Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 92941 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 465(@200wpm)___ 372(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92941 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 465(@200wpm)___ 372(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
“Yes,” Rena breathed, her eyes wide. “You knew them?”
“Not well,” I conceded. “But your grandmother made this pasta dish that she’d always bring to parties, and I swear, I used to eat my weight in it.”
“Pasta alla Gricia,” Rena said, letting out a little laugh of disbelief. “My mom said it was my grandfather’s favorite.”
“I didn’t know they had a child,” I said as Reese stepped away from me to gently urge Rena to the couch.
“She was little when they found each other,” Rena said, squeezing Reese’s hand. “Grandpa Joe raised her.”
I sat down at the other end of the couch, perching on the arm so I didn’t seem like I was looming over them.
“That must’ve been hard for your grandmother,” I murmured.
“Knowing that my mother would grow old, and they never would?” Rena asked. “Yeah. My mom said that they were probably relieved that they went first.”
“Why didn’t your mother reach out afterward? If your family was Vampire—”
“We weren’t,” Rena said flatly. “She didn’t know where to look, who to talk to. It’s not as if you guys make it easy to find you. She tried searching my grandfather’s things, but by the time she was informed that they were gone, someone had already been through the house.”
“Shit.”
“Basically,” Rena said as Reese plopped down on the couch between us, her hand reaching out to rest on my thigh. “Thankfully, my mom was their legal heir, so we got the things that mattered. Then my mom died, and I lost all of it anyway.”
“We’ll keep looking,” Reese murmured. “Every thrift store and pop-up we find, right?”
“Reese has been helping me search for the last ten years,” Rena told me with a crooked smile. “There are certain things I remember that I’d like to get back if they’re ever for sale.”
“I can put some feelers out if you’d like,” I offered.
“I doubt your Vampire friends had any interest in some lady’s house of inexpensive antiques,” Rena joked. “I’ve got keyword alerts set up on all the resale sites, though.”
“We found an old green jar of her grandma’s a few years ago,” Reese told me with a smile. “We’re almost positive it was hers because it had a chip in the bottom exactly the same.”
“It was hers,” Rena confirmed. “And it was a decanter, not a jar. The lid was gone.”
“Whatever.”
As they bickered back and forth, I thought about Rena’s grandparents. Joseph had been as serious as his mate was bubbly. He’d spend the entire night in one spot, talking to old friends in his deep slow voice, his eyes always following his mate. Meanwhile, Irene would make her way around the room, greeting every single person by name. She’d been cheerful and bright and whip-smart in a way that let you know you’d never get away with anything but that she’d probably forgive whatever you’d done anyway. It made my gut clench to think of her granddaughter never getting to know either of them.
“My father was good friends with your grandfather,” I told Rena, interrupting them. “I bet he’d be glad to talk to you about him.”
“That’s—” Rena shook her head. “That’s so nice. Thank you.”
“No problem.”
“Okay, he’s not all bad,” she said to Reese out of the side of her mouth.
“I told you.”
“So glad I have your approval,” I said dryly.
“And you’re right, kind of an ass,” Rena continued.
“Remember, he grows on you,” Reese said, smiling at me.
Rena stayed for a few more hours, and I got to see a completely different side of Reese as they argued over what to order in for dinner, whether or not Reese should buy a new car, and the fact that Rena needed a maid to bring her coffee in the morning. Rena tugged on Reese’s hair and told her she needed a trim. Reese told Rena that her shoes made her look like a dominatrix.
I was superfluous, and I didn’t give a single fuck. This was the woman I’d hoped for, and ironically, I was pretty sure this was the real Reese. She was still mouthy as fuck, but the hard shell that she usually had around her was completely gone when she was with Rena. It was the softest I’d ever seen her, and after a while, I realized that it was because, in this relationship, Reese was the little sister.
I wasn’t sure which of the two was the oldest, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to ask, but their dynamic was very easy to see. When Rena was there, Reese let her guard down. She even allowed Rena to boss her. I spent most of the evening saying just enough to be polite and engaging while simultaneously watching them interact.
It was important to Reese for Rena to like me. She pulled me into conversations that I had no opinion on just to make sure I was included. When I got up to get the dishes and silverware we’d need to eat our takeout, it was impossible to miss the look that the women shot each other. When I walked Rena to her car, Reese watched from the apartment doorway.