Read Online August Unknown by Pamela Fryer - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Pamela Fryer
Ads: Link
tasted any so delicious.”
“Ah! I like her already. Come, sit over here where nobody will
jostle that arm. Does it hurt, girl?” She reached out, urging August under her
arm. “I broke my index finger once. It was the darnedest thing—I couldn’t blow
my nose worth a damn until it healed.”
She pulled out a heavy wooden chair for August.
“Thank you, Mrs. Barthlow.”
“You call me Millie, and as things progress we’ll see about
you calling me Gran Millie, but do one thing for sure and leave that Mrs. stuff
behind, y’hear?”
August smiled. “Thanks, Millie.”
Geoffrey watched her with a quirky grin playing at his lips.
She stood back and placed her hands on her hips. “Soup isn’t
enough. You’re too thin. What do you like to eat, sweetheart?”
“Anything I can manage with one hand.”
“Then you’ll be wanting my famous pasta with red pepper cream
sauce. I’ll have Roberto prepare it with corkscrew, so you can eat it easily.”
“I want a cheeseburger,” Jocelyn said. “And cheese fries.”
“You’re a cheese-head.” She bent down and mussed Jocelyn’s
hair, and then kissed the top of her head. “For you, grandson?”
“I’ll have the pasta, too.” He cleared his throat again. “And
we should probably take an order to go. Derek’s up at the house.”
“Well, for heaven’s sake, why didn’t you bring him along?”
“Er, he was tired.”
“Stoned is more like it. Is that boy gonna clean up his act?”
Geoffrey leaned back in his chair. “He’d better, or you’ll
find him knocking on your door. He’s all out of second chances with me.”
“Lord knows you’ve given him more than he deserves.” Millie’s
voice softened. “How are you holding up?”
Geoffrey’s uncomfortable gaze flicked over August. Now she was
sure of it: there was bad blood between them, and not just because of childhood
bickering.
“I won’t lie to you, Gran, I don’t like him being here. But he’s
my brother and I can’t turn him away.”
“Sure you can.” She placed her fists back on her hips after
another twirl of the towel in her hand. “Send him on down here and I’ll give
him the room upstairs. He can wash dishes to earn his board.”
Jocelyn giggled. “Yeah, right.”
Even Geoffrey laughed.
“That pretty boy needs a taste of the real world. Life isn’t
about prancing around in front of a camera. Besides, if he keeps up the
drinkin’ and smokin’ like he does, it’ll ruin his looks faster than a skinned
apple left out in the sun. Then what’ll he do?”
She turned and started away while shaking her head.
“Derek is a model?” August asked.
Geoffrey glanced away. “Something like that.”
“He does Gucci ads,” Jocelyn volunteered. She seemed oblivious
of the thick tension swirling around Geoffrey at the mere mention of his
brother’s name.
A waiter appeared with glasses of water and a basket of French
bread. August drank down two Tylenol with the icy water.
“This, I remember,” she said as she plucked a slice of bread
from the basket. “Seaside eateries always have the greatest sourdough bread.” She
was grateful for a reason to change the subject. She didn’t like seeing
Geoffrey so uncomfortable.
Geoffrey’s gaze snapped over. “Do you like crab?”
She pictured sweet, moist chunks of freshly cooked crabmeat.
“I do. That was a test, wasn’t it?”
He nodded. “It appears to have worked. Has anything else come
to you?”
She shook her head. “Nothing.” She saw Jocelyn buttering a
piece of bread and slid her bread plate over. “Would you help me butter mine,
please?”
Thankfully Jocelyn chattered about her day at school through
most of the meal. Millie’s famous red pepper cream sauce was everything she’d
promised, including spicy. It was the first meal she’d eaten outside the
hospital, August realized. The first real meal she ever remembered eating. With
her stomach pleasantly full and two Tylenol taking effect, August felt
“Ah! I like her already. Come, sit over here where nobody will
jostle that arm. Does it hurt, girl?” She reached out, urging August under her
arm. “I broke my index finger once. It was the darnedest thing—I couldn’t blow
my nose worth a damn until it healed.”
She pulled out a heavy wooden chair for August.
“Thank you, Mrs. Barthlow.”
“You call me Millie, and as things progress we’ll see about
you calling me Gran Millie, but do one thing for sure and leave that Mrs. stuff
behind, y’hear?”
August smiled. “Thanks, Millie.”
Geoffrey watched her with a quirky grin playing at his lips.
She stood back and placed her hands on her hips. “Soup isn’t
enough. You’re too thin. What do you like to eat, sweetheart?”
“Anything I can manage with one hand.”
“Then you’ll be wanting my famous pasta with red pepper cream
sauce. I’ll have Roberto prepare it with corkscrew, so you can eat it easily.”
“I want a cheeseburger,” Jocelyn said. “And cheese fries.”
“You’re a cheese-head.” She bent down and mussed Jocelyn’s
hair, and then kissed the top of her head. “For you, grandson?”
“I’ll have the pasta, too.” He cleared his throat again. “And
we should probably take an order to go. Derek’s up at the house.”
“Well, for heaven’s sake, why didn’t you bring him along?”
“Er, he was tired.”
“Stoned is more like it. Is that boy gonna clean up his act?”
Geoffrey leaned back in his chair. “He’d better, or you’ll
find him knocking on your door. He’s all out of second chances with me.”
“Lord knows you’ve given him more than he deserves.” Millie’s
voice softened. “How are you holding up?”
Geoffrey’s uncomfortable gaze flicked over August. Now she was
sure of it: there was bad blood between them, and not just because of childhood
bickering.
“I won’t lie to you, Gran, I don’t like him being here. But he’s
my brother and I can’t turn him away.”
“Sure you can.” She placed her fists back on her hips after
another twirl of the towel in her hand. “Send him on down here and I’ll give
him the room upstairs. He can wash dishes to earn his board.”
Jocelyn giggled. “Yeah, right.”
Even Geoffrey laughed.
“That pretty boy needs a taste of the real world. Life isn’t
about prancing around in front of a camera. Besides, if he keeps up the
drinkin’ and smokin’ like he does, it’ll ruin his looks faster than a skinned
apple left out in the sun. Then what’ll he do?”
She turned and started away while shaking her head.
“Derek is a model?” August asked.
Geoffrey glanced away. “Something like that.”
“He does Gucci ads,” Jocelyn volunteered. She seemed oblivious
of the thick tension swirling around Geoffrey at the mere mention of his
brother’s name.
A waiter appeared with glasses of water and a basket of French
bread. August drank down two Tylenol with the icy water.
“This, I remember,” she said as she plucked a slice of bread
from the basket. “Seaside eateries always have the greatest sourdough bread.” She
was grateful for a reason to change the subject. She didn’t like seeing
Geoffrey so uncomfortable.
Geoffrey’s gaze snapped over. “Do you like crab?”
She pictured sweet, moist chunks of freshly cooked crabmeat.
“I do. That was a test, wasn’t it?”
He nodded. “It appears to have worked. Has anything else come
to you?”
She shook her head. “Nothing.” She saw Jocelyn buttering a
piece of bread and slid her bread plate over. “Would you help me butter mine,
please?”
Thankfully Jocelyn chattered about her day at school through
most of the meal. Millie’s famous red pepper cream sauce was everything she’d
promised, including spicy. It was the first meal she’d eaten outside the
hospital, August realized. The first real meal she ever remembered eating. With
her stomach pleasantly full and two Tylenol taking effect, August felt
Similar Books
