Page 3 of Thicker than Blood
“She’s… twelve.”
Maria gasps at my words and my grandfather’s face turns stormy as the woman standing in front of me puts her hand down and takes a step back from me.
“Boy, I taught you better manners than this.”
Well, son of a bitch!
“How old are you?”
“She’s nineteen and knows CPR and how to use the paddles if need be.”
“Perhaps, I should go and let the two of you catch up with one another …alone.”
My grandfather’s eyes turn warm, and he melts for this woman. “Nonsense! You mustn’t leave before you’ve had dessert, dear.”
Or you are dessert!
What is she doing with my grandfather? Is she trying to ingratiate herself with him in hopes of being put in the will? Is she looking to marry him and make him her sugar daddy? If she marries him, she won’t have to worry about being in the will, she will get it all. But why my grandfather? Because he’s old and she thinks he will be easily manipulated? That pisses me off!
I don’t know who this woman is pretending to be but she’s not taking advantage of my grandfather like that. By the end of the night, I will know everything about her, every deep dark secret, every evil intention, every thought this woman has will be mine.
“Now, dear, are you ready for dessert?” I watch as my grandfather frowns at his companion. “You didn’t eat very much. Was it not good?”
“No! It was excellent as always. I just… I snacked.”
I watch as she lies to my grandfather. Why lie?
“Dessert would be good, thank you?”
I take a seat very close to…Mae. I make her nervous. Only a guilty person would be so nervous and lie about everything. Has she poisoned Gramps’ food? Is that why she is eating so little and lying to him about snacking before?
I don’t know what‘s going on here, but I intend to find out just what this she-demon is up to and what she wants with my grandfather. Then I plan to use that to my own advantage!
Chapter Four
Maple
God, the grandson makes me nervous! I don’t know why. It just feels like he is looking right through me… and I am coming up short.
I watch as Maria sets the martini glass down in front of me, Eddie, and the grandson.
“It’s a chocolate trifle.” Eddie dips his spoon in the glass and brings up a big scoop showing me. “I remember, my dear. No coffee stuff.”
I give him a genuine smile and melt a little inside at Eddie remembering how much I dislike coffee, it’s almost an allergy really.
“Why don’t you like coffee, Mable?”
My attention swings back to the grandson. “It’s Maple, like the leaf. But, um, you can call me…”
“Maple? Like the leaf. Or the syrup.”
A blush hits my cheeks as my face turns into one big red flame. I keep my eyes down, so I don’t have to look at Eddie’s reaction to his grandson’s words. They weren’t inherently sexual. It was just the way he said it really.
“Tell me… Maple, are you as sweet as your name’s sake?”
I risk looking up to see Eddie studying us. When I don’t answer he takes it upon himself to answer the question his grandson asked.
“Just as sweet and twice as pleasing.”