Chapter 14 #2
“Wait. How’s that possible? I didn’t remove him.”
“Well someone did. Says here an Alex Sanders called.”
My head swam with the mix-up. “But I’m Alex Sanders.”
“Is it possible you made the call and then forgot?”
The sass in her tone rubbed me the wrong way. “No. That’s not possible. Can I talk to your supervisor please?”
“She’s not available now but I’d be happy to take a message.”
I questioned the authenticity of that statement but left my name and number. As I made my way back to the warehouse, I wondered how my grandfather could have been removed from the list. Char wouldn’t have done it. Which left one person who would know.
“Hey, Gramps, can I talk to you for a moment?” I tried to keep my smile friendly and not give in to my rising frustration.
“I’m busy at the moment. What’s on your mind?” Gramps stood next to Zina, watching as she scooped out kibble and filled a dog’s dish before sliding it into its crate.
“I’d rather chat in private if you don’t mind.” No need to air my family’s dirty laundry in front of Zina. She already probably thought I was a lost cause based on how I’d destroyed her dog shelter.
“I don’t know why you can’t just speak your mind right here. You afraid you’re going to piss off one of the dogs?” he asked.
“Fine. I wanted to keep it just between us, but why did you remove your name from the waiting list at Water’s Edge?”
Gramps scoffed. “That place? The only water they’re on the edge of is a manmade pond they filled with runoff. I don’t care what you and your sister say, I’m not going back into another home.”
Zina’s eyebrows shot up and she let the scoop fall into the bin. “I’ll catch up with you in a bit. Sound good?” I didn’t miss the way she dropped a hand to my grandfather’s shoulder.
Gramps covered her hand with his and gave her an authentic smile, not one of the tight-lipped grimaces he’d been sending my way. “Don’t let my persistent grandson scare you off.”
“Do I look like the kind of woman who spooks easily?” she asked.
“No, you sure don’t.” Gramps let out a chuckle as Zina walked away. “That girl is somethin’ else. Why, if I were a few years younger . . .”
I couldn’t agree more. Zina was full of surprises.
The way she handled Gramps, the comfortable way she’d been around Dolly, there really wasn’t much she couldn’t do.
Before I went all soft thinking about Zina and the way her lips quirked up at the corners when she found something amusing, I shook it off.
“We’re talking about the wait list.”
“You know, you should ask her out.” Gramps nodded. “She’s a real catch. Don’t find women like that nowadays. They’re all soft and wishy-washy. Not like your sister. And not like Zina. Those two are cut from the same kind of cloth.”
“In that case, I’m out. I definitely don’t need someone like Char in my life. I already have to put up with her trying to boss me around.”
Gramps chuckled. “Your grandmother was like that. All bark and no bite. She’d threaten all right. But when it came down to it, she was a softy.”
I remembered. But I wasn’t in the mood to share a tender moment of reminiscing. I needed to figure out why Gramps thought it was a good idea to take himself off the wait list.
“You know I’m not sticking around after this wedding, right?” I asked. “I got a call from Mr. Munyon’s attorney. When I’m done here, he wants to hire me for another project he’s got going down in the Caymans.”
Gramps shrugged. “Not my business what you do with your life.”
“That’s right.” Good, maybe we saw more eye to eye than I thought.
“Not even if you are messing it up.”
“Excuse me?” I crossed my arms over my chest. “Why the hell do you think I’m messing up my life?”
“You keep running but you’re not going to find what you’re looking for.” Gramps let out a sigh.
“And what exactly is it you think I’m looking for?” I wanted to know.
“I can’t tell you that. You’ll have to figure it out for yourself.”
I rolled my eyes and huffed out a breath. “If you’re done spouting your mumbo jumbo crap, can we talk about why you called the nursing home and took yourself off the wait list?”
Gramps didn’t bat an eye. “I’m not going.”
“You don’t have a choice.”
“Son, you’ve always got a choice, and I’m not spending the rest of my days at Water’s Edge.” He made air quotes around “Water’s Edge” like he wanted to further drive his point home.
“You can’t stay with Char. We both know she’s in over her head with those girls.”
“You’re right. I don’t want to stay with Char. I’m going to live on my own.”
I wanted to shake the man’s shoulders . . . anything so he’d see the light and realize he was past the luxury of being able to make those kinds of decisions for himself. But I figured I’d humor him, just for a bit. “Where are you planning to go?”
Gramps shrugged. “I’ve got a perfectly good place that’s already paid for.”
“It doesn’t work that way. You can’t stay out at the ranch by yourself. I’m calling them back and adding your name to the list again.”
“Do what you’ve got to do,” Gramps said as he unclipped the first dog from its leash. “And I’ll do what I need to do.”
I shook off the thinly veiled threat. I didn’t have time to worry about Gramps and the very real risk of him going rogue. I was about to be up to my ears in penguins and pit bulls, and I needed all the help I could get.
“Okay, Gramps. Let’s make a deal.”
“Now you want to bargain?”
“You help me with the penguins and pitch in with the dogs. If you can stay out of trouble and don’t take any spills, I’ll talk to Char about maybe letting you go back to the ranch.”
“I think that’s only fair.” Gramps shrugged but didn’t try to hide his satisfied grin.
“I’m still putting your name back on that list. If you have any health issues, you’ve got to take the spot at Water’s Edge.”
Gramps didn’t nod but the slight incline of his head signaled he’d got the message, loud and clear.
I was tired of arguing. It seemed to be the only thing I’d done since I got back. I left my grandfather to deal with the dogs and went looking for Zina. What had possessed me to agree to help her bathe the dogs that afternoon?