His mom walked farther into the basement. “Is she a trainer at your gym?”
“No, she owns the bakery next door to Spotlight,” Gwen said before he could.
Duncan sensed the forthcoming questions so he said, “And yes, she’s strictly a friend.”
If a friend was someone you made come and pretended to date.
His statement eliminated any interest his parents had in discussing Retta. A good thing too considering this was most likely the last time he’d ever bring her up.
ChapterSixteen
The two-and half-hourdrive to the small town of Cedar Lake was uneventful for Duncan. He passed the main part of town to enter a more rural area where Retta’s grandmother lived. His GPS seemed unsure where it was leading him, and it didn’t help that the sun had set and there were no street lights.
When Duncan pulled up to a modest house and saw no sign of Retta’s small gray car, he texted her. As he’d told her, he was good with older women, and he had no problem going up to the door and introducing himself to her grandmother. However, he wasn’t positive he was in the right place.
It must’ve been close to thirty minutes later when Retta finally appeared and parked right behind him. He hadn’t realized he’d been worried until the muscles in his neck relaxed.
“Hey, sorry,” Retta said, pulling a tiny suitcase from her car. “I had to get gas.”
“All good,” he said, refusing to acknowledge his desire to hug her.
As they walked to the dark house, Retta said, “Remember, Ms. Edie or ma’am.”
She pressed the doorbell, and a dog inside barked in response. When the front door opened, a woman in her seventies stood there in a matching navy tracksuit with jet black curls that hit her chin. A chocolate lab lumbered a few steps behind.
“I expected you an hour ago,” the older woman said, frowning.
“Hi, Granny,” Retta said, kissing the older woman’s cheek before crouching low to pet and rub the dog. “Hi, Levi, baby.”
Ms. Edie beckoned them inside with her hands. “Get in, get in, before the mosquitos swarm.”
They both entered the house and Retta said, “Granny, this is Duncan…my boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend?” Retta’s grandmother asked incredulously, giving him a good look up and down. “You told me a friend?”
“No, Granny. I said boyfriend.”
“Well, you’re not sleeping together under my roof,” she said. “The walls are too thin for all that. Not that the two of you could fit in the twin bed anyway. What are you? Six four?” Ms. Edie asked Duncan.
“Six three, ma’am. And it’s nice to meet you. I can see where Retta gets her beauty from.”
The older woman snorted. “Did you warn him shit like that doesn’t work on me?”
“I did,” Retta said, rubbing her forehead.
Okay, so, Ms. Edie was tough.
“Drop your things there, and I’ll show you around after we’ve eaten,” the older woman said.
“How’s the weather been?” Retta asked her grandmother.
“Really, Coretta, the weather?”
Retta laughed. “I’m genuinely interested.”
“The internet can give you everything you want to know about the weather here going back a century—”
Ms. Edie had stopped mid-sentence to stare at Duncan’s sneaker-clad feet. At first, he thought she might be admiring them, but there wasn’t an accompanying comment.
