Read Online A Taste of Greek (Out of Olympus #3) by Tina Folsom, Cynthia Cooke - Free Book Online

What was she going to say to her grandmother? She’d lived here with her ever since her father had gone to prison, and her mother, unable to face the gossipmongers in this close-knit community, had run away. It wasn’t just that her dad had stolen a car, but he had gotten drunk and, while joy riding in the stolen car, killed another family. Grand theft auto, driving while under the influence, and two counts of manslaughter. Twelve years. Two destroyed families, and damage that could never be undone.
    And now the no-good crook was back in her life.
    He needed her help, and she was feeling guilty for sending him away. Ridiculous. Where had he been when she’d needed him? When her mother had needed him? When the other kids had been tormenting her at school? He’d been in prison. She sighed and flipped the bacon.
    She’d been wondering for many years what she would say to him when he finally showed up. Wondering if she would ever be able to forgive him enough to form a relationship with a man she didn’t even know, and barely remembered.
    Now he was back.
    Wanting her help. Wanting a place to live. When in a few months Penny and her grandmother would lose everything if Penny lost her job.
    She placed the bacon on the plate, broke two eggs into the pan, and while they cooked, buttered the toast and poured the juice. Then she slipped the eggs onto the plate and carried the tray into her grandmother’s room.
    “Good morning, Grams,” she said cheerfully as she walked into the dimly lit bedroom. She placed the tray on the bedside table, then opened the blinds, letting in the sunshine. “How are you feeling this morning?”
    “Good. I feel really good.” Her grandmother smiled at her, and shifted in her hospital bed. She pressed a button lifting the back of the bed so that she was in a sitting position.
    Penny placed the tray table in front of her then took a seat in the chair next to the bed. She couldn’t stand the idea of keeping her dad’s visit from her. Her grandmother had longed to see him, even making excuses for his poor behavior over the years. Penny should tell her, but she just couldn’t bring herself to do it. To see the hope in her grandmother’s eyes, knowing he’d sweep in and hurt her all over again. Knowing if he truly cared, he would have been here years ago when he’d first gotten out.
    “Tell me, how is it going at work?” her grandmother asked, taking a sip from her juice.
    “Oh, fine,” Penny lied, but she shouldn’t have bothered.
    “I know that look.” Her grandmother’s bright blue eyes locked onto Penny’s face. Grams always read her so well. While her grandmother knew that she ultimately wanted to get tenure at the university, Penny couldn’t confide in her what was at stake now. There was no use in worrying her.
    “I just have to spend more time on my research in the next few weeks and think up something new to impress the tenure committee. Otherwise, Kenton has a good shot at beating me.” More like an unfair advantage.
    Her grandmother smiled. “You will do it. I have faith in you.”
    “More faith than I have in myself,” Penny muttered.
    “You should put all that out of your mind and get out more. You spend too much time here taking care of me. You need to find yourself a nice man and settle down. Raise a family.”
    Images of dark hair and even darker brown eyes flashed through Penny’s mind, making her heart skip and thud in her chest.
    “What’s that smile about?” Grams asked. “You’ve already met someone, haven’t you? Details. Give me details.” Her eyes were absolutely sparkling now.
    Heat rose in Penny’s cheeks, although she wasn’t sure if it was from her grandmother’s astute attention, or from the images of warm hands and even warmer lips flashing through her mind.
    “Well, spill!”
    Penny laughed. “You know me too well.”
    “Of course I do. I watched you grow up, didn’t I? You can’t hide anything from me. So who is he?”
    “I just