Page 7 of Comforting the Grump
“Happy birthday, kiddo.” I handed her the envelope with a feigned grumble. “Here, I got you something. Don’t expect this level of generosity every year.”
Violet tore into the envelope with an eagerness that matched the party’s energy. As she extracted the tickets, her sassy, smart mouth was momentarily stunned into silence before erupting into a scream that pierced the air and hushed all conversations. “Taylor Swift? Uncle Marnin, these are amazing seats!”
“Figured you’d appreciate a break from Forestville’s limited options for entertainment,” I said, trying to brush off the strange, soft feeling spreading through my chest at her joy. “Go enjoy some real drama with America’s sweetheart.”
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” She threw her arms around me, and I patted her back awkwardly, a smile replacing my usual scowl.
“Alright, alright, that’s enough hugging.” I gently extricated myself from her grip. “Go show them off to your friends or whatever it is you kids do for fun these days.”
“You’re the best, even if you pretend you’re not.”
I nudged my head toward the bustling crowd. “You know I only pretend to like people at these shindigs. No pretending about my impeccable taste in gifts.”
Her laughter rang out, genuine and bright, and it was a sound that could cut through my grumpiest moods. With a final squeeze of my hand, she skipped back to her friends, leaving me to navigate the sea of high school enthusiasm toward the sanctuary of the backyard.
As she darted off, waving the tickets triumphantly, I allowed myself the smallest of smiles. For a girl who shared half my DNA, she sure knew how to live with a zest that baffled me. Maybe one day, I’d ask her how she managed it. It had to be Tricia’s DNA because it sure as fuck wasn’t mine.
I maneuvered through the crowd of teenagers, edging away from Violet and her orbit of adoration. The party buzzed with energy, the kind that made my skin itch for solitude. But duty—and not a small measure of affection for Auden’s brood—kept me anchored.
“Marnin,” Sheriff Frant said—I’d always call Auden’s father that, even if he’d been retired for a while now, “It’s good to see you, son.”
His handshake was as firm as always. “It’s good to see you too, sir.”
Auden’s stepmom was next, and I greeted her with the brief hug she expected. I liked Cora well enough, but my true devotion would always be to Sarah Frant, Auden’s mom, who had left this earth way too soon. The day she’d passed after a brutal but mercifully short bout with cancer had been the darkest day of my life, and I had grieved as deeply as Auden had.
I waved at everyone else, then escaped to the back of the yard. The grill sizzled as I approached, and Auden stood sentinel, flipping burgers with the same steady hand he usedto maintain law and order in Forestville. Unflappable was his middle name and always had been.
“Need a hand?” I offered, more out of a sense of obligation than any real desire to engage in culinary arts. Plus, it was easier to talk when you had something to do and didn’t have to maintain that awkward eye contact the whole time.
“Sure,” Auden said, passing me a spatula. “How’s life in the fast lane?”
“Fast as ever,” I said, taking over burger duty while Auden switched to inspecting the chicken wings. “But you know I love it.”
“Oh, I know. For the life of me, I don’t understand how the city doesn’t drive you crazy, but you always wanted to get out of Forestville.”
Yes, and with reason, but I didn’t need to say that. “Keaton and the kids keeping you busy?”
He added more wings to the grill with practiced ease. “Always. And if it’s not them, it’s the job. But it’s a good kind of busy, much more of a balance than before.”
Auden had changed since meeting Keaton, no longer living for the job but taking time for himself and his family. “That’s good. The kids will be off to college before you know it.”
Auden sighed. “Don’t remind me. We only have one more year with Violet and Byron. It’s hard to think about. Anyway, what’s new with you? Any exciting new products coming up?”
“Nah, but we’ve implemented some AI-powered tools in the office, basically personal assistants. They don’t talk back, so I’m considering swapping out some staff.”
I was the chief technology officer for LeClerc Robotics, a cutting-edge firm specializing in robotic appliances and technology, like snowblowers, lawn mowers, and more. I’d been working there for four years, and I loved it.
Auden laughed, the sound as calm and reassuring as the man himself. “Still not a people person, huh?”
“Never was, never will be.” I handed him a perfectly seared burger. “People complicate things. Computers follow orders.”
“True, but computers don’t throw birthday parties or give Taylor Swift tickets to teenage girls.” He nudged my shoulder. “You made her day, Marnin. That was an extraordinary gift.”
I shrugged. “Working for Sebastian LeClerc has its benefits, and access to those kinds of perks is one of them. All I had to do was ask Hadley, his husband, who’s annoyingly perky but also the most competent personal assistant you’ve ever met in your life. Within thirty minutes, he’d come through for me.”
“Didn’t they meet because Hadley worked for him?”
I grinned. “They did. That was back when Sebastian was still CEO and almost ran the place into the ground. Hadley saved his ass…and the company. And I gotta admit, Hadley is not only deadly efficient, but he’s also cute as a bug and has an ass that… You get the idea.”