Call Her Mine (Harmony Pointe #1)- Melissa Foster Page 0,76
nobody knows? Whose brother goes out on dates instead of interrogating everyone who asks me on one?”
Flossie giggled. She’d always had a high-pitched giggle, not a laugh. Aurelia’s grandfather used to say it was what made him first fall in love with her. “No, baby. That makes you human.”
“That sounds familiar, doesn’t it?” Aurelia pointed out, reminding Remi of their earlier conversation.
“This is why I love coming home to see everyone.” Remi sat up straighter and said, “You understand me. You don’t treat me like a celebrity.”
“You said home,” Flossie pointed out. Remi had a house in Cape Cod and one in Los Angeles, both of which she’d called home before meeting Willow and the rest of the Daltons. “That means you’re right where you’re supposed to be. But don’t make Aiden worry. He’s a good man, like Benjamin.”
Aurelia exchanged a glance with Remi as she ate her soup. She hadn’t told Flossie about Bea or her relationship with Ben yet. She’d wanted to tell her in person.
Flossie kept her eyes trained on her spoon as she dipped it into her soup. A knowing smile stretched her lips as she said, “Well, if that’s not the look of a secret, then I don’t know what is.”
“It’s not a secret, Grandma. I just wanted to tell you something in person. A lot has happened recently.”
Flossie dabbed at her mouth with her napkin and said, “You’re young, you’re starting a business, and you’ve just moved to a new area. You’re due to have many blessings coming your way.”
Remi sighed and said, “Can I call you Grandma? I love everything you say.”
“Bubbelah, you can call me anything you want.” She reached across the table and took Remi’s hand. “But you need to look deep inside yourself and figure out what you’re really running from. Not even a loving grandmother can figure that out for you.”
Remi’s finely manicured brows knitted. “Okay. I promise.” She took a bite of a spinach-and-cheese boureka and closed her eyes. “Mm. This is scrumptious.”
“Thank you. And no promises, Remi,” Flossie said. “Life’s too fluid for them. Just do the best you can and know that you’re perfect just as you are. But if you want to make yourself different in some way—less of a worry for your brother, for example—you have the power to do that.”
“That’s her subtle nag,” Aurelia said with a smile. “Grandma, you know how close Ben and I are.”
“Two lovebirds standing on separate branches,” Flossie said.
Aurelia couldn’t mask her surprise. “What? I never knew you thought that about us.”
“Honey, I might be old, but I’m not blind or deaf. You and Benjamin have been dancing around each other for a long time. And if I hadn’t suspected before, seeing the way he hovered over you at Grandpa’s funeral put it out there for all to see.” Flossie held up her index finger as she rose to her feet. “I’ll be right back.”
She hurried through the living room and disappeared into the bedroom, returning with two framed photographs. She handed one picture to Aurelia, placing her hand on her shoulder as she asked, “What do you see?”
Aurelia looked at the picture of Ben standing between Willow and Talia, with his arms around them. They were all smiling, laughing. The picture had been taken during Thanksgiving the fall before her grandfather had suffered his stroke. Their families had celebrated together.
“Ben and his sisters,” Aurelia said.
“Mm-hm.” Flossie handed her the other picture, this one of her and Ben, taken the same evening. “And what do you see in this one?”
Ben had his arm around Aurelia, and they were both smiling for the camera, but there was no mistaking the difference in Ben. He resonated happiness, his fingers curled over her shoulder, holding her flush against his side. Even his smile was different, bigger, more natural, more meaningful.
“Wow,” Remi whispered. “They always say a picture is worth a thousand words, and that’s proof of it.”
“Without you, Benjamin is a lovely man with a heart of gold,” Flossie said.
Aurelia looked at her grandmother and asked, “What do you suppose he is with me?”
“Fulfilled,” Flossie said.
That one word stole her breath. “If you saw this between us then, why didn’t you ever say anything?”
Flossie sat down and placed her napkin on her lap. “Sweetheart, you can’t hurry love any more than you can hurry a soufflé. You know he checks on me, and we talk.”