“Grandma,” Travis warned.
She shrugged. “I was going to say ‘fall in love’.”
“My ass,” Jake muttered from the other side.
Petunia glared at Grandma. “You’re a heathen.”
“At least I’m not a heathen in hiding… Where’s your whip, Petunia?”
Char’s eyes widened.
Wescott chuckled. “Now let’s just calm down, everyone. We’re here to celebrate—”
“Probably with your red heels, you tattooed hussy!” Petunia screamed.
“I do like those heels,” Grandma said longingly.
“Oh look, dinner!” Bets said in a high-pitched voice. “Everyone, eat, eat!” She clapped and began piling food brought in by the waiters that came with the catering crew onto her plate.
“Oysters.” Grandma pointed to one of the buckets. “Eat up, Travis. You’ll need this tomorrow night.”
He cursed and looked to the sky. “And I was doing so well reining it in.”
“If that’s you reining it in, I’m a nun.” Grandma winked while Travis groaned and scooted away from Kacey.
“Oh look!” Bets pointed to the middle of the table. “We’re out of wine.”
“I’ll get some!” Travis shouted, pulling back from the table, his hand firmly grasping Kacey’s forearm.
Grandma calmly reached into her purse and pulled out a collar that looked a lot like the kind you’d put on a dog in order to shock it. “Sit down, Travis.”
With a curse he sat.
“I’ll uh, I’ll go.” Char rose from her seat.
“Me too.” This from Jace. “You may get lost in that wine cellar.”
“My hero,” she said dryly. Although he didn’t seem to care. His gaze was trained on Grandma. He nodded just once and then looked back at Char.
“Ready?” He offered his arm, ignoring her curious look altogether.
They walked in silence the rest of the way back to the house.
Chapter Forty-five
Jake was going to give them exactly five minutes alone before he burst into the wine cellar, guns blazing. He had just been about to offer to escort her when Jace rose from the other end of the table. Jace had exchanged a weird look with Grandma then left.
Eyes narrowing, Jake took a sip of wine and watched the door, waiting for their return. He checked his watch. Damn, it had only been thirty seconds.
“My, my.” Grandma pulled up a chair next to his. “I never thought I’d see the day.”
“Huh?” Jake flinched when a bird landed on the doorknob. Wow, how pathetic was he?
“You’ve chosen well.” Grandma sighed. “Why, I would have picked her myself, had I anything to do with matters. But my matchmaking days are over, as you well know.”
“Right.” Jake licked his lips and checked his watch again. A minute and a half. He was in Hell.
“… so I just need you to sign here.” A pen was forced into his hand. He barely glanced down at the paper and signed his name where Grandma’s hand was hovering, then handed the pen back to her. “Three min