Chapter 4 Zandra
FOUR
Zandra
“Baby Z!” Rosie opened her arms. “Get in here! I need some sugar from my favorite niece.”
“Your only niece,” I reminded her as she smothered me with a tight hug. My eyes closed as I soaked in the love. A welcome contrast to the otherwise sterile hospital corridor where we were standing.
“Doesn’t matter. You’re still the best.” Rosie patted my cheek. “And gorgeous and smart and a fantastic dresser. This blazer. So chic.”
“Thank you, Auntie.” I’d worn dark jeans, boots, a silk blouse, and my favorite jacket. I might not have a job, but I had the wardrobe, so I might as well make the most of it.
Rosie studied me. “Did you sleep okay?”
“Uh, yeah. No complaints.”
I’d tossed and turned all last night at the motel, hearing creaky sounds and not knowing if they were real or imaginary. Probably just the ancient building settling. But after feeling watched when I’d thrown my trash out, plus the drama of seeing Callum, my nerves had been shot.
I’d woken this morning with a splitting headache, not helped by the fact that Chloe had been draped over the top of my head like a furry hat.
I’d texted my aunt yesterday that I was in town, and again first thing this morning, asking if she could meet me at the county hospital for visiting hours. If I didn’t have a good night’s sleep on my side before seeing Grandpa, at least I could have Rosie’s cheerful face.
“Have you had breakfast?” she asked. “Coffee? Need anything?”
“Not right now.”
One corner of her smile slipped down. “I heard about the breakup with Ian. I’m sorry.”
Wow. That news had traveled fast. Thanks Mom and Dad. “I’m really okay. What’s new with you? Must be something. You look great.”
Rosie swatted my arm coyly. “That’s just love, honey. Making me young again.” She did a little spin. Her bright patterned sundress flared out, and her magenta curls bounced. “Jimmy moved in with me.”
“Exciting! Congrats.”
“Never thought it would happen. Jimmy and I tend to fight like cats and dogs, but it’s just the passion between us, I guess. Since he moved in, it’s been like a honeymoon.” Then she grabbed my arm. “Listen to me, bragging about my love life when you’re hurting.”
“Not hurting over Ian. I promise. Already over him.”
“You’ll find the right one for you. I’ve never been so happy.” She leaned in. “Or this sexed up. Jimmy’s a tiger. Wakes me up at all hours.”
I cringed. “Really didn’t need to know that.”
“Don’t tell me my niece is a prude. With that body?” She flashed me an exaggerated wink. “Even if you don’t have a partner, there’s nothing wrong with self love. That’s what I always say.”
“Oh, I remember.”
My Auntie Rosie, ladies and gentleman.
She held onto my arm as we walked down the hall. “Now, where are you staying, Baby Z? With Javi and your mom?” Her mouth tightened. “Can’t imagine they’re being too nice about Chloe.”
“Chloe and I are staying at the Pine Cone for now.”
Her lipsticked mouth dropped open. “That old motel out on the highway? That’s not good enough for you. Come stay with me and Jimmy, Z. You have to.”
“No, I can’t interrupt the honeymoon.”
“You can wear earplugs. We’ll use a system, so you know if it’s not safe to come into the living room.”
I prayed Rosie would stop talking before I had to bleach my ears or my brain. “I’ll be out of the Pine Cone in no time. Just getting my feet back under me.” I pointed down the hospital corridor. “Let’s go see grandpa.”
Rosie huffed. “Warning you. He’s been ornery.”
I laughed. “When is he not?”
As we neared his open doorway, Grandpa’s voice carried. “You’re trying to poison me!”
Rosie and I shared a glance.
Here we go, I thought, just as we stepped into the fray.
“Mr. Alvarez, there’s no need to raise your voice,” the nurse said.
“There’s no flavor in these eggs. A person could die from lack of stimulation to his taste buds. You’re literally boring me to death.”
“Not medically possible, Mr. Alvarez.”
My grandpa had celebrated his eightieth birthday last year.
His pompadour was pure white now instead of glossy black.
But he still had one of the most booming voices I’d ever heard.
Growing up, when my grandpa entered a room, everybody knew.
Even lying in a hospital bed, dressed in a thin cotton gown, he had a formidable presence.
Then he saw me, his gaze narrowing. “If it isn’t my granddaughter. An objective observer. Zandra, try these eggs and tell me they aren’t some soy protein monstrosity. Because I guarantee, these didn’t come from a natural chicken.”
“Hi, Grandpa.” I bent to kiss his cheek. Then I gave his nurse an apologetic smile. “Sorry about him.”
“I’m used to it,” she deadpanned. “He’s in quite a mood today. Good luck.”
“Don’t patronize me. Just get this slop you call food out of my sight. Now, where’s my phone? I need to make sure Hearthstone hasn’t burned to the ground without me yet.”
Oh, yeah. Definitely in a mood.
The nurse left the room, and Rosie and I took up places on either side of Grandpa’s bed. Opening my purse, I tugged out the bag I’d brought with me. The stiff paper crinkled as I pulled the box of chicken nuggets from inside.
“I swung by the drive-through on my way here this morning,” I said. “In case you’re still hungry.”
A genuine smile dawned on Grandpa’s face. “My granddaughter’s the smartest person in our family. Isn’t that what I always say, Rosie?”
My aunt grinned fondly at me. “You do. And she is.”
Grandpa dug in to his nuggets. He usually turned up his nose at fast food, but these were his guilty pleasure.
Maybe I’d screwed up my life in Chicago, but I still knew how to tame Manny Alvarez when he was being a terror.
I sat gently on the edge of the bed. “How’ve you been feeling, Grandpa?”
“Like I got cut open and stuffed full of metal pins to hold me together.” He wiped his fingers on a paper napkin. “Let’s talk about you. Your mother and father already stopped by this morning. They’re very concerned about what’s going on between you and Ian.”
I sighed. I’d assumed my parents had been talking about me, since Rosie had known about Ian too, but I’d hoped to avoid any more lectures about my failings. At least until after the nuggets were gone.
“Promise me one thing.” Grandpa turned his intense focus on me. “No matter what nonsense my son and his wife spout, promise you won’t take Ian back. Even if he comes groveling, and he will.”
A smile played on my lips. “I doubt that. But I promise, Grandpa. Ian and I are done.”
“Never liked him anyway. No cojones. Maybe they were there anatomically, but they’re tiny and shriveled. You would know better than me.”
I sputtered a laugh. “Grandpa.”
“He’s right though, Z,” Rosie said. “I never liked Ian either. He seemed all wrong for you.”
“Ian was the wrong guy,” I admitted. “I was chasing a lot of the wrong things and wasted years of my life without seeing it. But I’m here now, and I want to help however I can.”
“Too bad it took this old body nearly cracking in two to drag you home.”
I winced. “Sorry, Grandpa.”
“No, that’s not fair,” Rosie countered. “Zandra’s done her best, as have we all.”
Grandpa grumbled. “Well, at least you’re here. Missed you.”
“Missed you too.”
After he polished off the last nugget, Rosie helped clear away the trash. Grandpa sat up straighter against his pillows like he was about to call a business meeting. “Now, we should get to practical matters. I hear you’re looking for a job.”
Groan. Mom and Dad had spilled everything, hadn’t they?
“That’s on my agenda,” I said with my jaw clenched. “But right now, I’m here to visit with you. You don’t need to worry about my employment situation.”
“What I need is a time machine to take years off my life and make me buy a new ladder instead of that shoddy piece of crap I fell from.”
“But that’s not happening, is it, Pa?” Rosie patted his hand. “You’re not going back to work. You’re eighty years old and your hip is shattered.”
Grandpa made a wry face in my direction. “See how supportive my children are? My best qualities skipped a generation.”
“Oh shush.” Rosie waved him off. “You’ve already agreed with Javi and me that it’s time for you to retire.” She turned to me. “And this works out for Zandra too, doesn’t it? You can take over as general manager for Hearthstone. It’s like it was meant to be.”
I blinked. “Wait. Hearthstone? Me?”
Grandpa angled his head. “I suppose my daughter does have some good ideas.”
“I’ve never run a restaurant or a brewery,” I pointed out.
“But you’ve always accomplished whatever you set your mind to,” Rosie said with the kind of unwavering confidence that made my chest tight.
“Mistakes involving Ian notwithstanding,” Grandpa added. “Why else did you go to that fancy business school except to run a business?”
Protests rose to the tip of my tongue. Because I didn’t have the best track record recently, did I?
But I’d gotten my MBA. I’d learned a lot in the years since, much of it the hard way. Maybe I could do this.
“I’m…interested,” I heard myself say.
“I haven’t hired you yet, mind you,” Grandpa warned, though his eyes were twinkling. “I’ll need a résumé.”
I couldn’t help smiling. “Yes, Grandpa.”
“And I need to see what other candidates are interested. Have to be fair about this. I’ve got some loyal employees who’ve worked their way up. Like Callum.”
My smile faltered. “Callum O’Neal?” I asked, as casually as I could manage. The shrewd look Rosie gave me suggested I hadn’t managed all that well. “Didn’t expect him to be in the running.”
Grandpa nodded. “He’s bar manager. One of my best employees. Good kid.”
“He’s the one who found your grandpa after he fell,” Rosie added. “Practically saved his life.”
“Are you sure we’re referring to the same guy? Jock, unruly brown hair, backwards baseball cap?” My heart rate increased as I thought of his over-the-top handsome features. That smirk and the way he puffed out his chest like he expected to be admired.
Then a new voice chimed in.
“Talking about me?”
I spun around to see the man himself standing in the doorway, and my heart did this annoying skip.
Unfortunately, he was even better looking than he’d been last night. No ball cap today, his messy waves out in full force. He had a touch more stubble on his jaw, and his chocolaty brown eyes were warm and inviting, creasing lightly at the sides.
Then in slow motion, he seemed to register that it was me, the woman from the bar last night. And his easy confidence drained away as horror dawned on his face.
Was I awful for feeling just a little smug?
Grandpa gestured for him to come in. “Callum, this is my granddaughter, Zandra.”
“We’ve met,” I said coolly.
He cleared his throat, hands diving into his jeans pockets as a flush climbed up his neck. “We, uh, went to high school together.”
My lips pressed into a thin line. “We did.”
Rosie’s eyes bounced from Callum to me.
Just then, the nurse poked her head in. “I’m sorry, folks, but we can only have two visitors at a time.”
“I’ll step out,” Rosie volunteered cheerfully.
“No, wait.” Callum pushed back his hair from his forehead. “I actually need to have a quick word with Zandra. If that’s okay.”
I crossed my arms. “I don’t see why. I don’t see what we would have to say to each other.”
He smiled, though it looked strained. “Silver Ridge High alumni stuff. It’ll just take a minute.”
“No, I don’t think—”
“Just go talk to the kid!” Grandpa interrupted. “I want the nurse to change my catheter bag.”
I got up and followed Callum out into the hall.
Once we were out of earshot of Grandpa’s room, Callum spun on his heavy boot heel. “Look, about last night—”
“It doesn’t matter,” I cut him off. “Mystery solved. You know who I am now.”
“If I offended you, I’m sorry.”
I scoffed. “You didn’t offend me.”
“You don’t look like you did back in high school. I mean…” He let out a low whistle, then quickly forced his eyes up to meet mine. “Shit. Ignore me. I can be an idiot.”
“Oh trust me, I’m well aware.”
His lips slid into that angle he clearly thought was disarming. “But we’re good, right? You’re not pissed?”
“Why would I be pissed?” I asked, though I could hear the edge in my own voice. “We barely know each other. We’re basically strangers.”
“I was coming on pretty strong last night. I wouldn’t have done that if I’d known you were the boss’s granddaughter.”
“But otherwise you’re fine making moves on women you meet while you’re on the clock? Noted.”
“You make it sound bad.”
I arched an eyebrow.
“Are you going to say something to Manny about it?” he asked quietly.
I didn’t actually want to cause problems for Callum with his job. But he didn’t know that, and I didn’t mind making him sweat a little. “I haven’t decided yet.”
“Would you at least warn me? Please? This job is important to me.”
Something in his voice made me feel a twinge of guilt. So I relented. “I wouldn’t actually say anything.”
He cursed under his breath, exhaling with visible relief. “Thank you.”
“Don’t take it as a favor.”
But that cocky grin was already sliding back into place. “I’ll probably be seeing you around the brewery a lot, now that you’re back in town. We should catch up.”
“I don’t think so.”
“But you said you weren’t mad.”
“About last night? Not really.”
I remembered watching him get hit on the football field in high school. He’d always been so quick to bounce back up, brush off the dirt, and get back in the game. Nothing could keep Callum low for long.
And that just made my bitter side rear up again. Because after Jessa died senior year, Callum had kicked me when I was down. Just because he could.
He might’ve seemed like the cheerful golden boy on the outside, but the real Callum was ice cold.
“But we are not friends, Callum,” I finished. “We never were, and we never will be.”
I turned on my heel and stormed back into the hospital room, determined to focus on why I was really back in this town. My grandfather. My chance to start over.
Not smirky, infuriatingly sexy himbos like Callum O’Neal.