Free Balmy Darlings and Deaths: A Chinese Cozy Mystery (A Raina Sun Mystery Book 4) by Anne R. Tan Page B

asked.
    “You’re family.” The doctor stood, grabbing another file. “Have Maggie call my office as soon as you can.”
    They left the doctor’s office in silence. Matthew still held Raina’s hand like he’d forgotten about it. He trudged back to the car, leading them at his pace. She studied his hunched shoulders and downcast eyes. Geez, he acted as if the world ended. She didn’t know whether to hug or slap him.
    As they approached her car, she let go of his hand and he unlocked the Jeep.
    “That went well,” Raina said.
    He grunted in response.
    Oh, great, Mr. Caveman. “What is wrong with you? This is the best possible outcome given the other possibilities,” Raina said.
    Matthew turned to glare at her. “Are you listening to yourself? My grandma is going blind—”
    “And she will live to her full life expectancy. You have another fifteen to twenty years with her. Buck up, Buttercup.”
    “You don’t understand—”
    Raina scowled at him. “I wanted to wallow when my dad died. But I had a baby brother, a mom with a broken heart, and a sister who fell apart. Life is tough. Suck it up or get off the road so I can drive. If Louie Po can’t count on you, she can certainly count on me and Po Po.” She jerked open the passenger door and got in.
    She crossed her hands, glaring out at the parking lot. Her chest heaved from her outburst, and she fought to hold the tears at bay. 
    The driver door slammed shut, and Matthew settled into his seat. “Where do you want me to drop you off?” His voice was gruff with a tinge of embarrassment.
    Raina kept her face averted. “The senior condos.”
    Matthew started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot. The drive was silent, but it suited Raina since she didn’t want talk. She wasn’t sure why she was upset. He wanted a boohoo party, and she refused to give it to him. He dropped her off with a mumbled thanks. Sometimes the man could be such a big baby.
    The grandmas were downstairs at the senior center, holding court while Po Po’s arch nemesis—her grandma’s own words—threw sharp looks in their direction every few minutes from the far corner.
    Raina made no effort to join them from the doorway and took a backward step into the hall so her grandma couldn’t see how upset she was before she got her emotions under control. Guilt made her stomach churn, but she couldn’t help Matthew—not this time.
    He wanted a security blanket while he navigated his grandma’s health issues, but she wasn’t it. And being so readily available would only make him take her for granted. Self-preservation didn’t have to make her a heartless witch. She could still help Louie Po without her grandson knowing anything about it.
    Raina took a deep breath, feeling much better with her decision, when the lobby door opened behind her. She turned to see Walt heading toward her with a takeout bag from the Thai restaurant.
    “Hey, is this the first time I’ve seen you here?” Raina greeted him. “Which one is yours?” She jerked a thumb toward the open double doors of the recreation room.
    Walt waved at Janice Tally—the arch nemesis. Why was Raina not surprised by how her luck ran these days?
    Mrs. Tally was a bird of a woman with big round glasses and a mean little walker. She had no fear of rolling on toes and stabbing people’s backside with the knitting needles she kept in a pouch on the walker.
    Walt hurried to Mrs. Tally and hovered near her elbow as she made her way toward Raina, pushing the walker in front of her like a battering ram.
    Mrs. Tally peered at Raina above her thick glasses. “Bonnie’s granddaughter, right? Are you single? Walt here is a catch—he’s putting himself through college, but he has a lot of potential.” She muttered under her breath, “Any girl is better than nothing.”
    Walt smiled good-naturedly at his grandmother’s attempt at matchmaking. There was not even a hint of interest on his face. Mrs. Tally didn’t appear to notice