“What do you mean welcome home? You’re the new one to this place.” She laughed and hugged me tighter than the force of God, and I let her for a moment before letting go.
She glared at me. “Why do you look depressed?”
“I’m not depressed, Nana.”
“I know you’re not depressed, Wyatt, that’s why I’m asking why you look depressed,” she said, breaking away from me, taking my glass, and finishing the liquor. Her face twisted together as if she ate a bag of sour candy. Plus, the wrinkles over her ivory skin made her look older than normal. I wish I’d taken a camera. “Never mind, I have my answer. What the hell is this?”
I snickered, trying to remember what I’d poured into the glass. After I left the garage, everything was kind of blank. “In all honesty, I can’t even remember, Nana.”
“Good. Never make it again, or I’ll disown you.” She cringed, putting the glass on the table.
“Nana, when did you become a such a drama queen?”
“I’ve always been one, but your sister kept overshowing me!” she shot back, her mind sharper than ever. She sighed deeply and frowned. “I miss her. I got here and automatically wanted to go to her room before remembering she wasn’t here.”
I felt my shoulders sink down slightly, but didn’t want to see her frown. “I’m sure the royal palace of Monaco can handle one more drama queen.”
At that she paused, looking me dead in the eye and said, “I’ll go visit her when you visit her. My place has always been with you boys. You and Ethan. Sons of my son. I’m very happy you are home, Wyatt…this place needs you.”
I tried to smile, but my thoughts hurt too much. “Are you sure? Because at the moment, I got people abandoning ship.”
“Is that why you look depressed? Your abandonment issues?”
“I do not have—”
“Your parents died when you were young, you have abandonment issues,” she cut me off.
I made a face and changed the subject. “Apparently all of the problems in this family are due to my selfishness.”
She snorted like a hog, and my eyes went wide as I tried not to laugh.
“Nana!”
“Bullshit!” she replied. “Everyone in this damn house is selfish.”
“Exactly!” I nodded to her.
“You’re more selfish,” she added, putting me in my place, and I couldn’t help but pout like a kid. We were all kids to her anyway. She linked arms with me and said, “But your selfishness is nowhere near big enough to be the root cause of this family’s issues. Ethan and Helen needed an emotional punching bag, and because you have a bad habit of choosing the worst times to speak to people—”
“Hey—”
“They took their anger out on you,” she finished.
“So, what am I supposed to do?”
“Take it.” She shrugged. “You’ve done it to them dozens if not hundreds of times, and they forgave you and moved on because that is what family is for. Let them sort themselves out, and you keep focused on what you’re supposed to do.”
“You don’t think I need to be less selfish?”
“Taking their abuse is already being less selfish, so you are. Besides, knowing what you want and doing it…is not always a bad thing. Many times, especially in this family of master planners and strategists, it’s a good thing. It makes you human. It makes other people in this family stand up for what they really want, too. I’d be sad if you changed who you were, Wyatt. You’re just as your mother made you…perfect in your own way.”
I paused for a moment before glancing at my watch. It was after five. I’d called my uncles for a meeting, which was why I was in Ethan’s study anyway. “You came to give me a pep talk before I talk to Uncle Neal and Uncle Declan?”
She grinned. “What else can a grandmother do but give pep talks? Hell, I live for these moments. You all never remember me until you’re hurt.”
“Nana—”
“No. No. It’s fine. I get it. Everyone is grown now,” she said, obviously to further add to my guilt as she walked back to the door.