Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem novel Chapter 1532

After they left, Tarquin kept Baby company while trying to figure out how to smooth things over with Elysia Thorne. Around noon, Elysia woke up. Tarquin was in the living room playing with Baby. Elysia came downstairs. "How come it's just you two here? Where is everyone else?" Tarquin looked at her, his gaze gentle. "Mom and Dad went out for groceries, Elijah is in the study upstairs, and Elliot and Evan left with my grandpa. You must be hungry. Dad left some food for you, I'll go get it." Elysia first kissed her daughter, then asked him, "Where did Elliot and Evan go with Grandpa?" Tarquin acted nonchalant. "I'm not sure. All I know is they might be gone for a few days." Elysia was taken aback. "Gone for a few days? And you don't know where?" Tarquin said, "Elliot and Evan said Grandpa was in a bad mood and they wanted to keep him company for a few days. I couldn't really say no, so I agreed." Elysia quickly asked, "What's wrong with Grandpa?" "I don't know that either. Elliot and Evan know, but they said it's Grandpa's secret and they can't tell anyone." Elysia was speechless. Seeing her worried expression, Tarquin comforted her, "Grandpa can handle himself. Elliot and Evan will be safe with him, you don't need to worry. And from the way they talked, it doesn't sound like a huge problem. They just feel bad for him and want to be there for him." Elysia naturally trusted her grandpa; she knew he was highly skilled. Tarquin said, "Why don't you give Elliot, Evan, or Grandpa a call and ask for more details?" Elysia immediately shook her head. "They said it's a secret. It wouldn't be right for me to pry." Tarquin smiled. "Then don't overthink it. It's not a big deal. Just think of it as Great-Grandpa taking his great-grandsons out for a few days. They'll be back once he's feeling better." Men are natural-born actors; they don't need any training. Tarquin's performance was flawless, and he successfully fooled Elysia. Seeing that he wasn't tense, Elysia stopped worrying too. "Grandpa doesn't really interact with outsiders. What could be bothering him?" Tarquin said, "He's quiet, but he definitely has things on his mind. Elliot is thoughtful and Evan is adorable. They'll surely cheer him up. Don't worry." Elysia let out a long breath. "I wonder how many days they'll be gone?" "At least a week, I'd say." Elysia's eyes widened. "That long? They're missing school." Tarquin said, "It's a worthwhile sacrifice for Grandpa's sake." Elysia was speechless. Although she didn't want the kids to miss class, he had a point. Grandpa was more important. "Stop thinking about it. I'll go get you something to eat." "Okay." Having successfully deceived his wife, Tarquin breathed a sigh of relief. At noon, Clayton and Pamela cooked lunch together. It was a lively and warm atmosphere. Tarquin's mood had been good, but when he suddenly received news that Lowell was in trouble, his heart skipped a beat. He stepped away from Elysia, found a quiet place, and called Lowell. Lowell was in a pretty bad state. He hadn't suffered like this in years, but his trip to Border City had put him through hell. First, to get close to Dane, he had played the victim, rolling down a hill and injuring himself, swelling his foot. Then, to test the madman, Dane had stomped hard on his foot, making the injury worse. Who would have thought that while rushing to save Diaz last night, he'd forgotten he was injured and, in a moment of carelessness, got stabbed by an enemy. The knife wound was in his abdomen; it missed his vital organs, so it wasn't life-threatening. Blood gushed from the wound—a steady, terrifying crimson stream.