“Has he texted? Called?” He put his hands on his almost nonexistent hips.
“Morty,” Tilly said low, under her breath.
Grace grinned at them. “I don’t know. I thought it was rude to check my phone with two of my favorite people here. While I do that, you go use the bathroom and wash your hands.”
His eyes flashed with impatience. “What am I? A four-year-old?”
Grace laughed. He was so easy to rile up. “Just a suggestion. No need to be cranky.”
He growled. “Like a four-year-old?”
Tilly hid her smile behind her hand.
“I’m not the one who keeps saying it,” Grace said, pursing her lips and shrugging.
She started for the kitchen, Tilly right behind her, but noticed Morty heading toward the hallway. “Where are you going?”
He scowled at her, then turned to walk away, mumbling, “Have to use the damn bathroom.”
Tilly and Grace dissolved into giggles as they entered the kitchen. Grace pulled the lasagna out of the oven.
“What can I do?”
“Grab the salad and dressing from the fridge?” Turning off the stove, she reached for the covered basket of bread she’d already sliced. “The butter, too, please.”
“Got it. We can wait for Noah,” Tilly said.
Grace kept the oven mitts on so she could bring the hot pan to the table. “I’m sure he’ll be here soon. I’ll check my phone soon as we get this set up.”
They did it together, Tilly setting out the butter and salad.
“Morty misses having you around the house,” Tilly said.
“Now why’d you go and tell her that? She’ll get a big head,” he said, shuffling back to the dining area.
Because she could, she leaned into him and gave him a hug. He returned it easily, making her heart happy. He was all bluster.
“I’ll try not to be too unbearable now that I know. You two sit. I’ll check my phone.”
Grace walked toward the mantel, where she’d left the phone, but heard Tilly and Morty exchanging whispered words. Tilly crossed the room, heading for the coatrack as Grace picked up her phone.
Noah
Game took forever. They wanted to do drinks after.
Noah
Going to stop at the gym. Frustrated and not good company. Give my apologies to Morty & Tilly.
Grace blinked away her surprise, wishing she could do the same with the onslaught of disappointment coursing through her body.
He’d texted over an hour ago. That was why his truck wasn’t in the driveway. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she set her phone down without replying. Walking to the table, Tilly came to her side, some white envelopes in her hand.
“No answer?”
Grace pasted a smile on her lips. “He got hung up. He won’t be able to join us. He asked me to apologize to both of you.” She had a quick flash of her mother forgetting to pick her up at school, of showing up late or not at all for her science presentation. Forgetting her birthday or just blowing it off.
As she joined Morty and Tilly at the table, she waited for the old man to say something disparaging. Something about today’s youth, commitments, and how, when he was courting a young woman, he’d have shown up even if he’d been shot in three toes and two fingers. Grace would never know why those specific parts of his body had been shot but she’d know that when he said something, he damn well meant it.
