Dating and Dragons (Dungeons and Drama, #2) (64)

Of course it’s easy to rationalize it—Logan is the only one who has spent time with Grandma, so he deserved to hear it from me. But I know it’s more than that. It’s much more, and with the knowledge that Kashvi also has a long-simmering crush on him, my thoughts are spinning like pinwheels as I try to decide how to handle everything.

“This is entirely too much fussing,” Grandma says from her armchair. “You don’t all need to be here checking on me.”

“Barbara, why don’t you just rest?” Mom says in her softest voice. “I’ll make you a cup of tea and we can put some music on.”

Grandma glares at her. “Oh please, you just want me to be quiet.”

Andrew raises his eyebrows at me as if to say no argument there. I muffle a smile. This evening it’s “all hands on deck,” as Dad likes to call it, so both Andrew and I were required to come to Grandma’s right after school. I figured Andrew would be his usual brooding self, but he hasn’t complained at all. And it’s nice to have another person here to lighten up the bickering.

“Eric, put down that vase,” Grandma snaps. “I got it in Barcelona and it’s one of a kind.”

Dad heaves a sigh and presses his fingers to the bridge of his nose. “Mom, it’s okay. We’ll be sure to carefully pack everything you want to take with you to your new place.”

She huffs. “I’ve fallen once. I’m sure you’ve fallen too. Everyone slips once in a while!”

“But when we slip, we don’t break a hip,” Andrew says super helpfully.

“You shut it with your rhyming, young man.”

“Andrew’s not wrong, though,” Dad continues. “And you know this isn’t the first time. You don’t have the balance you once did. Quinn told us how you fell and dropped plates while she was here—”

“Quinn!” Grandma turns to me, her mouth agape. “You didn’t! I thought that was our secret.”

“We didn’t agree to that,” I mumble.

“I can’t trust the lot of you,” she says, and throws up her hands.

“We only want you to have the best life you can,” Mom says. “Eric’s done a lot of research on this. You saw how exceptional the retirement community is.”

“You mean the old folks’ home where people go to die.”

“Mom, if you’d just listen, then I think you’d see how great this can be. We’re not sending you there to die—we’re sending you there to live.”

I fight the urge to roll my eyes. Dad sounds like a paid spokesman.

“They have maintenance on staff so if something is broken, you can get it fixed right away—imagine how much time that’ll save. And they have a common building with all kinds of activities for the residents. Game nights and movie nights and art classes. They even have a pickleball court!” Dad gestures at me. “You can still play pickleball with Quinn.”

“You can show everyone how you kick my butt.”

“Well, that part would be fun.” She sniffs. “You all deserve to be kicked in the butt.”

Mom chuckles and Grandma seems temporarily mollified, but I’m sure it won’t last. Dad has been working toward this for a while, but Grandma is going to fight us every inch of the way. Which is why he wanted both Andrew and I over here to start putting things in boxes and sorting things for donations as soon as possible. He’s lucky she’s supposed to stay off her feet for now, or she’d probably come after him with a broom.

Grandma takes a sip of her water. “You know, I texted somebody else to come by—someone who I’m sure will take my side. He’ll be here soon.”

Dad blows out a breath. “Please tell me you didn’t call your lawyer.”

But I think I know who she’s talking about. Sure enough, there’s a gleam in her eye when she gestures at me. Oh no.

“It’s Quinn’s friend. Logan.”

My mouth drops open as the others turn to stare at me. Grandma texted him and he didn’t tell me? I pull out my phone just in case, but there are no new messages. That little double-crosser. Choosing my sherbet-loving grandmother over me.

“Are you talking about the boy who helped clean out the attic?” Dad asks.

“Yes. He always does what I ask of him, unlike some of you.” She nods confidently.

Oh dear Lord, Logan is coming here. Now. With my parents and brother here. Grandma really knows how to get back at me for tattling.





Chapter Twenty-Five





Sure enough, the doorbell rings a few minutes later. I drop the novels I was boxing up and sprint for the door. “I’ll get it!”

I yank it open to find Logan in his winter coat with Sloane’s beanie pulled down low on his forehead. Ohio weather is so unpredictable and today has been especially cold. He gives me a lopsided grin and I melt like snow in the heat of the sun. He shouldn’t be allowed to have this kind of effect on me when I’m trying to be annoyed.

“What are you doing here?” I whisper.

“Barbara texted,” he says simply. “When your grandma texts, I come.”

I roll my eyes. He’s too cute. No wonder he’s usurped me and Andrew to become her favorite grandchild.