The Vincent Boys 01 - The Vincent Boys

another fella while he’s away?”
    I spewed the tea from my mouth and shook my head as I began to cough. How was it she always knew what was going on when no one else did?
    “Well, who is he? He’s made you spit tea all over my lap. I at least want a name and a few details.”
    Shaking my head I turned so I could look her in the eyes. “There is no one. I got strangled on my tea because you ask me such an insane question. Why would I cheat on Sawyer? He’s perfect, Grana.”
    She made a ‘hmph’ sound and reached over and patted my leg.
    “Ain’t no man perfect, baby girl. Not a one. Not even your daddy. Although he thinks he is.”
    She always joked about Daddy being a pastor. He’d been a ‘hell raiser’ growing up according to her. When she’d tell me stories about him as a kid her eyes would light up. Sometimes I could swear she missed the person he used to be.
    “Sawyer’s as perfect as it gets.”
    “Well I don’t know about that. I drove by the Lowrys’ this morning and his cousin Beau was out cutting their grass.” She paused and shook her head with a big grin on her face. “Girl, there ain’t a boy in this town can hold a candle to Beau with his shirt off.”
    “GRANA!” I swatted her hand, horrified that my grandmother had admired Beau shirtless.
    She chuckled. “What! I’m old, Ashton baby, not blind.” I knew how Beau looked shirt-off and sweaty. I’d almost had a wreck last week when I’d passed the Greens’ and he’d been cutting their grass shirtless. It was hard not to look at. I’d told myself I had just been examining the tattoo on his ribs, but of course I knew the truth.
    “I ain’t the only old woman looking. I’m just the only one honest enough to admit it. The others hire the boy to cut their grass just so they can sit at the window and drool.”
    This was why I loved my Grana. Being with her always made me laugh. She accepted life for what it was. She didn’t pretend or put on airs. She was just Grana.
    “I wouldn’t know how Beau looks shirtless,” I lied. “I do know he’s nothing but trouble.”
    Grana clicked her tongue and used her feet to give us a good push. “Trouble can be a lot of fun. It’s the straight and narrow that makes life tedious and boring. You’re young, Ashton. I’m not saying you need to go out and ruin your life. I’m just saying some excitement is good for the soul.”
    An image of Beau slouched down in the seat beside me in his truck last night, staring at me through his thick curly lashes, made my pulse rate increase. He was definitely more than a little excitement. He was lethal.
    “Enough about boys. I have one and I’m not in the market for another one. How was your trip?” Grana smiled and crossed her legs. One high-heeled backless sandal dangled from her hot pink toenails. It was hard to believe she was my straight-laced father’s mother.
    “We visited. Drank some whisky sours. Caught us a few shows at the theatre. That sort of thing.” Sounded like the usual trip to Aunt Tabatha’s.
    “Did Daddy come by to check on you this morning?”
    She sighed dramatically. “Yes, and he of course prayed for my soul. The boy has no sense of adventure.”
    I smiled into my glass of iced tea. Grana was so much fun.
    “You best not repeat that to him either. I have him over here enough, preaching at me.” She nudged my leg with hers.
    “I never do, Grana.”
    Grana gave us another push with her foot. “So, if you aren’t gonna go find yourself a tattooed sexy bad boy to spend your summer with, then you and I need to do something. Can’t have you cleaning the church every day. Where’s the excitement in that?”
    “Shopping. We could always go shopping,” I replied.
    “That’s my girl. We will shop. But not today. I have to unpack and clean this place up. We will make a date later this week. Just you and me. Maybe we can find us some fellas while we are out.”
    Shaking my head, I laughed at her teasing comment. She really wasn’t a fan of Sawyer. She was the only person in this town who didn’t think he walked on water.
    After making plans to go shopping with Grana, I headed back to the house. I’d managed to spend a good part of the day out of my bedroom. I could finish up the rest of the daylight hours with a good book.
    Luckily, neither of my parents was home when I pulled into the driveway.
    When Daddy was home, he would always come up with some job I needed to do at the church. I wasn’t in the mood to