speechless, though he wouldn’t have asked, anyway.
“I’d never met my grandparents. Gramps was quiet and just watched us, because that’s how he was. But Gram cried and wrapped her arms around me.” Gretchen paused, and then the wall cracked and her eyes shimmered with tears. “I think it was the first time I’d ever been hugged.”
His heart ached for her. “Where are your parents now?”
“I have no idea. The farm was still doing pretty well financially back then and Gramps had just bought himself a new pickup. I remember it being bright red because itwas the shiniest truck I’d ever seen, and I was afraid to touch it and leave fingerprints on the paint. Gram had six hundred dollars in cash tucked away and she gave it to them. Then Gramps signed that truck over to my dad, and my parents signed papers giving me to Gramps and Gram. When my parents left the lawyer’s office, that was the last time I ever saw them.”
Alex leaned back, trying to process that. She had a way of saying things so matter-of-factly it was impossible for a person to know how to respond. Should he offer sympathy for her having shitty parents? Knowing her, probably not. Then he remembered the framed photo on the desk. “Is that the truck in the picture in the living room?”
She smiled and nodded. “Yeah. When he passed away, Gram and I were going through pictures to find a few to put on display at the funeral home and we found that one. He’s scowling at the camera because he hated having his picture taken and he didn’t see why she was making a fuss about a truck. But it was the first new vehicle they’d ever owned—or
would
ever own—and she wanted a picture.
“Right after my parents left, I told Gramps I was sorry he had to buy a used truck with a dent in it because he’d given his pretty new one to my dad. He just smiled and said it was a bargain, and he was just glad my dad hadn’t been smart enough to ask for the property. I was too young to understand what he meant then, but looking at that photo with Gram, I realized he meant he would have given everything he had—even the farm—to keep me with him and Gram.”
In that instant, he felt like he really understood Gretchen for the first time. Her devotion to her grandmother and her determination to keep the farm going, even if it meantgrowing pumpkins and changing her own oil, made sense. “You’re a lucky lady to have grandparents like that.”
“Yup.” She inhaled deeply, as if centering herself, and then she gave him a small smile. “Best day of my life.”
He thought about asking her if he could use that story, or pieces of it, but discarded the idea almost immediately. She wouldn’t want that, and the asking would just make things awkward again. “Need any help?”
“I’m done. Just have to get the truck back on the ground and clean up. We’re having burgers tonight, though, so if you want to fire up the grill when Gram’s ready, that would be awesome.”
“Sounds good. I’ve got to carry my stuff in and then I’ll find her.”
Cocoa went with him, watching with interest as he pulled his camera bag out of the back. He decided to leave the tripod in there, and then closed the hatch. “Come on, girl. Let’s go find Ida.”
She thumped her tail on the ground until Alex started to move, and then she shadowed him into the house. Ida was still knitting, but she set it down when he walked in.
“Did you get some good pictures today?”
“I did. And I see blue yarn there. Did you finish the purple set for the little girl in Ohio?”
She beamed. “I did, and it came out beautiful. I did a picot edging with a white yarn with sparkles in it, and it might be the cutest set yet.”
“Did you pack it up already? I could take some photos of it for your online store if you want.”
“I was hoping you’d offer.” She reached down to rub the dog’s back. “He’s a good boy, isn’t he, Cocoa?”
When the Lab gazed up at him, her tongue lolling
“I’d never met my grandparents. Gramps was quiet and just watched us, because that’s how he was. But Gram cried and wrapped her arms around me.” Gretchen paused, and then the wall cracked and her eyes shimmered with tears. “I think it was the first time I’d ever been hugged.”
His heart ached for her. “Where are your parents now?”
“I have no idea. The farm was still doing pretty well financially back then and Gramps had just bought himself a new pickup. I remember it being bright red because itwas the shiniest truck I’d ever seen, and I was afraid to touch it and leave fingerprints on the paint. Gram had six hundred dollars in cash tucked away and she gave it to them. Then Gramps signed that truck over to my dad, and my parents signed papers giving me to Gramps and Gram. When my parents left the lawyer’s office, that was the last time I ever saw them.”
Alex leaned back, trying to process that. She had a way of saying things so matter-of-factly it was impossible for a person to know how to respond. Should he offer sympathy for her having shitty parents? Knowing her, probably not. Then he remembered the framed photo on the desk. “Is that the truck in the picture in the living room?”
She smiled and nodded. “Yeah. When he passed away, Gram and I were going through pictures to find a few to put on display at the funeral home and we found that one. He’s scowling at the camera because he hated having his picture taken and he didn’t see why she was making a fuss about a truck. But it was the first new vehicle they’d ever owned—or
would
ever own—and she wanted a picture.
“Right after my parents left, I told Gramps I was sorry he had to buy a used truck with a dent in it because he’d given his pretty new one to my dad. He just smiled and said it was a bargain, and he was just glad my dad hadn’t been smart enough to ask for the property. I was too young to understand what he meant then, but looking at that photo with Gram, I realized he meant he would have given everything he had—even the farm—to keep me with him and Gram.”
In that instant, he felt like he really understood Gretchen for the first time. Her devotion to her grandmother and her determination to keep the farm going, even if it meantgrowing pumpkins and changing her own oil, made sense. “You’re a lucky lady to have grandparents like that.”
“Yup.” She inhaled deeply, as if centering herself, and then she gave him a small smile. “Best day of my life.”
He thought about asking her if he could use that story, or pieces of it, but discarded the idea almost immediately. She wouldn’t want that, and the asking would just make things awkward again. “Need any help?”
“I’m done. Just have to get the truck back on the ground and clean up. We’re having burgers tonight, though, so if you want to fire up the grill when Gram’s ready, that would be awesome.”
“Sounds good. I’ve got to carry my stuff in and then I’ll find her.”
Cocoa went with him, watching with interest as he pulled his camera bag out of the back. He decided to leave the tripod in there, and then closed the hatch. “Come on, girl. Let’s go find Ida.”
She thumped her tail on the ground until Alex started to move, and then she shadowed him into the house. Ida was still knitting, but she set it down when he walked in.
“Did you get some good pictures today?”
“I did. And I see blue yarn there. Did you finish the purple set for the little girl in Ohio?”
She beamed. “I did, and it came out beautiful. I did a picot edging with a white yarn with sparkles in it, and it might be the cutest set yet.”
“Did you pack it up already? I could take some photos of it for your online store if you want.”
“I was hoping you’d offer.” She reached down to rub the dog’s back. “He’s a good boy, isn’t he, Cocoa?”
When the Lab gazed up at him, her tongue lolling
Similar Books
