It's A Wonderful Midlife Crisis (Good To The Last Death #1) - Robyn Peterman Page 0,82
here’s what you need to know,” I said, smoothing her sparse gray curls away from her face. “Steve loved me, and I loved him. I was adored for twenty years. Trust me, I’m not okay with what he did, but I still love him. He was my best friend and one of the most important people in my life.”
“But he destroyed you as a woman,” Gram said as tears ran down her cheeks.
“Maybe,” I agreed, not wanting to lie or sugarcoat anything at this point. “But that’s why he came back. To tell me it was him and not me that was broken.”
“What do you have to do to make him leave?” Gram demanded.
Steve turned and walked away. Sadness and fear permeated the small room. This had not gone as planned at all. Gram’s words were harsh, but I could understand her fear. She’d lost my mother to a dead man. She would be devastated to lose me the same way.
“I’m supposed to find a man who will love me in the way Steve couldn’t. He wants to help me.”
Gram settled down and looked pensive for a long moment. “Where is he?”
“Steve?” I asked, not sure who she was talking about.
“Yes.”
“He’s in the chair by the window,” I replied.
“I want you to tell me what he says, and I don’t want you to leave a dang word out,” Gram said, staring at the chair.
I nodded, as did Steve.
“Steve, I don’t rightly know what to make of this,” she said, shaking her head. “But if you’re really here to make right the weirdest wrong I’ve ever heard of, then I’m fine with it.”
“I am,” Steve said. “I promise.”
I repeated what he’d said.
“Let me tell you something right now,” Gram said, waving her finger in the direction of the chair. “If you do anything else to hurt my Daisy girl, after I die, I will find you and beat your ass so raw you won’t sit for the rest of eternity. You hear me, boy? I’m serious. You won’t have an ass left once I get through with you.”
Steve looked shocked for only a brief second and then started to laugh. My best friend laughed so hard I was afraid he might lose a body part—like his head. It didn’t matter. We could bring anything that fell off home with us and I would glue it back on.
Steve’s laughter made me laugh. My laughter made Gram laugh. It was like the old days… kind of.
“Tell her I love her and there will never be a need for her to tan my ass,” Steve said, still chuckling. “Tell her that I’m here to make sure you are happy and whole.”
I did as requested. I almost left out the whole part because I knew that wasn’t going to happen, but I wasn’t asked to edit.
“Steve,” Gram said, relaxing her body and lying back on the pillow. “I think I might have lost a few years off my life that I can’t really afford, but I want you to know that I love you. Not real thrilled to find out you’re gay and married my girl… but I still love you. Probably shouldn’t, but I do,” she added, looking in his direction.
Steve wasn’t laughing anymore. My dead husband looked as if he wanted to cry.
“I can’t see ya,” Gram announced, pointing Steve’s way again. “But you better not be crying. Just come on over here and give me some sugar. NOW.”
“Is she serious?” Steve asked, confused.
“Are you serious?” I asked Gram.
“Darn tootin’,” she said. “I won’t be able to feel it, but I’ll know it happened.”
“You heard her,” I told Steve as he slowly approached Gram’s bed.
“I never deserved either one of you,” he said as he leaned in and kissed her cheek.
“Maybe,” I replied as my eyes filled. “But we’re damn glad we had you.”
“Really?” Steve asked.
My feelings were complicated, but the simple answer was always going to be yes. It would have been better for both of us if we’d each had our own partner and continued to be the best of friends. But it hadn’t worked out like that and no amount of wishful thinking would change the past. So, yes. The answer was yes. I might not have been loved like I’d wanted to be loved—as a woman—but I was loved completely by a man who did the best he could.
“Yes. Really,” I said.
“Do you two want to stay and watch The Price is Right?” Gram asked, back to her old