Chapter Ten #2
Bailey stopped eating and looked across the table, feeling shocked. She couldn’t believe that anyone in her family had spilled the beans when she deliberately wanted to keep that information from Lynn.
“Who told you that?” Bailey asked.
Lynn giggled. “Who else? Gemma, our resident chatter-box.”
“Wait till I see her!” Bailey fumed. So much for keeping confidences.
“It’s all good,” Lynn said, taking a bite of the omelet. “It actually made me smile when she told me.”
“Really?” Bailey asked. “I thought it would make you feel some kind of way.”
“It did but in a good way. It made me realize that life can turn on a dime. One moment you’re down and the next moment you’re flying high, soaring. I’m determined to move past this breakup with Kai and live my best life.”
“You will. Of course you will!”
Lynn continued drinking her tea, then placed it back down on the saucer. She smirked at Bailey. “And who knows? Maybe I’ll find my own Landon Stone one of these days.”
Bailey nervously giggled. Little did Lynn know that she didn’t have Landon, not in the way everyone believed.
It was all pretend, and although she had heartily agreed to the arrangement, she had a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach.
She’d felt it last night when they had kissed as they sat on the windowsill with the snow and sky all around them.
And she felt it again now as she sat across from her sister.
Her feelings for Landon had veered away from the crush stage.
She was falling for Landon Stone like a ton of bricks.
And wishing that their relationship wasn’t as fake as a three-dollar bill.
All morning, Landon had been replaying the events of last night in his mind.
It had been a great evening with lots of little surprises thrown in there.
How had his grandmother played a fast one by instructing them to kiss under the mistletoe?
He shouldn’t be surprised. That was classic Hattie.
He almost wondered whether she had placed that mistletoe there just so that she could catch them standing underneath it. He wouldn’t put it past her.
Her bucket list had been pretty amazing. He didn’t know whether Vegas was in the cards for her, since she might be too weak to travel. But then again, Hattie had always shown that where there was a will, there was a way.
His conscience had been bothering him a bit lately about the fake-dating situation he was in with Bailey.
Deep down, he knew it wasn’t right to be lying, and it wasn’t something he did in his life.
But seeing Hattie so tickled about his so-called relationship had pushed him in the other direction.
Sometimes the end did justify the means.
And, if he was being completely honest with himself, his feelings for Bailey were far from platonic.
Sometimes he almost forgot they were pretending. Last night had felt like the real deal.
Did Bailey feel it too? Her parting words to him indicated that she hadn’t been completely unmoved by their kiss. Maybe this faux romance was shifting in another direction, he thought as he headed downstairs for breakfast.
Now that Xavier and Caleb had moved out of the house, things tended to be a little bit quiet in the mornings.
Instead of requesting a big spread in the dining room, Landon just made his own breakfast, usually some scrambled eggs and a bagel or granola and yogurt.
Hattie very rarely came down to breakfast anymore, so sometimes he ventured upstairs and gave her a cup of tea or some hash browns and grits.
Jacques walked into the kitchen as Landon was at the stove, fixing bacon and eggs.
“Hey there, good morning. Are you hungry for some eggs and bacon? I was thinking of making some for Hattie as well.”
“Your grandmother says she’s not hungry this morning, although maybe you’ll be able to change her mind. She’s gotta eat to keep up her strength, especially since…” He paused. “She wants to go to Vegas tomorrow.”
Landon let out a shocked sound. “You can’t be serious. I was sort of hoping that that Vegas part of the list was another joke.”
Jacques didn’t crack a smile. “Oh, it’s no joke. She’s instructed me to rent a private plane for that specific purpose.”
Landon was so stunned he forgot to pay attention to what was on the stove until he smelled the slightly singed eggs. With a flip of his wrist, he turned the stove off and removed the pan from the heat.
“You know your grandmother. There’s no changing her mind when it’s settled on something.”
“What would her doctor say about this?” Dr. Benjy Akash had been treating Hattie for decades, and he knew her entire medical history as well as her feisty personality. The good thing was, Benjy was no pushover and didn’t ever bow down to Hattie.
“I’m sure he would tell her not to go, but in the end, she has the right to make her own decisions.”
“Even if it’s detrimental to her health?” Landon asked. Hattie was being ridiculous, but of course anytime she was challenged his grandmother dug her heels in.
“At this point I believe she’s pushing back against her illness by trying to push past any and all limits,” Jacques explained. “It makes sense if you think about it. She’s never been faced with any challenge she couldn’t beat.”
“Hattie the Invincible,” Landon said, making a face. None of them should be shocked at her stubborn nature, yet the news had thrown him for a loop.
“I made a call to your dad earlier about the Vegas situation.” Jacques threw his hands up in the air. “Honestly, I think we need all hands on deck to try to rein her in. I can’t do it by myself.”
Landon let out a groan. Jacques was the most patient and dedicated partner on the planet.
If he’d been driven to this point, Landon knew things were bad.
“I don’t like the sound of this. I’ve never engaged in a battle of wills with my grandmother before, and to tell you the truth, it’s not something I’ve aspired to. ”
Jacques tapped his finger to his chin. “The key is not to fight her. We’ve got to give her a reason not to leave town.”
Landon smirked. “So you want us to trick her? Is that it?”
“Persuade is a better word. Pulling the wool over her eyes isn’t feasible.” He gave Landon a knowing look. “Even on her worst day she’s the sharpest person in the room.”
“So what exactly are you suggesting?” Landon asked. He grabbed a bowl and spooned his eggs into it.
“Between us, your dad, and your brothers, we’ve got to put our heads together and come up with something that keeps Hattie right here in Moose Falls.”
Good luck with that, Landon thought to himself. Keeping Hattie from doing anything she was determined to do would be like telling the sun not to rise in the morning.
“Okay, loop me in, but in the meantime, I’m going to bring Hattie some scrambled eggs, toast, and tea,” Landon said, popping two pieces of whole wheat bread in the toaster. He took out her favorite colorful teacup and began preparing a hot cup of green tea.
Jacques slapped him on the back. “If there’s anyone who can coax Hattie into eating a little something, it’s one of her precious boys.
I’m not sure if you realize what your return has done for her.
She wasn’t even supposed to last this long, but having the three of you back in Moose Falls has given her something to live for. ”
Whoa! Landon hadn’t known that having him and his brothers around had been such a lifeline for Hattie.
“I’m sure your love has sustained her as well,” Landon told him. Jacques had shown nothing but unconditional love to Hattie. He was as devoted and loving as they came.
“It’s not the same. When she recited her bucket list last night, it was obvious to me that she had already checked off the biggest one. Being reunited with her grandsons.”
Landon turned away from Jacques, busying himself with the toast preparation. He didn’t want him to see the raw emotion his words had evoked. “I appreciate you saying that, Jacques,” he said in a voice clogged with emotion.
“It needed to be said,” Jacques replied.
By the time Landon had made Hattie’s plate and turned back around, Jacques was gone.
With a deep breath he ascended the grand staircase, carefully balancing a breakfast tray.
When he reached Hattie’s bedroom, he gently knocked before opening the door with one hand and balancing the tray with the other.
“Rise and shine, Hattie,” he called out in a singsong voice. She was sitting in her bed, propped up by pillows. Dressed in a pale-pink peignoir and with reading glasses hanging off her nose, Hattie looked bright and alert.
“Come in, Landon. Don’t stand on ceremony.”
Landon made his way over, depositing the tray on her bedside table.
“Oh, you sweet boy. I keep asking myself how I was ever so lucky as to have such sweet grandsons. Your father can be sweet, but not like the three of you. Daisy raised you right.”
Landon sat down at the end of her queen-size bed.
“Well, it’s my job to see that you get something in your stomach and get hydrated. If I fail at this mission, Jacques is going to be very upset.” He pretend scowled at her.
Hattie smiled at him. “Well, we can’t have that. Can we? Especially since he’s supposed to take me to Vegas tomorrow. There’s a holiday blackjack tournament that’s calling my name.”
Landon didn’t know what to say. He knew his grandmother well enough to know that if he objected to her going, she would be all the more determined to go. He needed to play along with her and keep her calm.
“That sounds really fascinating. I’m sure the two of you will have a great time.”
“Oh, it’s so much fun. You wouldn’t believe it, so many people swirling around the casinos.
Everyone is decked out in their finest outfits, lots of glitter and glamour.
And if you’re a high roller like me, you get lots of perks.
” She waved her hand around. “Free hotel rooms, complimentary drinks. It’s wonderful. ”