A recipe for disaster (#2 of the Miller family)

6.Welcome home

Jules’ P.O.V.

Gran had insisted on taking me to Jenna’s new bed and breakfast all by herself. The bed and breakfast was basically Jenna’s late uncle’s house, which she had now transformed into a B&B. It wasn’t open to guests just yet, since it wasn’t entirely complete. I guess I would really be her first guest staying at the place, and I honestly couldn’t wait to see it with my own eyes instead of the pictures Jenna would send me over the phone. But once I walked outside of Jenna and Adam’s new home, rolling my small suitcase behind me, I honestly was a little bit shocked when the little old lady that everyone seemed to call ‘Gran’, walked straight toward a freaking 1960s Chevrolet Impala in a mint blue color, a classic that had seen its fair share of adventures over the years without a doubt. The color was softened by decades of exposure to the elements. The chrome accents along the body gleamed in the sunlight, though they had lost some of their luster with time. And I honestly wondered if this lady called Gran had ever driven around in anything other than this particular car, I mean… the car looked as old as she was, in all honesty. And all of a sudden, letting dear old Gran here drive me around, didn’t sound so appealing anymore.

Or safe.

When I had offered to wait for Jenna, or just call another Uber to drive me to the B&B, Gran had waved off my concerns immediately, saying

“I’ve been driving a car longer than you have been alive, dear.” I mean… she was a hoot and all, that was for sure. Gran was a woman who was full of life and mischief, the sparkle in her blue eyes told me that much. I just hoped that she wouldn’t be the same way while driving me around town. So, after I had finally managed to get my suitcase into her very old trunk, Gran pushed on the gas – a little too hard for my liking, by the way – and drove off, as I hoped that I would be able to make it to my destination alive and well, without getting pulled over by the cops and ending up in jail five minutes after arriving in this town because of Bonny minus Clyde sitting next to me.

Gran’s vintage Chevrolet rumbled softly, as we drove through the picturesque streets of Fairview once again. This little town had a charm all on its own, with its well-kept houses, quaint shops, and friendly-looking locals. The sun bathed the town in a warm, golden glow, casting long shadows on the sidewalks as we drove by this late afternoon.

“Fairview was where I moved with my late husband, God rest his soul,” Gran started to speak to me, her eyes filled with a mix of nostalgia and fondness, as she looked at the road in front of her.

“We came here, looking for a fresh start, and we just fell in love with this town the second we drove by.” She added as I listened intently, eager to learn more about Gran’s history and the history of this cute little town.

“What made you love this place so much?” I asked her, looking at what looked like the town’s square, which was green and lush and had the most romantic gazebo standing in the center of the square.

“Well, it’s the kind of place where everyone knows your name, which can both be a blessing and a curse, I guess. But people are genuinely friendly, and there’s a sense of community here, especially when one is in need. You can’t help but feel welcome here. But, living in a small town isn’t for everyone,” She admitted as she shrugged, her left hand searching for something down her seat, before she leaned back up and put a pair of massive white sunglasses on.

This woman is a mood.

God, I adore her!

“But, I do believe a girl like you could fit right in here, Jules. Something about you tells me you are searching for a fresh start as well. Am I wrong?” She winked at me.

huh, what does Gran have up her sleeve next?

And how the hell did she figure me out so fast?

But instead of answering her with the truth, I just looked out the window once more and gazed out at the town I was finding myself in, taking in the people walking around and who actually lived here. There was something comforting about the simplicity of it all, the slower pace of life, and the sense of community that permeated Fairview. Gran’s words resonated with me, and I couldn’t help but feel a growing affection for this little town. And the smallness of it.

Especially the smallness of it...

“What did you and your husband do, when you moved here? I mean… it doesn’t look as if there are a lot of jobs out here.” I spoke, seeing how Gran smiled widely, probably thinking back at the past.

“My late husband, Dan, was quite the handyman. Plus, he loved to be in nature all day long. So it only made sense, that he bought a boat, and went into the fishing business. It was quite a success back in the day, so he bought more boats and worked longer days. Running a business, while I stayed at home and raised our girls.” Gran smiled, making me raise my eyebrows at her. I had seen the Miller boys, but no women who could have been Gran’s daughters, or the Miller boys’ mother.

“My oldest daughter, Carla, she got married and moved out of state. She lives near Canada now with her family. My youngest one, Courtney, who is also the mother of Adam and Koda, who you have already met, sadly passed away many years ago.” Gran spoke, making me frown at her words.

“I’m so sorry for your loss,” I whispered to her, feeling awkward by the sudden heaviness of this conversation between us.

“It’s OK dear, thank God I still have my grandkids to look after, and hopefully one day some great-grandkids as well.” She grinned, looking back at me as if she was trying to send me some kind of hidden message that I didn’t seem to understand.

“What happened to your husband’s fishing business?” I asked Gran, who shrugged, pressing her lips into a thin line.

“It got passed on to Courtney and her husband, Greg, who took over once we retired. When they passed, the grandkids inherited the business overnight. But at that time, they were all still kids themselves, and nowhere near ready to run a business. So, Adam and I decided to just sell it and split the money over all the siblings as sort of a trust fund, knowing that that is what their parents would have wanted in the end. Giving them all a good start in life when they would need it.” Gran spoke, and I was honestly taken aback by her answer. And the amount of sadness in her life.

“I think it is beautiful what you and Adam did.” I nodded, now understanding where Adam had inherited his big heart from. Jenna had told me, how Adam had become the guardian over his sibling, when he had been just a teenager himself by the sudden death of his parents. It was admirable to say the least, just like this woman sitting next to me was remarkable as well. I was starting to love this Miller family already, even though the dark brown eyes of one sexy man in particular, kept popping up into my brain more than once.

Like… once every minute…

Or maybe a bit more than once every minute…

Ah s**t, who am I kidding? I couldn’t stop thinking about those eyes…

“Adam is a good boy, they all are actually. They all have a pure heart.” Gran said, her eyes twinkling with pride over her grandkids.

“Adam was always the responsible one out of the bunch, I mean, he had to be at some point, and I guess old habits die hard. Then you have also met Blade, who is basically the family goof. You haven’t met Skye yet, but he gives Blade a run for his money. And then you have Koda… well, Koda can be the wild card in some ways, but there surely is something special about that boy, let me tell you.”

Huh… is someone trying her very best to set me up with her grandson here?

Not that I mind her trying…

Not that I mind at all…

“I can tell you love your grandchildren all very dearly.” I smiled, as Gran gave me a loving smile in return.

“They always say, you love your children more than anything in the world, until the day you start having grandkids. I guess I never really believed it until it became a reality.” She shrugged as we drove out of the city and into the outskirts of Fairview.

“Do you live in Fairview as well? Now that Adam and Jenna live in your former house?” I asked Gran, wanting to turn the conversation in another direction. A happy one, actually.

“I live in ‘The Garden’ now, it’s over in Stonebrooke, which is just another town over.” She spoke, smirking as she looked at me, tearing her eyes off the road and almost giving me a heart attack because she looked at me way too long when her eyes needed to be in front of her.

“Life at an elderly home, it isn’t as dull as you might think, darling. And Mindy, she’s my best friend by the way, she’s my partner in crime. I’ll introduce you soon, you’ll love her.” Gran laughed, and I couldn’t help but chuckle at her words, knowing she was probably true.

“I can only imagine.” I giggled, imagining a couple of old people racing against each other in their wheelchairs through the hallways of the nursing home. But Gran leaned in closer as if she was about to let me in on a dirty little secret of her own.

“We even have a secret club, the ‘Golden Jokers’, as we like to call ourselves.”

“Golden jokers? What do you do?” I raised an eyebrow, being very intrigued. Gran grinned back at me mischievously.

“We play pranks on the nurses, mostly. They think they can boss us around, but we show them we’ve still got some tricks up our sleeves. We might be old, but we’re not senile just yet.” She winked at me again as I laughed out loud.

“You sure you guys don’t just play strip poker inside a hidden basement somewhere?” I giggled, seeing how Gran raised her eyebrow at me playfully. Or as if she had just got caught by me.

“A lady never kisses and tells.” She answered eventually, before she looked at the road in front of her. That’s probably when I knew I loved this little old lady.

“But you do give me some fascinating ideas for me to throw into the group.” She added, right before she took a left turn.

“Oh look, we arrived just in time.” She spoke, as we drove into a street and Gran parked on the driveway of number 47. I smiled, as I looked up at the white house, which looked to be freshly painted, a new wooden sign on the walls telling me that this house was in fact ‘Uncle Ben’s Inn’.

“Welcome home, at least for now.” Gran smiled at me as she nodded, opening her door as she stepped out of the vehicle and started wobbling her way straight up the driveway. And as I stepped out of the car myself, I saw how Gran was fumbling inside her purse, searching for something...

“Shouldn’t we wait for Jenna to get here at least? I mean… to open the door?” I asked Gran, who started to wiggle her way toward the front door of the house once again as I spoke, holding up a key she had taken from her purse.

“Important people always have a set of keys, my dear! Lesson one of living inside a small town.” She yelled at me as she jiggled the keys, making me quickly grab my suitcase before I followed her inside, wondering if Jenna even knew that this Gran lady had a set of keys to her late uncle’s house?

probably not…



But instead of arguing her, I simply shrugged, taking a mental note to study this little old lady for as long as I would be staying in Fairview. Because clearly, this little old lady right here with the purple glowing hair, was my new spirit animal in life.