up here.”
Beth thought she heard a trace of defensiveness in his tone.
“Oh that’s right, your mother couldn’t wait to get out of this little town. She didn’t even want to bring you back for visits. She always sent you on the bus by yourself.” Jean’s voice dripped sarcasm.
That explained the defensiveness. He must have been through this before. “Jean, why don’t you go get into James’s car? We’ll be right behind you. James, will you wake up Nonie?”
James looked at his grandmother with apprehension. Taking a deep breath, he leaned over and patted her on the shoulder. “Nonie? It’s time to go.”
Nonie opened her eyes and fixed them on James. She frowned. “Frank?”
Everyone froze where they were. The name was the acoustic equivalent of shattering glass.
“No, Nonie, I’m not Frank. I’m James. Your grandson.”
His voice was so gentle, Beth found herself blinking back tears. He was facing away from her so she couldn’t see how he’d reacted to being called by his grandfather’s name, but he sounded calm. Maybe he could be trained to take care of the girls. If he planned to stick around.
“My grandson?” Nonie blinked. Then she started to stand. James reached out to help her, but Beth caught his arm.
“Let her do it herself. Just be there if she needs you,” she told him.
James hovered beside the chair until Nonie was upright. “I have to get my keys.” He turned so that she couldn’t see his face before heading down the hall.
Beth sent Nonie in the direction of the car and waited for James in the house. Jean would deal with her outside. When James came back, he didn’t look broken up. She didn’t believe it for a second. How could anyone not be upset after being called by their late grandfather’s name? “She does that all the time.”
“Does what?”
“Calls people by the wrong name. She calls me Jean.”
“No big deal.” He shrugged.
“I think she gets confused about who’s who and she grabs the first name that comes to mind.”
“Hey, lovebirds! The car’s locked. We can’t get in,” Jean shouted from outside.
Beth scoured the floor for a convenient hole to drop through. None presented themselves.
“Well, Aunt Jean has bellowed.” James went out the door.
Beth paused in the middle of the living room long enough to shudder. Jean had obviously decided they were meant for each other. She would spend most of her copious free time plotting to get them together. At least James was a better candidate than the last guy Jean had set Beth’s hat for. The UPS guy was nice, but Beth suspected he was gay. Either that or he had a strong aversion to elementary school teachers. Most men did.
At the library, Andrea Seaforth and Becky Raney both stopped working when they walked in. Beth considered going right back out. Let the frenzy begin. Andrea was married, but she had single friends. Becky was single, but far too young. Beth doubted that would stop her.
“Hello, and who is this?” Andrea asked.
“This is Donna’s boy, James.” Jean hefted her bag of audio books onto the counter. “What do you have for me this week?”
“James, huh?” Andrea smiled. “Hello, James. You here for the festival?”
“What festival?” James smiled back.
Beth handed him a flyer for the town’s annual Summer Fest. James might end up being the most interesting attraction.
“Oh this. I remember this from when I was a kid. There was a lot of watermelon.” He studied the flyer with more than idle interest. Beth noted that someone should have hit spell check because instead of having an eating contest they were having an “eating conest.” If she had done the flyer like she always did, that wouldn’t have happened.
“It’s next week,” Andrea added. “You have to come.”
“There’s a dance that Friday.” Becky fluttered her eyelashes. “I’ll save you one.” Becky had started fluttering those eyelashes in second grade. Too bad she had the body of a
Beth thought she heard a trace of defensiveness in his tone.
“Oh that’s right, your mother couldn’t wait to get out of this little town. She didn’t even want to bring you back for visits. She always sent you on the bus by yourself.” Jean’s voice dripped sarcasm.
That explained the defensiveness. He must have been through this before. “Jean, why don’t you go get into James’s car? We’ll be right behind you. James, will you wake up Nonie?”
James looked at his grandmother with apprehension. Taking a deep breath, he leaned over and patted her on the shoulder. “Nonie? It’s time to go.”
Nonie opened her eyes and fixed them on James. She frowned. “Frank?”
Everyone froze where they were. The name was the acoustic equivalent of shattering glass.
“No, Nonie, I’m not Frank. I’m James. Your grandson.”
His voice was so gentle, Beth found herself blinking back tears. He was facing away from her so she couldn’t see how he’d reacted to being called by his grandfather’s name, but he sounded calm. Maybe he could be trained to take care of the girls. If he planned to stick around.
“My grandson?” Nonie blinked. Then she started to stand. James reached out to help her, but Beth caught his arm.
“Let her do it herself. Just be there if she needs you,” she told him.
James hovered beside the chair until Nonie was upright. “I have to get my keys.” He turned so that she couldn’t see his face before heading down the hall.
Beth sent Nonie in the direction of the car and waited for James in the house. Jean would deal with her outside. When James came back, he didn’t look broken up. She didn’t believe it for a second. How could anyone not be upset after being called by their late grandfather’s name? “She does that all the time.”
“Does what?”
“Calls people by the wrong name. She calls me Jean.”
“No big deal.” He shrugged.
“I think she gets confused about who’s who and she grabs the first name that comes to mind.”
“Hey, lovebirds! The car’s locked. We can’t get in,” Jean shouted from outside.
Beth scoured the floor for a convenient hole to drop through. None presented themselves.
“Well, Aunt Jean has bellowed.” James went out the door.
Beth paused in the middle of the living room long enough to shudder. Jean had obviously decided they were meant for each other. She would spend most of her copious free time plotting to get them together. At least James was a better candidate than the last guy Jean had set Beth’s hat for. The UPS guy was nice, but Beth suspected he was gay. Either that or he had a strong aversion to elementary school teachers. Most men did.
At the library, Andrea Seaforth and Becky Raney both stopped working when they walked in. Beth considered going right back out. Let the frenzy begin. Andrea was married, but she had single friends. Becky was single, but far too young. Beth doubted that would stop her.
“Hello, and who is this?” Andrea asked.
“This is Donna’s boy, James.” Jean hefted her bag of audio books onto the counter. “What do you have for me this week?”
“James, huh?” Andrea smiled. “Hello, James. You here for the festival?”
“What festival?” James smiled back.
Beth handed him a flyer for the town’s annual Summer Fest. James might end up being the most interesting attraction.
“Oh this. I remember this from when I was a kid. There was a lot of watermelon.” He studied the flyer with more than idle interest. Beth noted that someone should have hit spell check because instead of having an eating contest they were having an “eating conest.” If she had done the flyer like she always did, that wouldn’t have happened.
“It’s next week,” Andrea added. “You have to come.”
“There’s a dance that Friday.” Becky fluttered her eyelashes. “I’ll save you one.” Becky had started fluttering those eyelashes in second grade. Too bad she had the body of a
Similar Books
Sliding Void
Stephen Hunt
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II
Sean Williams
Man On The Run
Charles Williams
Thunder in the Blood
Graham Hurley
The Hindi-Bindi Club
Monica Pradhan
Riverkeep
Martin Stewart
Absolution - The First Book Of The Vampire Immortalis Trilogy
Elizabeth Mitchell
TITAN
Kate Stewart
Trouble In Triplicate
Rex Stout