Free The Hammett Hex by Victoria Abbott

She beckoned me forward and squeezed my hand. Her grip was a lotstronger than I’d expected. Maybe she lifted weights when she wasn’t bird-watching or smiling at the figurine collection. I got a pleasant whiff of her delicate lavender scent. Tyler didn’t talk about his family. As far as I knew, aside from his estranged parents, the entire Dekker clan was standing in this room. That made it emotionally significant, that and the fact I’d agreed to spend the rest of my life with one of them, apparently.
    â€œJordan loves La Perla,” Smiley said.
    â€œIt’s a beautiful hotel. Was it your suggestion?”
    â€œIt came highly recommended from a relative. I’m so glad it worked out.”
    â€œThank you. I really love it there.”
    â€œWe all love a bride, my dear,” Gram trilled. “This is such good news about your engagement.”
    Prior to that moment, I hadn’t believed that people trilled outside of fiction, but this was a day of surprises. I blushed at her sweetness and at the awkwardness Tyler had dropped me into.
    Zoya, returning with a tray containing cookies and milk, looked surprised too. The look didn’t suit her any better than her other expressions: disdain, disinterest, dislike and so on.
    Gram turned to Smiley. “When did you propose, pet?”
    I was also interested to hear his answer.
    Gotcha. He blanched. “Um, just on this trip actually.”
    Exactly, and that would be on the part of this trip that hadn’t actually occurred.
    She clapped her hands, apparently in delight. Zoya’s eyes bugged out. Mine might have too. The pug’s definitely did. “We must have an engagement party! We’ll have to invite your new cousins.”
    I said. “What? No. We couldn’t possibly—”
    â€œDarling boy,” she said. Apparently, she could only hear him. “I’m thrilled.”
    The Quaker parrot squawked, “Party party!”
    Zoya pushed into the room. “No parties, missus. You are supposed to rest.”
    The parrot said, “Time to go.”
    I laughed at the little green tyrant, but I had no problem with the sentiment. We didn’t stay long and promised to return as soon as possible. The minute we said good-bye, we found ourselves hustled toward the front door, while Gram called out, “Come back tomorrow! We’ll plan the party.” The pug circled our ankles yipping and snapping. The birds shrieked a variety of shrieks. Zoya merely scowled.
    â€œDo not come back here again,” she said, closing the door on us. “I know what you up to and you not velcome.”

CHAPTER SIX

    A locked door is a piece of cake.
    â€”The Kelly Rules
    S MILEY GAWKED AT the closed purple door.
    I said, “We’ll come back tomorrow.”
    He turned and stared at me. “You don’t think that was strange?”
    â€œWhat part? The bit where I’m your fiancée and the last one to know about it?”
    â€œOh, that. Well—”
    â€œOh, that?”
    â€œIt didn’t come out right.”
    I stood on the steps to his grandmother’s house and sputtered.
    He said, “What I meant to say is that I’ve been thinking a lot about us.”
    I crossed my arms and stared across the steep street.
    He said, “I think we should consider it.”
    How romantic. “I think you shouldn’t announce something momentous like that without discussing it with me, your so-called fiancée. It’s the kind of decision where I would get a vote.”
    â€œI do realize that. It just came out because it was such a nice moment and I wanted it to be true. I wanted to introduce you as my fiancée to my grandmother. Thank you for not saying it wasn’t exactly true.”
    â€œWasn’t
exactly
true?”
    â€œYou know.”
    â€œI do know and it wasn’t even a little bit true.” I’m not over the top about engagement rituals, but I did feel