Number Neighbors - Emma Hart Page 0,48
I ated dem.”
I fought a laugh and looked at Grandma. “Did you really bribe them both with cheesecake? I wondered why you needed so much from the store.”
“She sent you to buy the things for it?” Mason looked from me to Grandma. “Jen, you’re getting worse.”
Grandma clasped a hand to her chest. “I’m in my eighties! What are my family for if not to do things I demand of them?”
“I’m not family,” Isaac said. “How did I end up here?”
Grandma looked him dead in the eye. “You were weak.”
Well, there was no arguing with that.
I sat down in what seemed like the only free space left in the living room. Maya had taken up the entire sofa with her cuddly toys and her blanket, so I sat on the edge of a wooden dining chair that usually held Grandma’s knitting things.
“Is this the bookshelf?” I asked. “What do you even need a bookshelf for? You still have two empty shelves on the one in your room.”
“I want to display my favorite books in the living room,” she replied without batting an eyelid. “There’s nothing wrong with that. Lots of people do it.”
“Yes, but most people don’t have the Kama Sutra on their bookshelf,” Mason said. “I still don’t know why it takes two of us to build this.”
“I just wanted to watch you.” Grandma sat back in her armchair and picked up a glass I was pretty sure contained a gin and tonic. “Two hot, young boys building a bookshelf? Aye, papi.”
I blinked at her. “Do not ever say ‘aye, papi’ again. You are too white to pull that off.”
“And too old,” Mason muttered.
Grandma pulled off her slipper and threw it at him. “I heard that.”
“When do we get the cheesecake?” Isaac asked. “Because this is the most complicated bookshelf in the world. I’m going to need sustenance.”
“Boy, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you were only here for the cheesecake.”
“I am only here for the cheesecake.” He checked a screw against the instructions. “I’m not here on my day off for the fun of it. There are a million other things I could be doing right now other than this, you know.”
“Are you sassin’ me?”
“I don’t know what that means,” he replied, unbothered. “I assume it’s you butchering the English language again.”
“He’s feisty,” Grandma said, looking at me and raising her glass. “Marry him.”
I glared at her, hoping nobody saw the burning of my cheeks. Not that it was likely—they felt like they were on fire. They probably were. That was my default, after all.
“She looks like she wants to.” Mason grinned.
I snapped my glare his way. “You know, when you marry into this family, she’ll be your problem, too.”
That wiped the grin right off his face.
“I take offense at being called a problem,” Grandma said. “I’m a delight.”
“Can we focus now?” Isaac said. “I have to get home for a phone call and I don’t particularly want to spend my free time in the next week trying to get this done.”
“Who are you talking to? Are you cheating on my granddaughter?”
“Grandma!” I facepalmed.
Isaac glanced my way with a smirk. “My mother.”
“Oh.” Grandma looked somewhat deflated. “You’re just perfect, aren’t you?”
“Careful,” Mason muttered. “She’ll try and get you to move in next.”
“I heard that, Mason. One more bit of attitude from you and there’ll be no cheesecake for you.” She shuffled toward the edge of the chair and stood up, then made her way out to the kitchen, leaving us all alone.
I moved to her more comfortable chair. “Why were you arguing over screws?”
“Because your grandmother,” Mason said dryly. “Isn’t that enough of an explanation?”
True that.
“These are definitely the right ones,” Isaac said, holding up the ones he was using before.
“I know,” Mason replied. “Just ignore Jen. You’ll get used to it when you marry Hannah.”
I grabbed the nearest cushion and threw it at his head. “Wash your mouth out. You’ll get married before I do.”
“You’re right. It takes a special man to take the Anderson brand of crazy.”
“And I suppose you’re that special man, are you?” I raised one eyebrow. “How noble of you.”
He grinned. “Don’t worry. I’ll give your future husband tips.”
Isaac looked between us. “He’s gonna need ‘em,” he added on a chuckle.
I threw a cushion at him, too. Just to be fair.
***
“Byeeee!” Maya waved before she left, trailing her blanket behind her.
I waved goodbye from the living room and picked up some of the trash left behind from the building of the bookshelf. Grandma