I Love You, Jerk Face

Chapter 33

A few minutes later I was bounding down the stairs and when I reached the bottom Grady was waiting for me.

"Much better," he smiled taking my hand in his and pulling me out the door.

"Have her home before dark," my brother shouted.

"Shut up Bub," Grady laughed.

"Have her home before 10," my father's voice called out.

"Yes sir," Grady answered, as we crossed the street to climb in his jeep.

"So where are we going?" I asked as he buckled in.

"I'm still not telling," he grinned.

"Jerk face," I mumbled happily.

"This is literally the last place I would have expected you to bring me," I laughed as we pulled in to his grandparent's drive.

"I'm full of surprises," he grinned over at me.

"Yes you are," I agreed turning back to watch the fast approaching ranch house.

"Meemaw, Pawpaw," I called out as I jumped out of the jeep.

"Roslyn!" they called back making their way towards me through the garden.

I caught his grandmother in a tight hug, "I missed you guys so much," I breathed in her scent, moth balls.

"We missed you too dawlin," his grandpa grabbed me away from his wife. "Let me look at ya," he held me back at arms length smiling down at me.

"You get prettier every time I see you," he pulled me into his arms.

"Thanks Pawpaw," I laughed, "you too."

"Well thank you dawlin," his laughter boomed as he pulled back.

"Hello," Grady called from next to me, I had forgotten all about him, "actual grandchild here," he smiled before being grabbed into hugs.

"Oh shut up," his grandpa laughed.

"I always knew you guys liked Roslyn better than me," he fake pouted as his grandma embraced him.

"What gave it away?" Pawpaw wrapped his arm around me to lead us towards the house.

"How's every thing been going sweetpea?"

"Things have been great Pawpaw," I answered throwing a grin over my shoulder to Grady, who was walking with his grandmother hand in hand.

"Grady giving you any trouble?" he winked down at me.

"No sir," I laughed.

"Are you sure?" he smiled. "You just say the word and I'll take him out to the barn and re-teach him how to treat a lady."

"She's no lady," Grady argued laughing.

"You know what Pawpaw," I tried keeping a straight face, "I think maybe he does need to re-learn that lesson," I turned my frown on Grady who stilled.

Grady's Pawpaw had been teaching me to ride a horse when I was twelve and Grady thought it would be funny to push me off of the horse several times while he was not looking. Pawpaw had eventually gotten out of me what my tears were all about and Grady was dragged to the barn by his ear, where he and Pawpaw spent the entire afternoon.

When Grady had finally been allowed to leave the barn he ran up to me and apologized, all night long he doted on me, played with me, and even let me pick the movie we watched. Of course the very next day he went back to his same old crap.