Page 83 of Kiss Me Forever

I did a quick inspection. “My parents are the only ones missing. Come on. I’ll introduce you to everyone you don't know."

"I'm so excited," she said. "And I can't wait to talk to Paisley."

I chuckled. Most people who wanted to meet my family only wanted to because of the Maxwell name. But Megan was excited about meeting my niece.

“Babe, I can take over the final order for the treehouse and communication with the contractor. You’ve got enough on your plate.”

The competition day was coming up in a month, and I wanted her to focus on that. I wanted her to win.

“No, I enjoy it. It’s recreational.”

We made a beeline for Gran. She was sitting on a metal chair, drinking white wine.

I smiled at her as we approached. “Gran, this is Megan.”

“Darling, it’s great to meet you.” She looked between the two of us. “I’m Beatrice, but you’re more than welcome to call me Gran.”

“I’m happy to meet you,” Megan said.

Gran looked around the terrace, smiling. “You know, one of these days, I might invite John to a family gathering.”

I was stunned. My eighty-two-year-old grandmother had found a companion, and I couldn’t be happier. Meeting him would be interesting. Clearing my throat, I said, “You do that. We look forward to meeting him.”

She laughed. “You mean grilling him. On second thought, I’ll make him wait some more.”

“As you wish. Just so you know, we’ll grill him whenever you introduce him.”

“I have no doubt. By the way, Kimberly and Reese are staring at us. I think they want to meet Megan.”

I looked over my shoulder. She was right.

“We’ll catch up later, Gran,” I promised her, and we would. I wanted her to see how special Megan was and what she meant to me.

“It was lovely meeting you, Beatrice,” Megan said.

As we headed toward my cousins, Megan asked, “What was that about?”

“We found out recently that Gran is... dating.”

It felt strange to utter “Gran” and “dating” in the same sentence.

“That’s great, isn’t it?”

“Obviously we’re happy for her. Just in shock.”

Megan laughed. “Clearly. By the way, your cousins look happy to see you."

"No, they're happy to seeyou. Trust me. They don't usually welcome me with those grins, but now I'm with you."

"Way to make me feel special," she said.

I put an arm around her shoulders, bringing my mouth to her ear. "I always want to make you feel special, Megan. Youarespecial. I bet my ass they’re gonna spend half the day talking about the bachelorette party for Lexi.”

“Hey, don’t bet that! It’s not yours to give away,” Megan said.

I laughed. “Duly noted.”

“When is the wedding?”

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