.
She hopped off the stool to hug them. Mid-hug, her phone pinged. She’d forgotten she’d left it on the desk after Luke added his number.
“Who’s that? Luke?” Grams asked.
“Becca…”
Gwen grabbed the phone. She already knew it wasn’t an email from her dad, because that would have shown up on the computer, too. And that would have sucked. Her eagle-eyed grandparents would have noticed.
Merlin:Hi. Thank you again for the coffee date.
