Better Deeds Than Words (The WORDS Series) Read online

“Try harder. You’ll be glad you did when you reach my age. Nothing worse than kissing a man with dentures. Always worry they’re going to pop out and bite you. More roast, Daniel?” She dropped another slice of prime rib on his plate.

  Daniel regarded her with amusement, then glanced over at me, perhaps trying to imagine what I must be thinking.

  I loved her. She was a hoot!

  Patty held out the salad tongs. “Daniel, take more tomatoes.”

  “I already have a few. I’m fine.”

  She tossed three more tomato wedges on his salad plate. “Lycopene. It’s good for the prostate,” she said.

  Daniel rolled his eyes and sighed.

  “Prostate cancer,” Patty said to me in a hushed voice. “That’s what got Bradford—my husband. Never ate a tomato in his life. I’m convinced that’s what did him in. Although I read an article recently about the importance of regular ejaculations as well. Not that Bradford had a problem with that.”

  I bit my lip to stifle a laugh. Daniel stared at her in stunned silence.

  “You are having your oil changed regularly, I hope?” she asked him.

  What the hell? Penny had said Patty was a corker, but nothing had prepared me for this! She was awesome! I blinked back tears as I tried not to burst into laughter. Daniel, on the other hand, was choking on a mouthful of roast beef. I clapped him on the back and handed him his water glass.

  He gulped some and cleared his throat. “Jesus, Patty. That’s a rather personal question.”

  “It’s uptight people who impede the distribution of important information. Don’t you think, Aubrey?”

  “Oh, I couldn’t agree more,” I said, casting a meaningful glance at Daniel, who narrowed his eyes at me.

  He turned back to his grandmother. “Are you implying I’m uptight?”

  “Implying? No, no, I was stating it as a fact. I happen to believe you need to extricate that rather long pole from—well, there’s no need to discuss the sordid details at the table,” she said.

  Daniel put down his fork and looked back and forth between the two of us. “Huh,” he said, miffed. “Okay then. Allow me to put your mind at rest. My oil is being changed fairly regularly. There. Satisfied?”

  He picked up his fork and forcefully stabbed a carrot. I hoped his comment wasn’t intended as an admission that we were involved in an intimate relationship. Patty quirked an eyebrow at me, and I held up my hands as if to say, “Don’t look at me.” She surveyed Daniel expectantly, and he cleared his throat.

  “Unfortunately, I’m decidedly, um, self-employed, at the moment,” he said.

  Oh. My. God. Was he really sitting here at the dining room table with his grandmother and admitting to masturbating? Regularly? Patty remained unfazed. We could have been discussing the current price of pork tenderloin.

  I couldn’t hold my tongue any longer. “Well, Daniel, this is very interesting. How is business these days, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “Business is booming,” he said, his sardonic grin betraying his amusement.

  I bit my lip.

  “Well, that’s a very sad state of affairs for a young, handsome man,” Patty said, eyeing us. “But I understand. These things take time. Just promise me that until someone hires you on permanently, you’ll keep business ticking over for the sake of your prostate health.”

  “Patty, I don’t have a lot of choice in the matter at the moment. Now can we please change the subject?” he asked.

  “Well, all right.” Patty dabbed her lips with her napkin. “So tell me, where did you two meet?”

  Daniel pursed his lips. “At school,” he said. Suitably vague.

  “You’re studying at U of T?” she asked me.

  I nodded, chasing down my mouthful of food with some wine. “I’m graduating this year. I’ll have a specialist in English and a minor in French.”

  Her eyebrows shot up. “Well, I can see how you two would have a lot to talk about. It can be tricky keeping up with Daniel sometimes.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about that. Aubrey keeps me on my toes,” Daniel assured her.

  “I’m happy to hear that. Your grandfather would approve,” she said.

  Daniel smiled at me warmly. “Yes, he would.”

  “I see no reason to keep the young lady under wraps. Surely your parents would be pleased with your choice,” Patty said.

  Daniel shot me another quick glance and rested his knife and fork on his plate.

  “Thing is, Patty, it’s a little complicated.” He looked at her with a strange expression. She gave him an equally inscrutable gaze in return, like they were communicating telepathically.

  “I see,” she said at last, taking a sip of her wine and sitting back in her chair.

  She did? What did she see? What had just happened?

  “Would you like to hear about how I met my husband, Aubrey?” Patty asked. Daniel relaxed, his shoulders settling noticeably.

  “I’d love to hear about him.”

  She pushed her plate to the side and pulled her wine glass forward before clasping her hands on the table in front of her and embarking on her story.

  “I went to Queen’s University,” she said. “Queen’s was a very forward-thinking school in my day. Did you know that it was the first non-maritime university to accept female students?”

  “No, I didn’t know that,” I said.

  “Well, my parents insisted I attend university. Not that I resisted. I’ve always loved learning. Anyway, Bradford was my history professor at Queen’s.”

  Suddenly I understood exactly where this story was going. This wasn’t simply a nostalgic courtship tale. I glanced at Daniel. He raised an eyebrow and nodded slightly.

  Patty had married one of her professors.

  Chapter 3

  Precious Time

  I have no precious time at all to spend,

  Nor services to do, till you require.

  Nor dare I chide the world-without-end hour

  Whilst I, my sovereign, watch the clock for you…

  (Sonnet 57)

  “BRADFORD WAS A WONDERFUL TEACHER,” Patty said. “He was quite a bit older than I was. I think I was twenty-two when I was in his class, so that would have made him thirty-one. But, goodness, he was devilishly handsome. He scared the liver out of me, but I never let him see that. Everyone knew he was engaged to be married. That didn’t stop me from mooning over him, mind you.”

  When she stopped to take a drink of wine, I was afraid to move. I could hardly believe my ears.

  “I thought I was being discreet in my admiration. We’d meet to discuss assignments and essays, and we’d end up chatting for hours. I flattered myself enough to think he found me interesting, but never once allowed myself to believe he saw me as anything more than a star student. You can imagine my surprise when he sent a bouquet of roses to my house on my graduation day.”

  Patty’s eyes had glazed over. She was somewhere else, seeing her husband in her mind’s eye.

  “He’d broken off his engagement. Told me he’d been counting the days until my graduation, hoping and praying I wouldn’t take a beau before he’d have a chance to tell me how he felt. He’d wanted to tell me his feelings many times, but he knew any admission would complicate our relationship. Once I’d graduated and he wasn’t my professor any longer, he couldn’t wait another moment. The whole thing caused quite a kerfuffle, especially in those days. We courted that whole summer. Had a wonderful time together. We were married on September first.”

  Patty’s eyes came back into focus.

  “So, you see, Aubrey,” she said, “I’m quite familiar with complicated relationships.”

  “Were there any repercussions? Did he get in trouble?” I asked, looking first at Patty and then at Daniel.

  “He hadn’t truly done anything wrong, my dear. Unfortunately, he did break his fiancée’s heart. And there was a lot of talk. But after we were married, we moved to England. He got a position at Oxford. We stayed there until ninet
een sixty-seven. Gwen and Gail were born in England. He was so pleased when Daniel decided to go to Oxford to get his degree.”

  Daniel leaned over to refill our empty glasses.

  “At any rate, that’s the skeleton that rattles in my closet from time to time. You’re not the first to find yourself in a complicated relationship, and you most certainly won’t be the last.”

  “Thank you for telling me,” I said. Daniel smiled, his eyes kind.

  He continued to gaze at me from time to time as Patty shared more tales about her life in England with her husband and their years of traveling before they had children. She regaled me with stories of Daniel’s childhood, embarrassing him numerous times with her anecdotes. She also talked a great deal about Bradley and Jeremy, the very picture of a doting grandmother.

  We sat at the table for close to an hour and a half. At last she finished her third glass of wine and said, “Goodness, my lips are a little numb.”

  “I’m not surprised. Maybe you should come and sit over here,” Daniel said, helping her up and leading her to an armchair. “Besides, 60 Minutes is on soon.” Daniel flipped on the TV. “You relax. Aubrey and I will clean up, okay?”

  “All right.” Patty squeezed his hand.

  While we cleared the table and filled the dishwasher, I was lost in my thoughts, but I could see Daniel watching me with interest. As I brought the last few dishes from the dining room and piled them on the counter, he stopped me and took my hands in his.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “Yes, I’m just surprised. I didn’t see that coming at all,” I whispered.

  “I respect my grandmother’s privacy. That wasn’t my story to tell. But now you know why I felt comfortable bringing you here. Of all people, Patty would be the last one to judge our relationship. That’s why I wasn’t alarmed when we bumped into her on Friday.” He smiled sheepishly. “Sorry for holding out on you.”

  “I guess I’m starting to get used to the Grant family fence posts.” I reached up to give him a quick kiss. “Let’s finish this.”

  I piled up the saucepans and filled the sink with hot, sudsy water, watching Daniel push his sleeves up.

  “Now, what’s that smile about?” Daniel asked, standing behind me and wrapping his arms around me.

  “I was just thinking about how much I love your forearms.”

  “You do?”

  “Uh-huh. They’re very furry.”

  He chuckled. “No one’s ever told me that before. Why am I picturing cavemen?”

  I smiled and turned around. He leaned against me, pushing my lower back into the counter.

  “I happen to find it very masculine,” I assured him, swirling my fingers in the hairs peeping out of the top of his T-shirt. “I like this too, though,” I murmured, dropping soft kisses along the expanse of smooth skin between the stubble on his throat and his chest hairs.

  “So do I,” he said, claiming my lips and kissing me deeply, his tongue working its magic as it moved against mine, turning me into a puddle of goo.

  I tried to talk between kisses. “We probably shouldn’t do this right now—”

  “Aubrey, Patty’s snoring. It’s nice not to be outside or in my car, don’t you think? Throw me a bone.” He kissed me again, moaning quietly against my lips.

  “I’ll give you a bone, all right,” I teased.

  “Too late. I think you already did,” he said, smirking as he took in my superior smile.

  “Not exactly a newsflash.”

  “What, and you’re completely unaffected?”

  “Did I say that?”

  He cocked an eyebrow. “Typical country weather down south?”

  I moved in close to his ear. “Typical English country weather.”

  He groaned, trying to adjust himself. “These jeans are killing me. Do you think having blue balls really is fatal?”

  “Don’t tell me you’re not taking care of business when you get home.” I laughed. “That was quite the confession at the table earlier. Very enlightening.”

  He smacked my ass playfully. “You’re getting a little too cocky for your own good, you know that?”

  “I know nothing of the sort. Now, would you get out of the way so I can finish the dishes?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said, picking up Patty’s plate and scraping it into the garbage can.

  While he was bent over, I took the opportunity to thoroughly check out his ass. His jeans were killing me, too. I watched the snowflakes landing on the hedge outside the window and smiled dreamily, overwhelmed with how easy this felt.

  “I should wake Patty or she won’t sleep tonight,” Daniel said.

  I wiped the counter down while he roused his grandmother. “I wasn’t asleep. Just resting my eyes for a minute,” I heard her say.

  “Of course. Aubrey and I have cleaned up the kitchen. It’s still snowing. I think we should head out before the roads get too bad.”

  I dried my hands and joined them in the living room. Patty started pushing herself out of the chair.

  “No, don’t get up. We’ll see ourselves out,” Daniel insisted. He leaned down to kiss her forehead.

  “Do you mind if I pop into the washroom before we go?” I said.

  “No, go ahead.” Daniel motioned to the hall. “You know where it is?”

  “Yes, I’ll just be a sec.”

  I used the washroom quickly. As I rinsed my hands, I peered at my flushed face in the mirror. What was it about Daniel’s passionate kisses that set me on fire?

  I headed back to the living room and saw Daniel crouched before his grandmother, listening as she spoke to him earnestly. She was running her fingers through his hair, kind of tucking it over his ear as she spoke. They obviously adored each other. Feeling like I was trespassing on an intimate family moment, I stepped unnoticed into the hall again and closed the bathroom door with a loud click.

  Daniel stood up and Patty smiled, beckoning me over. “Daniel, go put your coat on,” she said.

  In other words: What I have to say is not for your ears.

  “How about I go out and start the car?” He tugged his coat on and dashed outside.

  “Now listen to me,” Patty said, squeezing my fingers. “Daniel is a good boy. He’ll treat you well, but you mustn’t be afraid to assert yourself. He’s had his fair share of heartache, but he’s not made of porcelain. Sometimes he can get quite uppity, but you’re an intelligent young woman. If he gets up on his high horse, don’t be afraid to push him off, all right?”

  “Why do I get the sense you aren’t just talking about your grandson?” I asked.

  “You are quick.” She winked at me. “Don’t worry about David and Gwen. What they don’t know won’t hurt them. I gather your friendship with Daniel is special. Remember to be careful and, most importantly, always be discreet. And remind Daniel that Gerald isn’t to be discussed with anyone.”

  “I will. And thank you for dinner. I’ve had a wonderful evening.”

  “It’s been lovely having you,” she said.

  Daniel came back inside, stomping his feet on the mat. “It’s still coming down out there. We should go, Aubrey.”

  I gave Patty’s hand a final squeeze and joined Daniel in the hall. He helped me with my coat, pulling my hair free of my collar.

  “Bye, Patty. I’ll call you this week,” Daniel said. “Thanks for everything.”

  “You’re most welcome. Drive carefully.”

  Daniel followed me outside, locking her door behind him. Soon we were on our way, the car fishtailing a little as we pulled out of the driveway. Daniel gripped the steering wheel with both hands and turned to me with an inquisitive smile.

  “So?” he asked as we made our way down Patty’s street.

  “She’s amazing.”

  “She really is. She’s had some incredible experiences. I wish my grandfather were still alive. You’d have liked him.”

  “I bet you’re a lot like him.”

  “So I’m told.” He squin
ted out at the falling snow.

  “I’m so over this winter, you have no idea,” I said.

  “You’re not a fan of snow?” he asked.

  “Nope. Aside from Christmas, I can’t find anything redeeming about winter at all.”

  “Huh. We’re going to have to do something about that.”

  “Like what?”

  “Hmm. I’ll think of something.”

  He smiled mysteriously. Fine. Let him have his little secrets or plans. Nothing was going to change the fact that winter aggravated me to no end. Daniel made a sudden right turn.

  “Where are we going?” I asked.

  “I had an idea. Something I want to show you. You’re not in a hurry to get home, are you?”

  “Not really.”

  “Good.” We continued along a meandering road and then a parking lot appeared around the bend. He pulled in and stopped.

  “This is High Park, right?” I asked.

  “That’s right. Will your boots keep your feet warm if we were to walk along the paths?”

  “My boots are fine. Yours? Not so much,” I pointed out.

  Authoritative-sounding and hellishly sexy? Yes. Practical? Not at all.

  “Don’t worry about me.” He climbed out and came around to open my door. “Careful. It’s slippery.”

  “I’m fine. It’s just a bit of snow.”

  “Okay. Well, give me a minute.”

  The snow was coming down in thick, wet chunks. It was dark, peaceful, and, dare I say it, beautiful. While Daniel poked around in the trunk, I tried to find my gloves. Where had Daniel thrown them earlier? I rooted around on the passenger side floor of the car and found one, but couldn’t locate the other one.

  “Crap!”

  “What’s wrong?” Daniel asked as I continued to dig around under my seat. “Well, this is an unexpected treat,” he said, stepping up behind me and putting his hands on my hips.

  “Be serious for a second, would you? I can’t find my other glove.”

  He laughed. “Wow, that’s incredible. You’ve truly got a gift.”

  “Hey, this wasn’t my fault. You’re the one who threw them around earlier.”

  “You’re right. I’m a cad. We’ll look for it later, though, okay? Let’s head out before it gets too late.”