Flirting with Temptation - By Kelley St. John Page 0,2
back to see her grinning as she took another bite. “But I know you too well. You read the announcement that he and Kitty Carelle are engaged, and you’re wondering if I know the details.”
Babette started to answer, but was halted by the sudden appearance of their grandmother.
“Whew, I’ve got to sit down for a breather. The twins are adorable, but they’re running their great-grandmother ragged.” Gertrude Robinson dropped into an empty chair at the table, placed a big slab of white wedding cake in front of her and grinned at Clarise and Babette. Her bold platinum waves were a little less exuberant than they had been at the wedding service, kind of flopping in toward her face and shielding her eyes, but nothing could shield the sparkling pink glitter on her cheeks. “Don’t you just love a Christmas wedding?” she asked, plucking a swirl of icing off the side of her cake and popping it in her mouth. “All those poinsettias and candles. Really something.”
“Granny,” Clarise said, looking behind her grandmother as she spoke, “Where are Lindy and Little Ethan?”
“Oh, don’t worry, child.” She picked up a cloth napkin from the table and used it to fan her flushed face. “I left your little angels in good hands. They’re currently going through the dessert line with their Grandma Olivia.”
Babette hadn’t realized Jeff’s mother was attending the event, but it made sense, since Richard worked as an executive for Eubanks Elegant Apparel. “I didn’t know Olivia was here. I haven’t had a chance to talk to her,” Babette said, gazing toward the dessert line to see if she could spot her niece and nephew, and Jeff’s mother.
“And what, I wonder, would you and Olivia discuss, if you happened to talk to her?” Clarise glanced at Granny Gert before adding, “I mean, after you saw today’s society pages and all.”
Granny’s focus turned from Clarise to Babette. “I wondered if you read it, but you didn’t say anything, and I figured you might not want to talk about him today, on your birthday, and especially at a wedding. Kind of always thought we’d be attending a wedding between you two, you know, instead of him planning one with that uppity society queen. Personally, I think you should call him up, or drive down to see him in Florida, whatever it takes for you two to work things out. He isn’t married yet. I’ve told you about how I hooked your grandfather, haven’t I, the first time I found him alone in his barn?”
Before Babette or Clarise could answer, Granny barreled on. “He was nineteen, I was seventeen, and he had my heart, same way he did the rest of his life, God rest his soul.” She winked. “I had to give him a bit of a push in that barn, but it was worth the effort.”
“And how was it you gave him a push?” Clarise asked, as though she couldn’t recite Granny Gert’s famed story by heart. Babette leaned forward to hear, even though she’d heard it just as many times.
Granny Gert grinned, excited. “I told him I had a mind to kiss him and a mind to marry him. And then I did both.” She turned toward Babette. “I used gumption, and I think you should use some too, with Jeff, if you want to know how I feel about it.”
Babette never had to wonder how Granny Gert felt about anything. Granny never made any bones about telling her, in detail, and quite often. And since they lived next door to each other, with Granny occupying the other half of Babette’s duplex, Granny’s opinion was always readily available.
The band started back up playing Shout! and every person on the dance floor shot their hands in the air and chanted the lyrics. Genie, still in her wedding gown, shimmied up to the stage and danced with the lead singer, while her new husband cheered.
Babette took advantage of the increased noise level to ask what she really wanted to know. “Okay, I’ll admit it. I saw the announcement, and I want details.”
Clarise shrugged. “I don’t have any. In fact, we just learned about the engagement this morning. I think Jeff had planned to tell the family in person, but then he learned that the news had leaked to the paper, and he called.”
“And?” Babette asked.
“He said that he was getting married, and he’d tell us all about it when they come home in a few days for Christmas.”