“Would it be okay with you if I came back? Her surgery is on Wednesday, and the doctor said she would only be in the hospital two or three days, so she’ll likely be home Friday or Saturday. I could come down for the weekend.”
“I’m sure she’d like that. Though I can only have you come back under one condition.”
“Oh?”
“I’m paying for your flight. And I’m reimbursing you for the one you already paid for.”
“No, it’s fine. I’d have done it for Kitty even if you weren’t my employer.”
“I know you would have. But it will make me feel better.”
She nodded, but I had a feeling she had no intention of giving me the bill, so I made a mental note to tell Joan in HR to put a bonus in her next check.
We went inside, and since the market was open today, I had some work to do and a bunch of calls to make. Evie went online and booked a ticket for 6 AM tomorrow morning and then said she was running to the store to pick up some things to make dinner.
It was almost six by the time I joined her in the kitchen. “It smells good in here.”
“I’m making chicken piccata, but I think it’s the cookies I’m baking that you smell.”
“Uh-oh. Should I be nervous about why you’re baking?”
She smiled. “No, I’m in a good mood. It was nice to be down here, and I’m relieved Kitty is feeling well and going to have the surgery.”
“Yeah, me, too.”
Evie turned to face me and leaned against the kitchen island. “Can I say something and you won’t get offended?”
“That’s never a good start to a conversation…”
She laughed. “It’s not terrible. Just an observation.”
I folded my arms across my chest and leaned against the counter across from her. “Go ahead. Lay it on me.”
“Well, you’re a very different person out of the office. You come across as cold and hard, but you’re actually warm and soft.”
“Soft is not a word a man likes to hear himself described as, for many reasons.”
Evie smiled. “If you showed even just a glimpse of this side of you in the office, I think it would go a long way.”
I looked down, quiet for a moment. “I think I might have forgotten that there was another side of me. Maybe the trip down here was a reminder I needed.”
“Your grandmother is a special lady. She brings out the best in people.”
I looked up and caught Evie’s eye. “She is a special lady. But I’m not sure she’s the one who brought about the change.”
Evie’s lips parted, and I couldn’t stop staring at them for the longest time. When I finally forced my eyes up to meet hers, I found her watching me just as intently as I’d been watching her. But then…
“Merrick! We’re back!” Grams yelled from the other room. “Just wanted to let you know in case we’re walking in at a bad time.”
Evie and I looked at each other, breaking into smiles. I wasn’t sure if Grams had bad timing or good.