CHAPTER TWENTY
Asher
“Gran? You awake?” I knock on the door to her room and push it open to check for myself.
She’s propped up in her bed, her eyes closed like she’s sleeping. Her hair is like a halo of silver around her head and her complexion is flawless, including the wrinkles that illustrate a life well-lived. My beautiful gran.
She’s had a rough couple of days, so I’m glad she’s resting now. Resolved not to disturb her, I tiptoe into the room with a fresh bouquet of lavender to replace the one dying on her windowsill, as I do every few days.
“Asher. You’re here.”
Her lopsided smile is wide when I turn to face her. “Did you think I’d miss a chance to hang with my favorite person?”
“Pop was your favorite person,” she says and doesn’t even try to hide the tears that well in her eyes. “He snuck you candy, let you eat ice cream for lunch, and called you in sick to school to go fishing with him. I could never compete with that.”
“You didn’t have to.” I take a seat beside her and press a kiss to the top of her hand. “You gave me spa days in your bathroom, let me sit on the counter while you made pies, and snuggled with me whenever it thundered.”
“I don’t want to be sad, Ash. Tell me something happy.”
“Well . . . I may be seeing someone.”
“Mr. Handsome.” My eyes meet hers, and I nod. “I knew something was going on when you came here the other day. You never could keep a secret from me, you know.”
“Guess not.”
“It was in the way he looked at you. Words can fool, but eyes can’t lie.” Gran’s wisdom at its finest. “He looked familiar. Was he a high school friend?”
I nod and hope she doesn’t catch the lie.
Maxton’s words not only hurt me that night, but they devastated Gran and Pop too.
She said as much the other day when I asked her what she remembered.
It agitated her just talking about it. The last thing I need to do is upset her when she’s had enough pain over the past few months. “Something like that.”
“And he treats you well?”
“Yes, but we’re just in the seeing each other phase. That’s it.”
“Uh-huh,” she says in that way that says she doesn’t believe me.
“Do you want to get outside for a bit? We can take a stroll in the gardens? Get some fresh air?”
“No.” She pats her hand over mine. “I’m too tired today. Everything hurts.” She yawns. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” I press a kiss on her forehead. “I’ll leave you be so you can rest.”
“Hmm.” She smiles softly as her eyelids start to droop. “I remembered something about that night. The one you were asking me about the other day.”
“Oh?” There’s not much more she can tell me considering her reiteration of events was basically word for word how I remembered it happening.
“When Pop came inside after talking with that . . . horrid man, he had something in his hand. A tan envelope.”
“What was in it?”
“That’s the thing. Pop told me it didn’t matter. All that mattered was you. I never saw it again.”
I stand there beside her as her breathing starts to even out and her eyes flutter closed. “Will you take him some lavender for me too?” she whispers, her voice already drugged with sleep.
Pop’s headstone. She wants me to take him lavender too.
My heart squeezes in my chest.
“Of course, I will. I promise to bring both of you lavender always.”