I froze, my forced smile tightening so hard my cheeks hurt. Oh, no. Nope. Abort.
This was bad.
“Drop by?” I echoed, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. “Oh, that’s… lovely.”
Lovely? Really? Of all the words I could’ve used, lovely was the best my panic-stricken brain could muster? I snuck a glance at Mr. Hale, and his expression looked about as pleasant as someone swallowing a mouthful of thumbtacks.
His hand dragged down his face slowly, like the weight of the world had just doubled. “Pa,” he started, his voice laced with just enough irritation to border on a warning.
“Yes?” his grandfather replied innocently, though his sharp eyes glinted like he was enjoying this far too much.
“Don’t you think we’re a little… busy right now for visits?”
I nearly snorted. Busy?
