Chapter 23 Family At The Black Angus #3
“And that is where I learned it,” Janet said to Greg. “She erected a fortress around her heart and I wanted to be just like her after I got hurt. I shut everyone else out except for Vanessa, Jacques, Veronica and your grandma. I barely spoke with Annabelle and Willamina for a while.”
“That’s so true,” Willamina responded. “Only for about a year or so before Annabelle tore her Achilles and had to stop dancing.”
“That’s because Vanessa made me dance ballet with her, just so I could be near Veronica.” She shook her head. “I wasn’t the most graceful, but your grandma let me dance with the company because she knew everything.”
“Vanessa would have left if you didn’t get to stay,” Graciella admitted. “I needed her as the understudy.” She shook her head then looked at Greg. “You still have a lingering question my boy?”
“Who’s idea was it for Veronica and I to meet up?”
“MINE!” the three women said in unison. Greg just stared in disbelief.
“It was my idea, my child,” Janet started then Willamina cut in.
“I was the one saying that Greg needed someone to heal his heart,” but she was cut off by Graciella.
“It was my idea that Janet start working out a plan for you and Veronica to meet. I couldn’t stand to see either of you hurting any longer.
And when David spoke up, I knew there wasn’t any time to waste.
” She looked over to Janet. “I remembered how Robert had finally come around, and allowed you to rejoin the family. So I asked if you could find a way to get Greg and Veronica to meet.”
“I answered, I’ll just use their financials against them.
” Greg waited. “I brought Rafael and Mischel running to Pimico when I exposed the overcharging that Jason and Philip Marsden were hammering Erronts and Reed with.” She smiled.
“I knew that would bring them to Greg.” She looked over at Willamina.
“And,” she paused, “He’s such a creature of habit. ”
“I know. Everything goes through Club Euchre for him,” Willamina pronounced.
“Then I coordinated with Carlo, James and Veronica to be at the club having finally returned to Kansas City.” Janet smiled. “Setting up the raffle for the first dance was a brilliant idea Graciella. Carlo pulled it off magnificently also.”
“Hold on,” Greg protested. “Carlo was involved in all this?”
“It makes sense Greg. Too many things went like clockwork,” David said. “Like how Fred was sick a week longer than he should have been. Who’s idea was that?”
“Oh,” Willamina replied. “That was me. At least it was my job. After you went to momma, I started speaking with Fred and he was getting worried about Greg too.”
“I’ve got your meals and the extra cheese sticks,” Sarah announced. “I tried to give you as much privacy as possible.”
“You did just fine, Sarah. Please continue with your duties,” Greg said. When she put his plate down in front of him he looked up. “Sarah?”
“Yes, Greg?”
“Would it be allowed to give you a kiss on the cheek as my personal thank you for giving us so much private time?”
“I wouldn’t mind,” she said and giggled, then leaned down so Greg could give her a kiss on the cheek. “You are most welcome, Greg.” She finished and left the table.
Greg looked at David and Tessa for a good long minute. Everyone sat in silence, looking at the meals in front of them. Nobody was moving or speaking so Graciella broke the tension sitting at the table. “Alright, Greg. We confess that we plotted to try to make you happy. Are you satisfied?”
“No,” Greg slowly replied then looked Graciella straight in the eye. “I don’t understand why everyone thought Veronica and I would make such a good couple.”
“OMG, Greg. You don’t remember, do you?” Willamina said in surprise. She looked at Janet then at Graciella. “Greg?”
“Remember what?” Greg asked clearly confused.
“Did you think he’d remember something like that after such a tragic event Willamina? He was still processing the loss of Robert, Annabelle and Robby. How is he supposed to remember proposing to Veronica in the Academy?”
Greg’s jaw dropped to the floor and he nearly fell out of his seat, grasping desperately at the bench as he was falling backward.
David quickly moved to catch him and pick him back up into his seat.
Greg was panting in place, his mind racing as he searched for any memory of this event.
Nothing, and panic was filling his face.
“CALM DOWN!” Tessa shouted, and it snapped Greg back into the present.
He sucked in a deep breath as he pulled himself the rest of the way back up into his seat.
“You just need to know how to reach him,” Tessa said with a shrug of her shoulders.
“Ever since the drive-by, that’s the only way. ”
“Since the drive-by?” Janet asked. “He’s been doing this since then?”
“Erica said it had to do with the poison that was being snuck into the experimental pain treatment opioid they’d made and prescribed for him. It threw off his brain chemistry.”
“Oh,” Janet said slowly. “I need to speak with Erica then and see what she and Steven have been up to.”
“What do you mean,” Greg stammered out. “I never asked anyone to marry me at the Dance Academy.”
“Greg,” Graciella said soft and gentle. “You heard about Vanessa and proposed.”