“Hmmm,” she mutters, eyeing me suspiciously, like she knows the truth.
Her living room is a cozy time capsule, filled with antique furniture, countless photos of family, and trinkets from her travels.
She ushers me to sit, then perches herself on her favorite armchair, eyeing me with a mix of concern and curiosity. “You look like you’ve been through a war, child.”
I collapse onto her plush sofa, groaning. “I’m okay, Grandma. Yesterday was a tough workout.”
She tuts, leaning over to hand me a cup of her trademark strong, black coffee.
“Exercise is supposed to invigorate, not incapacitate. But let’s talk about something more interesting. How’s that handsome trainer of yours? Have any morebendysessions with him? Adam, was it?” Her grin turns feline as she takes a sip from her own cup.
I nearly spit out my coffee. “It wasn’t … I mean, he’s just my trainer. Orwas. He got fired yesterday.”
My eyes slam shut.
Please don’t ask why.
Her eyebrows shoot up. “Fired? That’s a shame. From what you’ve told me, he seems like a good egg.”
I blush, trying to steer the conversation away from dangerous waters. “Yeah, he’s nice. But, Grandma, I’ve been struggling with my book. I can’t seem to ...”
However, Grandma cuts me off, “Speaking of nice and struggling, when’s the last time you had a good roll in the hay? A young woman like you needs to …”
“Grandma—” I choke out, my face now matching the crimson shade of her curtains. “We’ve talked about this. Can we please not talk about my sex life?”
“It’s not like I can hear a thing, you know.” She winks at me and then waves her hand dismissively when she takes in my expression. “Fine, fine. But mark my words, a good romp does wonders for creativity, too. Ask me how I know.” Her eyes sparkle, daring me to ask.
“No,” I mutter, shuddering internally.
She shrugs. “Suit yourself. Now, what’s this about your book?”
I take a deep breath, grateful for the change in topic. “It’s just ... I’m stuck. I can’t seem to find the right words, and the deadline is creeping up on me.”
Grandma Elsie nods sagely, her gaze softening. “Writer’s block, eh? Happens to the best of us. When I used to write letters to your grandpa during the war, sometimes it was hard to find the words.”
I blink, surprised. “You wrote Grandpa letters?”
“Oh yes, love letters, mostly. Some were quite steamy, if I do say so myself. The original sexting, you know.” She winks again, and I can’t help but giggle despite my embarrassment. “Probably where you got your writing chops.”
She’s not wrong. Goodness knows I didn’t get it from Mom.
However, I find myself saying, “Grandma, I’m not sure steamy love letters are what my publisher is looking for.”
“You’d be surprised,” she says with a chuckle. “But seriously, darling, sometimes you just need to step away from it all. Clear your head. You’re too cooped up in this house all the time. I worry about you.”
“I know, but with the gym and everything ...” My voice trails off as I think about Adam again, and I feel a pang in my chest.
Grandma leans forward, placing a hand over mine. “Listen to me, Carlie. Life is too short to be spent in regret. If this Adam fellow has caught your fancy, maybe you should explore that feeling. Who knows, it might just unlock that creativity of yours. Do you have his number?”
I sigh, considering her words. “Yeah, I mean, he’s texted me a couple of times.”
“Oooh, see. That’s something,” she says, wiggling her eyebrows as she takes another sip of coffee.
“I don’t know that he sees me that way, though,” I admit, feeling the warmth flood to my cheeks.
Grandma shrugs. “Only one way to find out.”
At that moment, my phone buzzes. I glance at it, and my heart full-on skips a beat.