Kit cleared his throat.
Ann stared at him in dawning horror. “oh, God, you are teaching her, aren’t you? Any particular reason? I mean other than you’ve clearly lost what brains you ever had?”
Kit flushed “Dammit, Ann, she’ll do this on her own if I don’t. You know how stubborn I am. She’s just as bad, and just turned eighteen, and convinced the world’s hers for the plucking, and she doesn’t give a hoot about the risks, she just wants to follow in my goddamned footsteps ….”
Ann’s demeanor changed at once. “Oh, Kit. You poor thing.” She rested a hand on his arm. He relaxed slowly, letting the anger and worry go muscle by muscle. When he could breathe without hurting his chest again, Ann said, “All right, Kit. I’ll teach her. But if I pass judgment and it’s bad…”
He met her eyes. “Maybe she’ll listen to another woman.
”Maybe. I’ve got a lesson starting in a few minutes or I’d offer to take her on right now. Go talk to Sven and see what he has to say; then come back tomorrow morning and we can get started.”
”Thanks, Ann.” He squeezed her arm in heartfelt gratitude.
She smiled. “Don’t thank me. This is going to cost, Kenneth Carson.” But she winked to remove the sting.
Kit just groaned. “What do you want?”
”How about the honeymoon suite for a week?”
”A week? Do you have any idea what I could get for…” He trailed off. “Okay. A week.”
”And my normal fees, plus fifty percent for private tutoring.”
Grandkids were expensive. “Anything else? My signature in blood?”
Ann chuckled. “You think I’m expensive, wait until you tackle Sven.”