Page 9 of Pinch of Love

“Oh, my gosh. It’s so good to finally see you,” Grace gushed.

She finally let go of me and took a couple of steps back. Izzy, my niece and Grace’s daughter, came in for a hug too.

I’d barely settled into the house before I got the first call from my sister, and thankfully, Cash had already left before they arrived. To say I was in love with my place to stay for the next few months was an understatement. Between the amazing kitchen, gorgeous view, and cozy library I’d stumbled into on my own, I wasn’t sure I’d ever want to leave.

“Do you mind that we brought our dog?” Grace asked, and I glanced at the poor thing.

“Is that what you call it?” I teased.

It had a flat face, floppy ears, hair that made the pup look more like a dirty mop than a canine, and a constant snort that accompanied its tiny self.

Izzy let go, and I noticed just how much different she looked from the photos I’d been sent over the last year or so. Izzy had looked so angry and aloof in so many of the pictures I’d seen, and this teenager looked like sunshine and rainbows. I saw a bit of her dad in her features, but I saw more Grace than anything.

“We call her Pancake for obvious reasons,” Grace informed me, closing the door behind me. She had a plastic pitcher and spotted the luggage, and her brows furrowed. “I didn’t know you were a fan of Minnie Mouse.”

I rolled my eyes and laughed. “I just liked the polka dots. It only came to my attention recently that Minnie and I share an affinity for the pattern.”

Izzy chuckled and nodded, picking up Pancake. “I think it’s a cute set, Aunt Maya.”

For some reason, I loved the way that sounded. It had been so long since I’d been around family that hearing those two little words from my fifteen-year-old niece made my travels worth it. I’d given up so much for Rob, and yet I never felt that he’d cared.

“So, I thought if you didn’t mind, I could have Jackson come over with dinner later?” Grace’s eyes lit up when she mentioned her boyfriend. He was a professional golfer and often on tour.

“Absolutely. I’d love to see him. It’s been so long. What about Grandma Millie?” I asked as we wandered into the family room.

Izzy giggled and glanced at her mom.

“Well, Grandma Millie is on a weekend trip with her boyfriend,” Grace informed me.

“Aw, the one that got away so many years ago.” I smiled, remembering when Grandma Millie told me about her first boyfriend. She didn’t say much because Grandpa was still alive, and he was all that mattered in her world. I knew she loved our grandpa with all her heart, but I also found some love letters one time when I was visiting her that showed there was one before Grandpa Renny.

Grace nodded. “She said she’d tell us that story sometime when we’re all together, but not before.”

I snickered. “Grandma Millie is one of the most manipulative people I know.”

“But with a heart of gold,” Grace added.

“Which is exactly how she gets away with it,” Izzy added, and I laughed. “When we pulled up, I saw a wing of some sort. What’s in it? A bedroom?”

I grinned as they followed me into the kitchen. “That, my lovely niece, is a fully stocked library. I’m in book heaven.”

Izzy’s eyes widened. “Seriously? It looked huge from the outside.”

I nodded. “And there’s a screened porch to the side of it. I may never want to leave this place.” I pointed through the family room where a closed, ornate door begged to be opened. “Through those doors, and you’ll be in awe.”

“And in the meantime,” Grace added, “I want to catch up with my sister.”

Izzy rolled her eyes and chuckled. “Not before I get some of Grandma Millie’s lemonade.”

I handed my niece a glass of ice as Grace poured the refreshing beverage for her daughter. I handed my sister two more glasses with ice.

The faint smell of lavender lemonade filled my nostrils, and I was instantly whisked back to my childhood.

“I don’t know how she makes this, but it’s amazing.”

“Imagine how rich we’d be if Grandma bottled it,” Grace teased as Izzy opened the door to the library.

“Wow. Just wow.” Izzy spun around and looked at me. “You can’t leave this house until we finish every book inside here.”

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