Page 128 of Born for Starlight

“Appreciate it.”

I didn’t have to see Little Grandma to feel her crossing the room. She was a presence, and this was her domain. I stood up when she got to the table.

“I see you made it back in one piece,” she said as she sat down.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Lettie placed a biscuit and a cup of tea in front of her.

“I’ll be back with your burger in just a moment,” she promised again.

“Don’t hurry,” Little Grandma called after her.

I’m SO screwed.

Little Grandma broke a tiny bit of biscuit off and put it into her mouth, watching me the entire time. When she was done chewing, she looked at me. “What was the one thing I told you not to do?”

“Don’t lie to Angelica.”

“And you did.”

“Yes ma’am, I did.”

“I’ve had to watch that girl curl in on herself for almost two months. I’ve had to watch her two brothers rage around this town like wounded bears looking for someone to kill. All because you didn’t bother to take my advice. Am I reading this situation correctly?”

Part of me just wanted to take it on the chin and agree with her. I didn’t want to try to explain the nuance, I just wanted to say she was right, and I’d fucked up. I opened my mouth, then she held up her hand.

“Young man, are you going to be telling me the truth, or telling me what you think I’d like to hear?”

“I screwed up.”

“Yes. We can all agree on that. I heard what you did in Brazil. How you saved that little girl. You redeemed yourself. But Matthew, you’ve been working in the shadows for years now, so what makes you think you can come into the light and be the man that Angelica needs for the long run?”

I looked into those light blue eyes that had seen over a century of men’s lies and dreams, hopes and failures. “I made sure that every piece of my old life that could possibly touch Angelica has been burned to ash. I’m coming to her unencumbered. Just me. Ready for any life she wants to build.”

The old woman raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure about that?”

"Ma'am, I haven't done it yet, but I'm ready to buy the biggest house in Jasper Creek. I need one with a long mantel. Angelica's going to want a Christmas stocking up for every kid we take in.”

Her lip twitched. And then it turned into a full grin. “You’ll do, Matthew Grainger. You’ll do just fine.”

She raised her hand and turned her head. “Lettie, you can bring Matthew his food now.”

She turned to look back at me. “And the girl? Luzia?”

“What about her?”

“Don’t try to con an old woman.”

I lowered my voice. “She’ll be here tomorrow, before noon.”

“And Angelica doesn’t know?”

“No ma’am.”

She looked at her tea for a long moment. "Then I've got some calls to make. And you're going to eat every bite of that lunch, you hear?"

She opened the door before I even had a chance to knock.