“I’ll make you a deal. I’ll bore you with my genetics research for a short time if you’ll play your violin for me.”
“You sure we’ll even have time for that with this ‘sex-fest’ plan of yours?” she teased.
“My research will make for great pillow talk after we’ve rocked the mattress because it’ll definitely put you to sleep.” He ran his knuckles down her jawline. “Your musical selection will be foreplay because I’ll want to jump you after you’re finished.”
Jade smirked. She had a tango to play him that was pure sex on strings. “You have yourself a deal.”
Since Tobin refused to let her pay for any groceries, she informed him she’d stop at the drugstore and stock up on sex-fest supplies. And it was really cute when he blushed and wrote down the brand of condoms that fit him.
By the time she arrived at GG’s house, he’d already hauled everything inside.
They were each lost in their own thoughts as they put away the groceries.
Jade’s phone rang first at the appointed time. “Morning, GG.”
“Hang on, sweetheart, I’ve gotta loop Tobin into the conference call. Dadgummit. If I remember how to do this.”
“Tobin is right here. I’ll put you on speaker.” Jade pointed at him.
“Mornin’, Miz G.”
“Can you hear me now?”
Jade rolled her eyes.
“Yes, ma’am, I can hear you fine. Can you hear us?”
“Jade,” GG said. “Say something. Something nice,” she warned. “None of that bickering crap. I don’t have time for it.”
Nervous, with no clue what to say, she broke out into the chorus of “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls.
“Stop!” GG said, way too loudly. “I get it. You can hear me.”
Tobin scrawled out WAY TO BE DISCREET in Sharpie across the newspaper that had been lying on the table.
Jade snatched it out of his hand and smacked him with it.
His grin promised retaliation.
“Okay, kiddos, listen up. Me’n Pearl are in Denver waiting to board a plane to take us to Fort Lauderdale.”
“What? Why?”
“She got one of them last-minute cruise deals. And we made a pact that if this one ever came up again, we’d drop everything and go.”
“Go where?” Jade demanded.
“The Panama Canal.”
“When did this come up?” Tobin asked.
“First part of the week. Pearl didn’t know if there’d be cancellations until yesterday. She found out last night. Since neither one of you two were home, I just packed my stuff and we left at five a.m.”
“GG, are you sure this is safe? And it’s not a scam?”
“Oh pooh, girlie. I’ve been around the block a time or two. This is a once-in-a-lifetime trip for two old-timers like me’n Pearl. Might be our only chance to do it.”
“How long will you be gone?”
“Three weeks. We’re both too cheap to spring for international phone service, so we’ll be out of touch until we’re back in Los Angeles.” She cleared her throat. “But my trip don’t change nothin’ for either of you, you hear me? Tobin, I don’t trust that son of mine not to see this as a golden opportunity to get me packed up and moved out, so I still need you there, keeping an eye on Jade so she’s not pulling any funny business while I’m gone.”
Jade’s gaze connected with Tobin’s when he said, “Trust me, Miz G, I will keep a very close eye on your granddaughter.”
“Thank you, sonny. Now, Jade doll, you still there?”
“I don’t know, GG. Maybe I’m up to my elbows in all sorts of funny business.”
“Now, sweetheart, don’t be like that. I know you’re only following your daddy’s orders. That’s why you cannot let on that I’m on vacation, okay? You just keep on keepin’ on like I was there. And with all the stuff in my garden getting ripe, well, I’ll need you to put up some beans, pickles and okra. Peppers too. Maybe some pear chutney.”
She froze. “Put up? What do you mean? Like bag them up?”
“No. I mean pick ’em, clean ’em, and can ’em.”
“What? I don’t know how to do any of that stuff!”
A pause. “You don’t?”
“No!”
“Well then, it’s past time that you learned, doncha think?”
Jade’s jaw dropped.
Tobin laughed.
“I put the rest of the Mud Lilies on notice that they’re to come over and check on you once a day to make sure you haven’t killed each other. Blood is damn hard to get off the walls. You gotta paint over it to get rid of it.”