her head. “I can’t get over this day. First, you want to move and leave me, then Shelby finds a dead body. It’s too much.”
“You don’t need me around anymore, and you cramp my style. The last time I brought a man home you gave him the third degree as if we were sixteen.” Grandma glanced around the room. “Look at all the eligible men here. Why would I want to stay with you?”
I choked back a laugh and pretended to cough. The men of Shady Acres had no idea the danger in their midst. I was tempted to stand up and yell, “Run for your lives.”
“Living with you was like living with a teenager.” Mom headed for the buffet.
Grandma followed. “I’m too old to need a chaperone.”
“Those two are characters.” Heath sat next to me.
My body flushed. “Especially Grandma.”
“Aren’t you hungry?” His blue eyes focused on me and increased the room’s temperature by ten degrees.
“I’ll wait for the piranhas to get their’s first.” I sighed. “Do people die unexpectedly around here often?”
“Not under suspicious circumstances.” He shrugged. “Heart attacks, stroke, things like that.”
“You think Maybelle’s death is suspicious?”
He shrugged. “The way the cops were acting, it’s a good deduction. At least they’re treating the greenhouse like a crime scene. I don’t think you’ll be allowed access for a few days.”
I gasped. I found the body. What if they considered me a suspect? I thought Donald jilting me at the altar was a bad thing. This was much worse. I folded my arms and rested my head on the table.
“Not a very good first day, was it?” Heath patted my back. “Come on. Let’s hit the buffet. You’ll feel better with something in your stomach.”
I lifted my head and let him lead me to the long line. Today’s theme was Mexican food. The buffet had everything one needed for tacos, nachos, and loaded burritos. I settled for two tacos, grabbing a diet coke on my way. As we finally reached the end, I grabbed a Sopapilla. Then another. I stayed on the verge of being two skinny and was blessed with a high metabolism. It drove my best friend nuts.
“It looks like I’m getting dessert early,” Grandma said as we approached the table. “Handsome, you sit next to me.”
He grinned and gave me a wink. “It’s Heath, ma’am.”
“Of course it is. A man like you wouldn’t have a sissy name like Hank.” She lifted a glass of red wine. “The doctor said a glass of wine a night was good for my heart, so I drink two, just to be safe.”
Heath laughed, the sound ringing across the dining room and attracting the attention of the residents. “You, Miss Ida, are good for my heart.”
“Oh, you flirt.” She blushed. Grandma actually blushed.
“Are you the one who found Maybelle?” A woman with pink tinted hair and wearing a bright yellow jumpsuit leaned over my shoulder. “I need to talk to you. Eight o’clock by the gazebo.” She straightened and left.
“That’s Birdie,” Heath said. “She’s a bit of a…character. Sees a conspiracy wherever she goes.”
“Should I meet with her?” I picked up a taco.
“I’ll go with you,” Grandma offered. “You can’t trust a woman with hair that color.”
“I think your moving here is a bad idea,” Mom said. “It isn’t safe and there is too much trouble for you to find.”
“Oh, hush, Sue Ellen. You need to learn how to live a little.” Grandma downed what was left in her wine glass. “Where can I get another glass?”
“They only allow each resident one glass in the dining room.” Heath cut into a carne asada. “If you want more, you’ll have to buy it and put it in the fridge in your room.”
“Good thing I have some in the van with my things. That’s something a girl shouldn’t run out of. You don’t mind helping me unpack after supper, do you?”
“It will be my pleasure.”
While my sixty-five-year-old Grandmother flirted with a man half her age, I surveyed the others in
“You don’t need me around anymore, and you cramp my style. The last time I brought a man home you gave him the third degree as if we were sixteen.” Grandma glanced around the room. “Look at all the eligible men here. Why would I want to stay with you?”
I choked back a laugh and pretended to cough. The men of Shady Acres had no idea the danger in their midst. I was tempted to stand up and yell, “Run for your lives.”
“Living with you was like living with a teenager.” Mom headed for the buffet.
Grandma followed. “I’m too old to need a chaperone.”
“Those two are characters.” Heath sat next to me.
My body flushed. “Especially Grandma.”
“Aren’t you hungry?” His blue eyes focused on me and increased the room’s temperature by ten degrees.
“I’ll wait for the piranhas to get their’s first.” I sighed. “Do people die unexpectedly around here often?”
“Not under suspicious circumstances.” He shrugged. “Heart attacks, stroke, things like that.”
“You think Maybelle’s death is suspicious?”
He shrugged. “The way the cops were acting, it’s a good deduction. At least they’re treating the greenhouse like a crime scene. I don’t think you’ll be allowed access for a few days.”
I gasped. I found the body. What if they considered me a suspect? I thought Donald jilting me at the altar was a bad thing. This was much worse. I folded my arms and rested my head on the table.
“Not a very good first day, was it?” Heath patted my back. “Come on. Let’s hit the buffet. You’ll feel better with something in your stomach.”
I lifted my head and let him lead me to the long line. Today’s theme was Mexican food. The buffet had everything one needed for tacos, nachos, and loaded burritos. I settled for two tacos, grabbing a diet coke on my way. As we finally reached the end, I grabbed a Sopapilla. Then another. I stayed on the verge of being two skinny and was blessed with a high metabolism. It drove my best friend nuts.
“It looks like I’m getting dessert early,” Grandma said as we approached the table. “Handsome, you sit next to me.”
He grinned and gave me a wink. “It’s Heath, ma’am.”
“Of course it is. A man like you wouldn’t have a sissy name like Hank.” She lifted a glass of red wine. “The doctor said a glass of wine a night was good for my heart, so I drink two, just to be safe.”
Heath laughed, the sound ringing across the dining room and attracting the attention of the residents. “You, Miss Ida, are good for my heart.”
“Oh, you flirt.” She blushed. Grandma actually blushed.
“Are you the one who found Maybelle?” A woman with pink tinted hair and wearing a bright yellow jumpsuit leaned over my shoulder. “I need to talk to you. Eight o’clock by the gazebo.” She straightened and left.
“That’s Birdie,” Heath said. “She’s a bit of a…character. Sees a conspiracy wherever she goes.”
“Should I meet with her?” I picked up a taco.
“I’ll go with you,” Grandma offered. “You can’t trust a woman with hair that color.”
“I think your moving here is a bad idea,” Mom said. “It isn’t safe and there is too much trouble for you to find.”
“Oh, hush, Sue Ellen. You need to learn how to live a little.” Grandma downed what was left in her wine glass. “Where can I get another glass?”
“They only allow each resident one glass in the dining room.” Heath cut into a carne asada. “If you want more, you’ll have to buy it and put it in the fridge in your room.”
“Good thing I have some in the van with my things. That’s something a girl shouldn’t run out of. You don’t mind helping me unpack after supper, do you?”
“It will be my pleasure.”
While my sixty-five-year-old Grandmother flirted with a man half her age, I surveyed the others in
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