A resounding groan came from every single one of them as they all turned to face Grandma.
She held a credit card in her hand and slipped by every one of them. “Yes, I need three tickets to Maui. Kihei? Is that what it’s called?” Grandma turned. “Kacey, dear, where are you honeymooning?”
“Lie.” Travis said under his breath just as Char answered, “Kanaapali.”
“Of course!” Grandma turned back around. “Three tickets to there. Yes, I’d like to use my miles.”
“This is a joke, right?” Jake said.
“I wish.” Travis sighed. “It’s like she knows how to appear out of thin air.”
“Wait.” Char pushed by Jake. “Why three tickets?”
Grandma waved behind the group. “Beth, dear? Come here. I need your ID.”
Char watched in shock as Beth approached, a not too happy look on her face.
“What’s she got on you?” Jake asked. “Dirty pictures? Embarrassing moment? Drunken text?”
Beth squinted. “Drunken text.”
Jake pointed at Travis. “Some people aren’t the brightest crayons in the box. He fell via drunken text to Grandma.”
“Two words.” Travis held up two fingers. “Mating Dance.”
“Touch?
?.” Jake sighed. “So what is it, Beth? Hmm?”
She bit her bottom lip and looked at Grandma, and then her eyes glanced toward Jace. Both of them looked away immediately.
“Oh no.” Jake groaned. “Listen, Beth, if there was Benadryl involved—”
“Drugged.” Travis shook his head. “It happens to the best of us.”
“Grandma drugged you?” Char asked.
Beth tucked her hair behind her ear. “Not exactly. I just, uh, well, she—”
“Beth!” Grandma yelled loudly enough to draw the attention of people around them. “Come on, don’t dally, we don’t have all day! You too, Jace, get your handsome self over here. You just let Grandma take care of everything.”
Jake sighed. “It’s like waiting for the storm to hit. No matter how many times you scream ‘Hurricane, take cover!’ the poor unsuspecting victims just stare at the sky in awe.”
“Grandma has that effect on people.” Char linked her arm with his.
“I can’t look away,” Travis said. “It’s like watching a car wreck. You know you should call 911 and help, but damn if you can’t manage to do anything but drive by slowly and gape.”
“Only God can help them now.” Kacey sighed.
All four of them stared at Jace and Beth as Grandma bought them first class tickets to paradise. Well, it would soon turn into hell, as most of Grandma’s plans involved pain, humiliation, manipulation… On second thought, Jake grinned.
“Why are you smiling?”
He shrugged. “I imagine this feeling is what Travis had when he watched Grandma pull the little strings of our lives together.”
Travis laughed. “You mean smug beyond belief?”
“Yeah, that.”