Page 72 of The Ex-Best Thing
“Great.” Colby chews a bite and chases it with orange juice. “It’s going to be a warm one today, I think.”
“Oh. Rose is coming by to help weed my garden, so we’d better get started soon,” Nancy says.
“You don’t want to play hooky on your chores and come explore Bodega with us?” I ask. “We could take selfies in front of the school and run away like the birds are chasing us.”
She gives me a quizzical look. “I think you like the movie more than I do.”
I laugh. “So that’s a no?”
“Not today. I’d better work on my garden before it gets too hot.” She glances at the dirty kitchen.
I wave her toward the door. “Come on. I’ll take care of the dishes. You did most of the work anyway.”
“Now, Bree?—”
“Thank you.” I give her a big hug when we reach the door.
She doesn’t seem to expect it, but her arms eventually come around me. “What’s this for?”
“I don’t know why you think it’s your job to make sure I’m fed, but thank you.”
She laughs, pulling away. “How do you know I’m not taking advantage of having a superstar in my backyard?”
“Because I don’t think you’re that kind of person.”
Nancy’s smile warms. Her shoulder length white hair swings as she gives me an affectionate pat on the shoulder before she lets herself outside. “I’ll see you later, honey.”
When I make it back to the kitchen, the men are talking in low voices.
“I don’t get it,” Benny says.
“She probably needed a purpose.”
“Your grandma?” I ask, sliding back into my seat. They look at me.
Colby sets his fork on his empty plate and pushes it away. “She never leaves her house, Bree. She even sold her car a few months ago because it’s done nothing but gather dust the last few years. Since her heart surgery, we can’t get her to go anywhere, really. But she’s walked over here a handful of times in the last week, all on her own. That’s well outside her typical comfort zone.”
“Maybe that’s the difference.” I shrug. “I could be within her comfort zone.”
“You definitely are,” Benny says. “I think Colby’s onto something, too. You give Grandma a purpose somehow. She’s always been the one to take care of things, and she didn’t like it when we had to come in and take care of her.”
“She wouldn’t even answer my calls when I was on the road, because she didn’t like me checking on her.” Colby chuckles in an exasperated way. “Stubborn woman.”
Benny nods to me. “But you’re someone who needs care, in her opinion.”
It’s been a long time since I’ve had someone watch out for me the way Benny and Nancy have. Yeah, I’ve had bodyguards or Lonnie or hired security, depending on the event or the travel, but paying someone to make sure a crazy fan doesn’t attack me isn’t the same as having someone genuinely care for my wellbeing.
It’s entirely different. It’s beautiful. I feel like I matter—not like I’m an expensive, important commodity to be protected.
“What can I do to help?” I ask.
“Let her keep doing what she’s doing, I guess,” Colby says.
“It’s not really a trial. I really like hanging out with her.”
He gives me a slightly disbelieving look, but Benny buys it. What happened to make this guy so skeptical?
I nod slowly as I begin to understand what he makes me think of. “You remind me of my sister.”
