“Of course. Go.”
“Thanks a lot.” I shut down the computer and gathered my things before heading home, toward God only knew what.
• • •
I walked through the front door, anxious and filled with dread, not sure what scene I’d find inside.
As soon as the door slammed shut, Gran shouted, “Dean?”
Damn. She sounded upset, which she had every right to be.
“Yeah. I’ll be right in.” I trudged toward the kitchen like I was headed for my own execution, feeling as guilty as if I were the one who’d done something wrong.
Her face was pale as she looked up at me from the kitchen table where she sat with Gramps. “We just talked with your brother. How are you taking it all?”
That’s her first question? “I’m a wreck, Gran. I don’t want him to do any of this, but he won’t listen.”
She clucked her tongue. “He wouldn’t listen to me either. He’s very adamant about everything.” She looked at Gramps, who was uncharacteristically quiet and serious.
“Jack wouldn’t listen to Marc today either. He called me when I was at work and I put Marc on the phone, but he’s so stubborn.”
She nodded. “That he is. Always has been. No one makes decisions for Jack except Jack. I just wish we could get him to see this differently.”
“You and me both.”
“Is this why you’ve been acting so odd lately?”
When she tilted her head to the side, studying me, I felt horrible. I stepped over to give her a hug, and she kissed my cheek.
“I’m sorry, Gran, but Jack told me the girl was pregnant a while ago. And then he told Cassie. Since then, everything’s gone to hell in a hand basket.”
I winced a little, waiting for Gran’s normal scolding about my language, but it didn’t come. Which was a pretty good indication of how rattled she was.
“Oh no. Poor Cassie. How is she taking the news?”
“Not well. And she doesn’t even know about the wedding yet, only the baby.”
“Poor Kitten,” Gramps said, finally speaking up.
Gran looked up at me with concern in her eyes. “I’m really sorry you’ve been dealing with all of this by yourself, Dean. And I wish there was a way to change his mind, but I think his mind is made up. Nothing I said stuck. And I tried. Believe me, I tried.” She sighed, suddenly looking more tired than usual, and older too.
“Are you guys going to the wedding?”
Gramps let out a sound that sounded a little like disgust. “We can’t travel all the way out there. You know we don’t fly anymore. Your gran doesn’t do well with flying.”
We stayed up for an hour longer, talking over exactly what was said as my grandmother pried more information out of me about Cassie and how she was doing. Gran seemed concerned for her, for Jack, for me. It was her nature to nurture.
I told her that Jack had asked me to be his best man, and she nodded silently as if knowing that I had little choice in the matter. Going to the wedding was something I had to do.
When they finally told me they were heading to bed early, I yawned, realizing how tired I was as well, and emotionally spent.
“Are you okay, Gran?”
“I’m just sad. For all of us. We’ve all lost something tonight,” she said sadly before patting my cheek and walking slowly away.
Welcome to Hell
I hadn’t known when it was coming, when Jack would tell Cassie about the wedding, but I was sick to my stomach with dread. I’d assumed he would tell her right after confessing everything to Gran, but I was wrong. Every day that passed after that was just another day that Cassie still didn’t know. And now the wedding was only weeks away.