Chapter 12 Juniper
Juniper
“Nana!” The shopping bag fell from Juniper’s nerveless fingers as she stopped in shock at her gate, looking down the driveway.
There was a small motorhome parked at the bottom of the drive, its canopy rolled out, offering shade to her grandmother, comfortably ensconced in a lawn chair.
She rose to her feet, her bright purple hair glinting in the sun as she approached her granddaughter.
“June bug!”
Juniper laughed as she threw her arms around her grandmother. “What are you doing here?”
“Rumor has it, a certain little man has a birthday coming up. As if I could miss it.”
“Oh, how wonderful! But when did you get a motorhome?”
“Oh, it’s not mine. It’s Jasper’s. When he heard I was planning a road trip, he invited himself along. I hope you don’t mind, darling.”
“Not at all, but who’s Jasper?”
“He’s my toy boy.” She leaned in, her bright blue eyes twinkling merrily as she said in a conspiratorial whisper, “He’s only seventy-three.”
“Nana! I’m shocked! Nearly ten years your junior!”
She chuckled delightedly, then narrowed her eyes as she looked down the street. “Well, well, well. What do we have here?”
Billy was coming up the street, his hand in William’s, chatting animatedly.
“Nana,” Juniper said in a low, warning tone. If anything could scare a man off, it was Violet Bell’s highly intrusive and inappropriate questions.
Violet turned to her, her eyes wide in innocent inquiry. “What?”
“No rude questions.”
“As if I would!”
“As if you wouldn’t!”
“Have you slept with him?”
“See, there you go!”
“Well, have you?”
“Not yet, but I’m going to, if you don’t scare him off.”
Violet sighed, the mournful note belied by the ever present twinkle in her eye. “I’ll do my best, but you know, sometimes the questions just come out.”
“Sure they do.”
“Nana! William, look, Nana’s here!” Billy let go of William’s hand and ran to Violet, throwing his arms around her legs and hugging her tightly.
“Oh, my little man! Hello!”
“It’s my birthday soon.”
“No, is it really?”
Billy giggled. “In three sleeps! I only have to go to bed three more times, then it’s my birthday! Is that why you’re here?”
“Maybe. Are you going to introduce me to your friend?”
“Nana, this is my friend William. He makes frogs.”
Juniper bit her lip as William stepped forward and shook her grandmother’s hand.
Violet Bell was a lot to take in. Five foot ten inches in her bare feet, she was dressed in a flowing purple kaftan in a paisley print, white dress pants and ballet flats.
Her arms were adorned with dozens of bangles that clattered as she moved, her bright purple hair shone in the sunlight and her lips were smeared with bright red lipstick.
“William, is it?” She asked.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“What are your intentions towards my granddaughter?”
William blinked and Juniper laughed. “His intentions are to come in and have lunch, which you can do too if you mind your manners.”
“I always mind my manners,” she replied, studiously ignoring Juniper’s derisive snort.
“Do you wanna see my frog, Nana?”
“Do I ever!”
As Violet and Billy crossed the lawn and headed into the house, Juniper bent to pick up her bag before turning to William, who still seemed to be in shock. She stepped forward and kissed him on the cheek.
“Come on,” she said, pulling gently on his hand.
“I, ah, think I’d better go.”
“Chicken.”
“Absolutely.”
Juniper grinned, slipping her arm around his waist, pulling him towards the house. “You’ll get used to her. She’s the best.”
“I don’t doubt that, but I know what’s going to happen. You’re going to finish lunch and go back to work, which will leave me with her. Within ten minutes, she’s going to know everything about me, right down to the birthmark on my left butt cheek.”
“You have a birthmark on your left butt cheek?” She ran her hand down his back, giving his bottom a squeeze.
“You’re not helping.”
Juniper simply chuckled by way of reply, leading him up the stairs into the house.