“Morning,” I said. “Why are you up making breakfast? You should be in bed, resting still.”
She waved my words away. “I’m fine.”
A horrible wet cough bubbled from her chest, and panic twisted my insides.
“When do you think your friend will wake?” Gran asked. “Is she an early riser?”
Clearly, she wasn’t about to address how awful her cough sounded. There was something in her eyes that begged me not to either.
So, I didn’t. Instead, I let it slide.
“If you give her coffee,” I insisted with a grin. I’d never known Karen to set foot inside the gallery without an extra-large coffee in hand. She was the type who practically needed an IV of caffeine every morning to get going. “Why? Do you have something planned for us today?”
Amusement glittered in Gran’s eyes. She definitely had something up her sleeve.
“Make a pot of coffee, will you?” She asked instead of answering me.
“Okay, sure.” I stepped to the coffee maker and prepared the one thing I knew would get Karen on board with whatever early morning shenanigans Gran had.
Forty minutes later, the three of us had eaten the french toast Gran made and Karen sat sipping on her second cup of coffee.
“Whew. Now I feel like I can function,” Karen said, her caffeinated eyes bouncing between Gran and me. “Wasn’t sure I’d be able to make it back to Denton without some caffeine in me first. Thank you. Breakfast was lovely.”
“Oh, you’re not leaving yet,” Gran insisted. “I have plans for the three of us.”
“Oh. Okay.” Karen looked to me, arching a brow. I shrugged, having no idea what Gran had planned for the three of us. “I guess I could leave later tonight. I just need to make sure I’m back in time to open the gallery tomorrow morning.”
“So, what exactly do you have planned for us today, Gran?” I asked, eying her while I cut the remaining piece of french toast in half. “Something crazy and wild?” I was joking, but only slightly. Gran looked like she had something up her sleeve.
“I might.”
“I love how unpredictable and spontaneous you are,” Karen said to Gran before taking another sip from her coffee. “I’ve always wanted to be that way. While I’m not super structured, I doubt either of those words would be ones someone would use when asked to describe me.”
“We’re all unpredictable, honey,” Gran insisted. “Every second of everyday changes who we are. You live, you learn, and you grow. Never think you know someone because even they don’t even know themselves. People are always shifting from who they were into who they will become on their final day.”
I swallowed hard, my eyes glued to Gran. She seemed different. It was almost as though something about her had shifted right then. It only took me a few seconds to realize what I’d witnessed—Gran was no longer afraid. She’d accepted her death was coming. There was a sense of peace and contentment floating around her like a shimmering halo. If today was her day to leave this Earth, she was okay with it.
The problem was—I wasn’t.
I reached across the table and grabbed her hand to gently squeeze it in mine. My throat grew thick with the sudden threat of tears, and my lungs suddenly pinched tight as though they were unable to pull in even the tiniest breath of air. Gran flashed me a knowing smile as though she knew where my thoughts had dipped.
“All right, girls, get your bathing suits on and grab some sunblock,” Gran said, her voice sounding as though she was struggling to keep a cough in. “Let’s have some fun in the sun.”
That was a surprise.
“I didn’t bring a suit with me,” Karen said. “I didn’t think I’d need one.”
“Neither did I,” I admitted.
Swimming hadn’t been something I thought I’d be doing while here. Then again, neither had fishing or picking weeds in the garden.
Karen was right to label Gran as unpredictable and spontaneous.
“Well then, I guess the two of you will have to head to the store to buy one. Either that or see if Tris or Penny have one you can borrow,” Gran suggested.
“Let me text them and ask,” I said. Spending money on a bathing suit when I had so many back at my apartment didn’t seem smart. Especially now that I wasn’t sure if Damon Kincaid would ever buy another painting from me again.
Money might be tight from here on out.
“The four of us look about the same size. If not, I don’t mind heading to the store and buying one. It’s been a while since I updated that portion of my wardrobe,” Karen said.
I created a group text with Penny and Tris.
Hey, ladies. Gran has something planned today that involves water, and I didn’t bring a suit. Neither did Karen. Do either of you have one we could borrow? - Sam
Tris was the first to reply.
Absolutely! I’ve invested in an extensive selection since moving here. I love having access to a pool.
Penny’s text came through seconds later.
I’m not much of a swimmer, but I do have a couple of bathing suits. You’re both welcome to see if either of them fit.
“Okay, so they both said we could go through their selections and see if anything fits,” I told Karen.
“Cool.” She finished the remnants of her coffee and moved to the sink to rinse out her mug. “Are they coming here, or are we meeting them somewhere?”
I sent them a text, asking. Penny replied first.
I’m meeting the contractor at the cabin site in like five minutes, we’re just touching base on a few things, but I can swing the bathing suits by before I head up the hill.
Thanks. That would be great. - Sam
I’ll gather mine up and swing them by too. I’m off today and planned on swinging by to see how Dottie was doing anyway. If she has plans to do something this morning, I’m assuming she’s feeling better?
I glanced at Gran before tapping out a reply.
Somewhat. Yeah - Sam.
Good. I’m glad. I’ll see you in a few.
Thank you, ladies! - Sam
I shifted my intention to Karen. “Penny is swinging by real quick to drop off her selection before meeting with someone about building her and Rafe’s cabin. And Tris said she’s going to gather up her suits and bring them all by as well. Looks like we’re just trying them on here.”
“I’m fine with that,” Karen insisted before shifting her attention to Gran. “Is there anything else we should be doing for this mystery morning you have planned? Maybe packing some snacks or filling bottles of water?”
“There should be some water bottles in that cabinet over there you can fill up. There are zucchini muffins in the freezer we can take with us too. And, grab the rest of that big bowl of fruit in the fridge,” Gran insisted.
“Are you not hungry?” I asked her, noticing that she’d only picked at her breakfast.
“Not right now. Maybe later,” she said.
I stood and helped Karen gather the things Gran had mentioned. A knock sounded at the door a few minutes later, and I ignored the way my heart skipped a beat out of fear it would be Damon again and headed to answer it figuring it was either Penny or Tris.
Penny stood on the porch when I opened the door. There was a broad smile on her face. “Hey, so here are two of my three bathing suits. I’m saving one because if you guys are just going to the pool or something, I wouldn’t mind tagging along. I’m not much for swimming in public pools, but I could use the mental break of having some girl time and soaking up the sun.”
“I have no clue what Gran has up her sleeve, but you’re more than welcome to come,” I insisted. “Thanks for letting us borrow these. I can’t believe I forgot my bathing suit.”
“You have a lot on your mind. I get it.” She touched my arm and flashed me a small smile.
Her smile didn’t come from a place of sympathy. It came from a place of understanding. I remembered Gran mentioning once that Penny’s mother had recently passed away, and that was the r
eason she’d moved to Gem Creek Campground.
A scuffle sounded from behind me. I spun to see Karen was helping Gran from her chair.
“I’m fine. I don’t need help, but thank you,” Gran insisted, waving Karen’s hands away. “I got a little dizzy, is all.”
“Are you okay?” I asked, immediately worried.
“I stood up too fast. I’m fine,” Gran snapped, clearly hating that everyone was staring at her with concern.
Karen locked eyes with me from across the cabin. I knew from the look on her face that whatever I’d missed it had been more than simple dizziness from standing too fast.
“My old knees don’t work like they used to,” Gran insisted as she made her way out of the kitchen and toward the hall.
“Where are you going?” I asked, wondering if I should follow her.
“To put my bathing suit on. And no, I don’t need any help.”
Penny chuckled. “Have I ever told you how much I adore your grandmother? She’s one hardheaded, stubborn woman and I love it!”
“She’s definitely stubborn.” I laughed.
Penny glanced at her watch. “Crap. I should get going. The contractor should already be there, waiting for me.”
“So, you’re building a cabin here?” Karen asked, making her way to stand beside me.
Penny’s eyes lit up with excitement. “We are. Rafe’s dad used to take him and his brothers camping on a hill that overlooks the campground. Rafe always wanted to build a cabin there so he could watch the sunsets—they’re amazing up there—so that’s what we’re doing,” she said. “I can’t wait for it to be finished.”
I remembered that place. Nash had taken me there once or twice, but it had always been Rafe’s favorite spot.
“Sounds nice,” Karen said, before shifting her attention to me. “Honestly, I’m not sure why you left this place. I mean, Denton is great, but it doesn’t hold a candle to this.”
Movement from behind Penny caught my attention. Nash had already showered and was making his rounds on his golf cart.
“I’m starting to wonder why I left, too,” I muttered, my eyes never wavering from Nash.
“I bet you are,” Penny said, following my line of sight. “I’ll be back. Let me go meet with the contractor real quick.” She jogged down the porch steps, waving at us from over her shoulder.
“I’ll let Gran know you’re coming with us to whatever water fun shenanigans she’s got planned,” I said, reluctantly pulling my eyes away from Nash. “Do you think Tris will want to come too? We can make it a true girls’ day.”
Penny nodded as she climbed into her golf cart. “I’m sure she would. And that sounds awesome.”
Ten minutes after Penny left, Tris showed up with two grocery bags full of bathing suits.
“No judgment, please. I don’t know how I ended up with so many bathing suits. I swear, I didn’t have this many before I moved here,” Tris insisted as she dumped them on the coffee table in the living room. “Now that I’m seeing them all in one place, I think I have a problem.”
“No judgment here.” Karen tossed her hands up in mock surrender. “I think it’s healthy for everyone to have at least one obsession. Mine is sunglasses. I’ve lost count of how many pairs I actually have.”
I nodded toward the porch. “I think mine is houseplants.”
“Are those all yours out there? I thought Dottie went on a shopping spree,” Tris said with a chuckle.
“Nope. They’re all mine. I swear I didn’t intend to bring so many with me, but I didn’t think this woman would be able to take care of them while I was gone.” I hooked my thumb at Karen, flashing her a nervous grin.
She placed a hand on her hip and eyed me. “Hey. They would have been fine.” She pulled out her phone and tapped around on the screen before shoving it in my face. “I set a reminder for myself to water them. I can be responsible.”
“Says the woman who’s killed at least fourteen goldfish since I’ve known her.” I narrowed my eyes at her.
“Well, they need to make noise or something. I forget they’re there.”
Tris burst into a fit of laughter, and Karen and I followed suit.
“What’s so funny?” Gran asked as she slowly made her way down the hall dressed in her black and white polka-dot bathing suit and an oversized sun hat.
“Definitely not you in that suit. You look hot,” Karen said.
Gran waved her words away as she headed to the recliner. When she sat, relief etched into her features.
“You do,” I insisted. “I love those ruffles.”
“Get your suits on,” Gran said, ignoring my comment. “Let’s get moving.”
“We’re waiting on Penny to come back. She wanted to join.” I glanced at Tris. “You should come too. And Vada, we should invite her too. It can be a girls’ day.”
“Are you sure?” Tris asked, her gaze drifting to Gran.
Gran nodded. “The more, the merrier.”
“Wait. Where are you guys doing? The pool?” Tris asked.
Karen and I both glanced at Gran. Wondering if she was going to fess up to what she had planned for today.
“Tubing.” She winked.
“Really?” I asked, excited to get the chance to experience this with her finally.
She coughed into her hand. “Really.”
“Are you sure you feel up to it?”
“Absolutely. I think it’s high time we check tubing together off our lists, don’t you?” Gran asked.
A wide smile stretched onto my face. “Heck yeah, I do!”
Chapter Twelve
The morning went too fast. We all had a blast floating down the lazy creek, but after a while, I noticed Gran looked tired and began to worry this excursion might be too much for her. Even though I knew she’d never admit it.
“That was so relaxing,” Karen insisted as she slid her inner tube along the ground from the creek. “If I lived here, I’d do this every weekend.”
“It was fun,” Vada agreed.
“Are you all right?” I asked Gran. She was leaning against the bridge, looking out of breath.
“Just tired is all.”
“Let me help you with your tube,” Tris offered, taking it from her before Gran could fight her on it. “Why don’t you go sit down and rest?”
“Ouch!” Karen shouted, rubbing the bottom of her barefoot. She’d lost a flip-flop to the creek shortly after we got in the water. “I wish I’d listened to you about taking my sandals off, Sam.”
“I tried to tell you,” I said in a sing-song voice.
“Is anyone else hungry?” Vada asked as she hauled her inner tube over the last little stretch of grass and tucked it in its position beside Karen’s on the rack. “I was thinking of heading to the store for some hot dogs or burgers. Maybe the guys can take a lunch break so we can all eat together.”
She was such a great addition to the clan. It was clear after just a short time of hanging around her today she was all about family and the unification that came with being part of the clan. She soaked it up, and I loved that about her.
“That’s a great idea,” Tris insisted. “I’ll let the guys know the plan. I was supposed to eat lunch with Liam anyway since it’s my day off.”
“I can ride to the store with you,” Penny said to Vada. “I’ll help you pick everything up.”
Vada twisted out the water from her long blond braid. “Sounds good.”
“Nash would probably love to grill burgers for us.” I grabbed my cell from inside the ziplock baggie I’d tossed it in for protection and sent him a text. His reply was quick.
Absolutely. A nice big burger sounds good.
“He’s all for grilling some burgers for us,” I informed everyone.
“Cool. We’ll be back soon then,” Penny insisted before she and Vada left to get cleaned up.
“I think I’ll head home to clean up too and let Liam know the plan. See you ladies soon,” Tris said, following after them.
&nbs
p; “Do you care if I shower when we get back to the cabin?” Karen asked. “I’d like to and then eat with you guys before I head out.”
“Sure,” I said, making my way to where Gran still stood, leaning against the bridge. “Here, let me help you to my vehicle.”
Gran took my arm without a fight and I swallowed hard, knowing she must be more exhausted than she was letting on.
Once we made it back to the cabin, I helped Gran inside and then showed Karen where the clean towels were so she could shower.
“Do you want to take a nap?” I asked Gran when I made it back to the living room. She was in her recliner, looking like she was about to fall asleep. “I can wake you when lunch is ready.”
A glimmer of defiance shifted through her eyes. “I’m fine.”
She wasn’t, we both knew it. “If you insist.” I went to the kitchen and got her a glass of water. She took it and drank a few sips, but nothing more. “That was fun. I’m glad we finally got to go tubing together,” I said, trying not to think about how sickly she looked. The heat had zapped her, but so had the cancer.
I took her hand in mine, hoping I was passing more energy to her. She looked like she needed it.
She squeezed my hand. “Me too. It was long overdue.”
“It was.”
The aroma of charbroiled burgers floated through the open windows and into the cabin. I had the ceiling fan on in the living room, but it only seemed to circulate the humid air. I sipped from my lemonade, trying not to think about how hot I was, and glanced around. Nash’s brothers and their significant others had all crammed into Gran’s tiny cabin with us. There wasn’t much elbow room, but I found that I didn’t mind, and neither did my bear. She enjoyed the close proximity of everyone. It made her feel good to be part of a group again—a part of the clan. I hadn’t realized how much both of us had missed this.
“All right, two more bites, and then I should get going,” Karen said, glancing at her watch. She had showered and changed into a pair of athletic shorts, a tank top, and sneakers. Her hair was piled on top of her head in a bun, and she was absolutely clueless that she was surrounded by bear shifters. I was glad. Not because I didn’t trust her, but because I liked who she was without knowing. “I’d like to beat all the afternoon traffic if I can. Plus, I’m exhausted. I haven’t spent this much time outdoors in years.”
Consumed (Gem Creek Bears Book 7) Page 9