Anet finds Grandpa Lucas sitting at the kitchen table. So weird not seeing his ranch hands here. I guess there's no need for ranching with all the money from the beer company.
"Good morning, Grandpa." she wraps him in her embrace.
"Good morning," that warm laugh as he pats her arm. "You've become quite the hugger."
"It's been so long. I've missed you."
"I know you have. I'm sorry for that... And I know why you're here."
"You do?"
Ding-Dong.
Anet follows behind Lucas. He motions Anet to stay back.
"Good morning, Lucas."
"Perry Maggio. What brings you from the big city so early in the morning?"
"Don't play coy with me, Lucas. You know why I'm here. Where is she?"
"You want to speak with my granddaughter, you'd better give me a damn good reason."
"Look, old man, I'm not here to fight or cause a disturbance—,"
"You standing on my doorstep is disturbance enough—,"
"I just want to have a word with my future daughter-in-law."
"It's okay, Grandpa. Let him talk." Anet steps in view.
"What do you want, Perry? Did Jay send you?"
"I sent myself. Now listen, Anet, this is the second time you've caught yourself a case of the cold feet—,"
"Cold feet? Really? You think I'm here because I'm afraid of commitment?"
They lock eyes. Perry reads the situation in her sardonic stare.
That chuckle that reminds her too much of Lorenzo, "Okay, Anet. You got me. Let's cut the bull." He squares a look at Lucas. "Do you mind?"
"Yes, I do—,"
"It's okay, Grandpa." Anet steps out onto the porch. "I'm not afraid of Perry Maggio," she lets Grandpa close the door behind her. Knowing he'll be there on the other side keeps her confidence up.
"You Peters are an arrogant breed aren't you?"
"Determined and foolhardy maybe, but arrogant? Nah. When I look up the meaning of arrogance, I see the word Torelli hyphen Maggio."
That snarky smirk, "You weren't this feisty the last time we had this talk."
Bits of neo-memory flash in her mind. From the frenzied call to Jay, to two ugly mugs knocking her lights out, to waking up to that face with that same snarky smirk she sees right now.
She is unfazed by the neo-memory.
She matches his snarky smirk with a smug Mona Lisa smile of her own.
"You know I'm not here about you catching mommy on her knees."
Anet locks up the rage bubbling over the image. Jaw clenches.
"No." She breathes in that foolhardy determination. "No, you're here to make sure I don't leave your baby boy."
"I'm just making sure my son has it all. One day he'll take my place as head of the family, and if he wants you with him, then I'll see to it you're exactly the woman he needs next to him. Our last conversation only went down the hard way because you misunderstood me. I never intended for my boys to do you harm."
"I've received, worse. But all that for what? Because of something I said over dinner?" —she lead for answers hoping he fills the gaps. Talkers talk after all.
YOU ARE READING
Through Time Again
Science Fiction((SEQUEL to Through Time She Came)) "Our family was always important to the Maggios, Anet. In your timeline, we had managed to stay well-hidden. Something changed and brought us back out into the game." 2010 is not how she left it. The Maggio and th...
