My Almost Ex (The Greene Family #2) - Piper Rayne Page 0,63
coffees, I see that she’s on the phone still. She shoots me a wave, and when I rise to get the coffees, she shoos me back down with her hand.
A minute later, she walks over with five small drinks. “Here you go. I figured we’d start basic. You’ve got cappuccino, latte, mocha, americano, and black. I’m curious which you’ll pick, so you let me know which one the new Lucy enjoys. Although…” She places her hand on mine. “The old Lucy was pretty magnificent too.”
“Thanks, Zoe.” I lean over and smell all the coffees. Delicious.
Picking up the black, I inhale the scent and tip the cup to my lips. Just like Adam makes at home. I wonder if there’s a family recipe I don’t know about.
Then I continue around the circle of coffees, trying some twice, others three or even four times. I’m not sure I even want to pick one. They’re all wonderful, but my fave of faves is the cappuccino.
Zoe comes by now that a rush is over. “Want a muffin from my lady?”
I shake my head. “No, but I think I’d like a cappuccino?”
“Sure thing.” She starts to walk away but stops, watching someone through the window. Then the door of The Grind opens. “Oh, hang on to your hat, here comes trouble,” she mumbles.
Grandma Ethel and Dori walk into the small cafe, their eyes set on me. Isn’t one wild, heart-stopping drive with them enough for one person’s lifetime?
I lie on the couch after a long day of work. “I can’t believe you let my grandma suck you in.”
“She cornered me. I guess it’s something I used to plan for them.” Lucy lies on me and kisses me. “And you used to come with me apparently.”
It’s unreal how much I took this for granted at one time. “I don’t want to spend our night entertaining old people drawing weird things. Plus, they argue all the time and it’s annoying.”
“What can I do to persuade you?” She wiggles on me, her core sliding along my crotch.
“Keep doing that and we’re not going anywhere.” I still her hips with my hands.
“How about a little strip tease afterward?” She sits up and grabs the hem of her shirt, pulling it up her torso.
“No sense if we can’t finish. Let’s just get this over with.” I groan and move her off my lap so I can go take a shower. “I swear they’re the only retirement center up past six.” I head up the stairs to the bathroom, but I stop at the top and look at her below. “Did you talk to your mom today?”
Lucy’s smile dims. “I did.”
I lean on the railing at the top of the stairs. “I take it things didn’t go well?”
She pulls her knees up to her chest. “You take it right.”
I mentally curse Susan. I want to tell Lucy how much better off she is without them. But instead, I inhale a deep breath. “Well, maybe we just keep trying. If it’s important to you.”
“They’re pretty set in their decision.”
“Well, they were set in it before, but they welcomed you with open arms after you left Sunrise Bay.”
She stands, and my eyes follow her across the room to the stairs. She starts to climb them.
Grandma Ethel better give me the best grandson award after this. Look what I’m missing out on by leaving tonight.
“I didn’t go home to them right away,” she says. “My mom said I wasn’t home long before I fell off the horse. Where would I have gone?”
“I wish I knew.”
She meets me at the top of the stairs. “Me too.”
My hands land on her hips and she steps forward until we’re chest to chest.
“We can be a little late.” She strips off her shirt, tossing it on the floor.
I’ll let her distract herself this once, but sooner or later, we’re going to have to figure this out. Her parents are going to be the same issue they were when we first got together.
An hour later, I park my truck outside Northern Lights Retirement Center. Lucy started twice-monthly drawing nights years ago when Grandma Ethel acted as though the peeps at Northern Lights Retirement Center were twiddling their thumbs in boredom. It was nice of Lucy, and even though I don’t want to be here, how could I argue with her? I know her agenda is to get me to spend quality time with my grandma.
Lucy puts her arm through mine. “Relax, it’s only an hour. Didn’t you enjoy it