Grandad had given her a beautifully tooled pink leather belt holster for a very ladylike canister of pepper spray. Knowing FAA regulations as she did, Dani had never taken the canister out of Elkhorn, much less the country. Trudy was hiding it in her dresser on her own farm. But if believing that Dani had it made Grandad feel better, she would lie her ass off.

Dani cleared her throat. “I always do.”

“Good girl. Now, what have you been up to?”

Dani kept her expression very neutral. “Um, just settling in, so far, meeting some really nice people. Visiting some beautiful places.”

“Any nice boys?” her grandfather asked pointedly.

“I’m not looking for any nice boys, Grandad. If I was looking for anyone, which I’m not, I would be looking for a nice man.”

“Dani-Girl, I know you didn’t have the best role models in your . . . parents, but that’s no reason to be scared off of relationships.”

“I had the best role models,” she countered. “I had you and Gram. I know exactly what love looks like. I’m just not looking for it right now. And I wouldn’t say I’m alone. I enjoy the company of plenty of—

Grandad’s bushy gray eyebrows rose. Dani paused to search for the right words. “Gentleman callers.”

“Well, company is one thing. Having someone to come home to at night is something else.”

Dani narrowed her eyes at the screen. “Are you going to keep this up or am I going to have to tell Trudy where you’ve been hiding the Little Debbie cakes the doctor says you’re not supposed to have?”

Grandad gasped in indignation. “You don’t know where my stash is!”

“In the top cabinet, behind the matches and the emergency lamp oil. You haven’t moved it since I was seven.”

Grandad crossed his arms over his chest. “All right, all right. I’ll drop it. Just so you know, this isn’t me worrying about you being alone, honey. I just want you to have even a little bit of what me and your Gramma had.”

“What you and Gramma had was irreplaceable. I wouldn’t even want to try.”

Grandad grinned from the screen, his eyes suspiciously shiny.

“I don’t want you to worry anymore about the money, Grandad. With the contract fee for the work I’m doing now, combined with my savings, I’ll have enough to pay it off.”

“I don’t feel right about that, Dani. I don’t want to take your money. I don’t need my granddaughter paying my way,” he said.

“Well, it seems fitting, considering it was your son that put you in this situation in the first place.”