Small Town Love

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

"Did you bake these yourself, Grace?" Vincent asked as he sampled yet another triple fudge brownie the next day.

"Yes, I did. I used my grandmother's recipe," Grace replied.

"And where is your grandmother?"

"She is down at the stage listening to music."

"If these are your grandmother's recipes then why isn't she down here helping to promote them?" Beverly asked from where she sat in a lawn chair flipping through one of the cookbooks that Grace and Patricia had put together.

"My grandmother has dementia," Grace replied with a friendly smile as she handed a balding man with a big belly his bag full of cookies. "Some days she resembles her old self but most days she is either a child or reliving some moment in the past."

"Oh.." was all Beverly said in response before burying her head back in the cookbook.

"That's three dollars a brownie, dad," Vince warned with a smile as he walked into the booth and swooped down to give Grace a quick kiss.

"You called me dad," Vincent stated, blinking several times. Grace watched with amusement as the two men studied one another and Vince rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"How many of those have you eaten?" Vince asked, turning the conversation back to the brownies.

"Three I believe," Vincent replied.

"Five," Beverly spoke up. "He has eaten five of those calorie-ridden gems. Soon I will have to go back to the inn and get his sweatpants because the buttons on his trousers will burst."

Vince shook his head and raised his brow at his father. "Pull out your wallet because you've gorged yourself out of fifteen dollars."

"Nonsense! He can have the family discount," Grace cut in with a wink as she went about setting out some saran wrapped rice crispy treats. "Two dollars a brownie."

"What a gem you are," Vincent beamed as he pulled out his wallet and fished out a ten dollar bill.

"Gem," Beverly snorted, never looking up from the cookbook. "She's marrying our rich son, she doesn't have to worry about money."

"Mother..." Vince warned.

"She's right, Vince," Grace cut in. "You are very rich and you're most definitely mine." She stood on her toes and kissed his lips tenderly.

Grace felt his lips attempting to curve beneath hers and Beverly harrumphed loudly before slumping down lower in her chair. "You are wicked," Vince whispered as their kiss broke.

"I have not yet begun to get wicked," Grace assured him. She pulled away from him and crossed her arms over her chest as she leaned against the tent pole. "So when is Patricia coming in today?"

Vince closed his eyes and Grace saw his mouth moving as he counted down silently from three. "Please tell me she is not talking about that horrid secretary of yours!" Beverly exclaimed just as Vince got to the number one.

"Yes, mother, the horrid secretary is coming today. She should be here sometime this evening."

"I've always liked that woman," Vincent stated as he sat down and pulled Widget into his lap.

"Please, you have only liked her since she got you that horrid dog!" Beverly spat. Grace nearly laughed. It would seem that according to Beverly Griffin nearly everything in the world was horrid. "That woman is mouthy, vulgar and she dresses like a two cent hooker. Honestly I think that's the only reason Vince has kept her around all these years. She looks good when she props her miniskirt clad legs on his desk."