"Is your cousin there?" Benedict asked.

"Yeah," Tammie beamed. "She brought me a homemade dessert."

"This late at night?"

"Are you jealous I have such a wonderful cousin?" Tammie teased.

Benedict sighed. "Buddy, you can't be too careful."

The comment soured Tammie's mood. If it were anyone else, he would have snapped at them. Ann was the person he trusted most in the world, and Benedict's constant suspicion was grating. "That's enough, Benedict," he said, his voice low as he saw Ann approaching. "Just because you can't trust your cousin doesn't mean mine is the same."

"Tammie, I'm not attacking her," Benedict said, rubbing his temples. "I just think it's foolish to trust anyone blindly. A little caution isn't a bad thing." It was simple logic, but Tammie refused to see it.

"I don't need to be cautious with

break. I'm hanging up." Before

cousin. Let's take a fifteen-minute

my

Pel

Benedict could protest further, Tammie ended the call.

Ann placed the tray on the table. "I made this for you, Tammie. And I brought

some pineapple and cherries, just how you like them."

"Thank you, Ann." He took a bite and his eyes lit up. "This is delicious!"

"I used to make this for Grandma all the time," Ann said, her smile faltering as she

spoke. "She loved it." A look of profound sadness crossed her face.

The mention of Keira left a bitter taste in Tammie's mouth. Ann had been so devoted, and Keira had repaid her by casting her out without asecond thought. She doesn't deserve your kindness," Tammie said, setting down his spoon. "After everything you did for her, she broke your heart."

"It's okay, Tammie," Ann said, placing a comforting hand on his arm. "I don't blame Grandma. I understand. We're not related by blood."

Her maturity only fueled his anger. Ann was the perfect granddaughter; Keira was a fool. "Just you wait," he muttered. "She'll regret choosing someone like Freya It's only a matter of time What did Keina see in that uneducated, divorced woman from the countryside? She was nothing compared to Ann.

Ann gently changed the subject. "Let's not talk about unpleasant things. Eat this."