Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 100188 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100188 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
I did as he said after making sure Augie’s seat was pushed in to his liking and helping his Aunt Prima with the same. Eric helped Augie’s mom with her chair at the foot of the table before taking his own seat opposite his wife. Brett landed heavily in his own chair next to his dad without a care in the world for the two women at the table. Doc would have nudged his leg under the table and given him A Look for forgetting basic manners.
An attractive young woman in a waitress uniform came out from a door in the corner of the room and began to serve wine. This was quickly followed by a salad course during which there was little to no talking.
It was the complete opposite of dinner at my own grandfathers’ house.
Finally, when the salad plates were being removed, Diane Stiel spoke up. “August, did you wish your aunt Prima a happy birthday?”
Everyone at the table looked from mother to son.
“Ah, yes. When I came in. Did you have a nice time at your charity dinner, Aunt Prima? A fashion show, right?”
Prima finished wiping the sides of her mouth with the delicate cloth napkin before tucking it back in her lap. “Yes, thank you. The Dallas Women’s Society raised over a hundred thousand dollars for the Dallas Afterschool programs, the Texas Hunger Initiative, and… oh, something else. Orphans or something, I don’t remember. But the best part of the night were the gowns. You should have seen how beautiful they were.”
I was grateful there hadn’t been any food or drink in my mouth when I snorted. At first, I thought she was joking, but I could see by the looks on everyone else’s faces she wasn’t.
“Oh, tell me about them,” Diane exclaimed. “Also, Laura told me to ask you what Beverly Sitton was wearing. All I heard is that she looked like a bloated banana.”
Prima’s eyebrows lifted. “A bunch of bananas, maybe. That tummy tuck didn’t take. And did you hear about Savannah Hews? She dropped her clutch in the center of the grand foyer and out spilled every kind of narcotic known to man.”
The two ladies tittered over that poor woman’s bad luck while I sympathized with the woman who needed prescription courage to make it through a Dallas society event like that. It made complete sense why she needed to be medicated.
“Mother,” Augie urged, sitting back to allow his dinner to be set in front of him. He murmured a quick thank-you to the server before focusing back on his mother. “You don’t know the woman’s story. Maybe she has chronic pain.”
Diane Stiel shot her son a look. “Her chronic pain’s name is Lowell, and if she didn’t want it, she should have divorced him years ago.”
“Can’t argue with that,” Mr. Stiel added from the head of the table. “One good side effect of having retired—not having to see that putz in the office anymore.”
Augie’s fork clattered to his plate. “Since when are you retired?”
“August,” Eric snapped. “Mind your manners.”
“Since the diagnosis three months ago,” Diane said with a sniff. “We didn’t want to tell you.”
We both turned to Augie’s grandfather at the end of the table, but he was looking down at his plate.
“Diagnosis?” Augie asked in a strangled voice. “Is it… is it Alzheimer’s?”
“Vascular dementia, dear,” Prima said, reaching over to pat Augie’s hand. His other hand shot out under the table to grab for mine. I caught it and held tight, letting him know he wasn’t alone. Even though he’d known about the dementia, hearing an official diagnosis somehow made it more real. “He’s had some mini strokes in the past six months. That’s how they discovered it.”
“Complete nonsense,” the elder Mr. Stiel added in a stern voice. It was the kind of voice he’d probably used hundreds of times in boardrooms over the years. “I’m fine. It was simply time. And Eric has been in charge for many years anyway. What do they need an old man around for? I’ve served my time.”
His voice softened as he mumbled something about playing more golf, but everyone seemed to ignore him after that.
Diane sat forward. “Augie, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you since we have you here.”
I kept a hold of Augie’s hand under the table, resting our joined hands on my leg.
“Is it about Grandfather? Do you want me to move back and help?”
My heart jumped at the suggestion. Just when I thought I was moving to Hobie to be near him, he might move back to Dallas? Well, I guessed I could stay in Dallas and continue my work for Lanny. But that would mean travel again. Time away from Augie.
I didn’t want that.
But I would do whatever he needed me to do to support him.
“No, no. It’s… well, yes. It’s a little bit about Dad, I guess.” Diane glanced at her brother Eric, who nodded encouragingly. “Eric and I would like to help you purchase a better retail space for your antique shop.”