If there was one thing my grandmother loved more than anything, it was a good juicy secret. She loved to know things before the other gossiping ladies in town.
"I won't say anything."
"I mean it, Grams. Not a word to anyone."
My grandmother took my hands in hers. "My lips are sealed. I promise."
We would see about that.
"Remember the other day when you asked me if I was pregnant?" Grams gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. "Well, guess what? It turns out you were right."
"Oh, Josephine."
Oh, brother. Grams was pulling out the big guns. She only ever called me by my birth name when something big was happening.
"I know, I know. It was a shock for me as well."
More than a shock. I still didn't think I had grasped the idea, but I had at least gotten bloodwork done and confirmed that I was indeed pregnant.
"May I ask who the father is? I didn't know you were seeing anyone."
I winced at the accusation. Seeing someone was a far stretch for what Maverick and I had been doing for the last eight months.
"I'm not ready to talk about that yet."
"It's okay, dear." Grams patted my hand. "You can tell me when you're ready."
I would forever be grateful for the unconditional love and support my grandmother had always given me. I never had to worry if she would judge my choices.
"We better get back out there before someone comes looking for us." I had my fill of gushy moments for the time being.
Grams of course did not. She waved off my words like they didn't matter. "Hell with them. I own this place, and I can do whatever I want."
I laughed at her declaration. That was the exact attitude that my grandmother went into every day with.
"Yes, but we don't want to keep the customers waiting."
"Oh, all right. If you say so."
I placed a kiss on her cheek, snuck out of the closet, and made my way to the front of the diner. Once I saw who was waiting for me at one of the tables, I wished that I could've gone back and hidden in the closet.
I was disgusted with myself as soon as the idea popped into my head. I wasn't the type of woman who hid from anything. Nope, I faced things head-on. Lifting my chin, I marched straight across the floor and didn't stop until I was standing next to the table.
"What are you doing here?" I questioned Maverick.
"A little birdie told me you were back to work, and I had to see for myself if it was true."
"So what if it is? Women go to work every day of their lives."
"Yes, but what about your"—he looked around to see if anyone was listening before he whispered—"condition?"
Was he serious right now? Pregnant women worked all the time.
"I don't know if you realize this but women in my"—I also whispered the word—"condition have been working for decades."
"I know that, but are all women as sick as you've been?"
I rolled my eyes so hard that I was sure they were going to be stuck that way. "I feel much better today." That was a complete lie. It was taking everything I had not to puke all over the place, but I was determined to have somewhat of a normal life.
