Grandma loves Lucy. I should have anticipated this. Grandma shows her love by how much wine she pours. And by the healthy glow in Lucy’s cheeks, Grandma’s been pouring with a heavy hand. I pick up the wine bottle and see it’s from a local Oregon winery. Grandma always has good taste in wine.
Grandma takes the bottle from my hand and fills her glass, then fills Lucy’s again.
“Grandma, I hope you’re not planning on driving anywhere.”
Lucy looks at me in alarm, and I agree with her. She and Grandma are both having too much fun giggling over a glass of wine to even consider picking up a set of keys.
“I know I didn’t call ahead, but I was hoping you wouldn’t mind if I stayed in your guest room.”
Lucy’s shaking her head at me from behind Grandma, and I don’t know why.
“Are you sure you’ll be comfortable here? That mattress isn’t very soft,” I attempt to dissuade her.
“It’s just perfect. I need a firm mattress for my back.”
By now, Lucy’s eyes are huge, and she’s sliding a finger across her throat. I’m not sure what I’ve done to make her mad.
“Okay, I’m going to go call your grandpa and let him know I’m staying here instead of a hotel. He’ll be glad. He still worries that someone will kidnap me,” she laughs. “At my age.”
She picks up her purse and steps outside to the porch to make the call. Lucy’s up and out of her seat in half a second flat and poking me in the chest with her index finger. “Why did you invite her to stay?”
“Because I don’t want her driving late at night on two glasses of wine. Besides, I thought you liked her.”
Lucy glances over her shoulder at the front door before she turns back to me and whispers, “Of course I like her. She’s fantastic. But she’s going to expect us to do married things. Like sleep in the same room.”
Lucy’s eyes are flashing at me, and with every jerk of her head, her hair swings around her shoulders. That’s when her words register.
I mutter a curse. “I didn’t even think of that.”
“Yes. We have to start asking ourselves,What would newlyweds do?”
“That’s kind of a long thing to ask ourselves, don’t you think?” I whisper back.
“Of course it is! But it’s the only practical question. And if she stays here, she’s going to expect us to share a room.” Her eyes are wide.
“It’ll be fine. We’ll both fit in my room,” I say.
She narrows her eyes at me. “I hope that’s because you have bunk beds…”
We can’t continue the conversation because Grandma walks back inside. “All settled. He’s building a new picnic table for the store.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize your husband was a woodworker,” Lucy says, stepping away from me.
I reach out and rest an arm around her shoulders. She glances up at me in surprise.
I mouth,What would newlyweds do?
She forces a smile on her face as she reaches an arm around me and leans into the embrace.
There’s a sharp pinch to my side that says I might live to regret this later.
“Thank you for letting me stay even though I didn’t give you a warning. It’s not fair of me to do that to newlyweds,” Grandma says with a frown.
I recognize it for what it is—her usual conniving—but Lucy falls for it hook, line, and sinker.
She steps out of my arms and stands next to Grandma, patting her shoulder. “Oh, but I’m so glad you came. Miles forgot to tell me how fun you are, and I’m happy to get to know you. Just give me a few minutes, and I’ll put clean sheets on my—” She clears her throat. “Our guest bed. Ainsley slept there recently.”
Ainsley did not sleep there recently—she slept on the couch. But I have to admire Lucy’s quick thinking that will buy us time to hide the evidence that Lucy lives in that room.
