Torn by Eleanor Green Page A

luggage, but Katie quickly shut it. “Let’s get it later.
I can’t wait to see Gram, and introduce the two of you.” She took
Branson’s hand and skipped up the path toward the house. The sight
of the large white house with black shutters and roof against the
white snow made Katie’s heart soar. She was home.
    When they stepped through the front
door, Katie called out for Gram.
    “ Oh my heavens! Is that my
little Katie-girl?” Gram raced around the corner to find Katie
grinning from ear to ear.
    “ Gram!” Katie bounded into
her grandmother’s arms and squeezed her tight. She inhaled the
soft, comforting scent of her perfume. Katie had copied Gram’s
habit of lightly dabbing one dot of perfume behind each ear. She remembered watching her get ready for the day
and listening to her instructions. “You are beautiful and will
never need makeup, but when you do apply it, do it
tastefully—applying as little as possible for a natural look. When
you walk into a room you want people to notice your beautiful eyes,
not your beautiful makeup. Also, perfume should be added lightly
and never overpowering. Just add a tiny dab behind each
ear.”
     
    “ I’m delighted beyond
words to see you, my dear.” She looked Katie over before turning
her attention to Branson. “Oh how rude of me, you must be Branson.
I’m Elizabeth Harrington, but all of Katie’s friends call me Gram.”
She offered her hand for a shake.
    “ I’m pleased to finally
meet you, Gram. Katie speaks of you often.” Branson was sure he had
never seen Katie so happy. Her entire persona changed when she saw
Gram, and watching her he now knew what she had been like as a
child. It was obvious from the stories that she adored her
grandmother, but seeing the two of them together, he realized their
bond was exceptionally profound and unbreakable.
    Gram led them through the house to the
kitchen where she had a pot of water ready for tea, along with
shortbread cookies. Branson looked around and realized there were
no masculine touches anywhere, which was completely opposite of his
family’s rustic home in New Hampshire. Katie’s house was light and
had a beach feel to it, making him forget that it was winter and
snowing outside.
    Katie handed him a cup of tea. “I’ve
never seen you drink tea, but will you join us?” He nodded, and
thanked her for the cup. “Would you like honey, milk, or
lemon?”
    “ I have no idea. I’ll just
try it the way you fix yours.”
    Katie added a dab of honey to his cup
and placed a few cookies on his plate. “Gram makes these cookies
every Christmas. They’re my favorite.” She waited for him to try a
bite, eagerly awaiting his reaction. When he agreed they were the
best he’d ever tasted, she enjoyed her tea. “Gram, where’s the
tree? You haven’t decorated a stitch.”
    “ I wanted to wait for you.
I thought it would be nice to do it together like we have every
year.” She smiled and turned to Branson. “Tell me everything about
yourself. Katie tells me you’re studying business?”
    Branson answered her questions about
his family, future goals, and his version of how he and Katie met.
“I missed my four o’clock class so I could meet her. I’d seen her
on the tennis court, but never could find the chance to introduce
myself. This particular day she was sitting in the lobby of her
dorm. I have to admit she’s the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen,
and I lost my nerve. I stood there, like an idiot, talking to a
couple of buddies until I talked myself into saying hello. Normally
I’d describe myself as a fairly confident man, but Katie had me
turned upside down.”
    Katie and Gram shared another cup of
tea as Branson retrieved the luggage out of the car. They got
caught up on all of the town gossip and made plans to give Branson
a glimpse into the wonderful world of the Harrington’s during the
Christmas season.
    “ He seems like a wonderful
young man, dear. He can’t take his eyes off of you—I