Read Online Playing For Keeps by R.L. Mathewson - Free Book Online

hell.”
    Grandma’s lips twitched. She looked
over at her companion. “Chris, be a dear and go get the items we
picked up.”
    “Yes, ma’am,” he said, leaving Grandma
with them. He sent Haley a smile before he hurried away. No doubt
he was expecting Grandma to tear into Jason. Hell, that’s exactly
what she was waiting for.
    “You also work with my granddaughter,
Mr. Bradford. Isn’t that correct?”
    Without asking Jason pushed Grandma
carefully to the table and locked the chair. “Yup, I make her life
a living hell there as well.”
    “You sound proud,” Grandma
noted.
    Jason walked over to the grill and
started placing the meat on the grill. “I am,” he said,
smiling.
    Grandma did something she’d only heard
when it was just the two of them. She laughed. It was soft and
musical and immediately brought memories of a happy childhood to
her mind making her smile in return. Jason caught her eye and
winked.
    “I like you,” Grandma
announced.
    “Thank you, Mrs.-”
    “You may call me Grandma,” she said in
a tone that let him know she would not tolerate him calling her
anything else.
    Haley sat there stunned. She was the
only one allowed to call her Grandma. The rest of the grandchildren
called her grandmother when they started to take after their
parents.
    “Okay, Grandma it is,” Jason said with
an easy smile. Wow the man really did have a way with
women.
    Chris stepped out from the house, no
doubt where he just put away an enormous amount of groceries that
had nothing to do with a barbeque. It was one of Grandma’s sneaky
ways of helping her out since she refused to accept financial help
from her family. Grandma had her ways.
    “I’m sorry to interrupt, ma’am, but it
seems some of the guests from the last barbeque have followed us
here,” Chris said softly.
    “Who is it?” Haley asked.
    “Your cousins and a few aunts. I
believe one or both of your sisters as well, Miss. Haley,” Chris
said.
    Grandma waved a dismissive hand
towards the front of the house. “Well, they can leave because there
isn’t enough food,” she said even though she hadn’t looked at the
grill.
    “I can put some more on if you want,”
Jason offered.
    “No!” Haley and Grandma said at once,
startling Jason.
    Chris cleared his throat. “They’re
rather insistent about joining, ma’am.”
    “Tell them to go away or I’ll write
them out of my will in the morning,” Grandma said
firmly.
    Chris hid his smile as he turned to do
just that.
    Jason gave them all a curious look
before shrugging. Apparently he really didn’t care enough to be
bothered, which was a good thing for her. She earned her way in
life and didn’t want anyone thinking any differently. All her
friends knew she came from money and none of them cared. She was
just Haley to them and she planned to keep it that way.
    “What did you think of your father’s
birthday gift, Haley?” Grandma asked.
    Jason frowned. “I missed your
birthday?”
    “It was months ago,” Haley said with a
shrug.
    “He just remembered today?” Jason
asked in disbelief.
    “It’s no big deal,” Haley said, giving
him a tight smile.
    Jason scoffed. “If you say
so.”
    “I do.”
    “Fine.”
    “Fine .”
    “Ah, children? If I may interrupt?
Haley, have you looked at your gift?” Grandma asked.
    “Not yet.” There was no rush. She
already knew what was in there since her father thought she was
twenty-five there would be twenty-five hundred dollar bills in an
unsigned card.
    “Well, go get it,” Grandma
said.
    With a sigh she went into the house,
rolling her eyes at the overfilled bags of groceries that covered
her kitchen counters and table and retrieved the envelope from her
purse. She carried it out and sat down with it.
    “Well, open it!” Grandma
said.
    “Why are you so eager for me to see
this gift?” Haley asked suspiciously.
    “Because I’m the one that suggested
your gift,” she said with a dismissive wave of her hand.
    Haley bit her lip so