“So, about dinner? Will six o’clock work?” he pressed, determined not to let this opportunity slip away. In his opinion, Gabi not only needed family right now, she needed a friendly, impartial ear. He could provide that.
A frown settled on her face. “I don’t think it’s a good idea, Wade,” she said. “My life’s just too unsettled.”
“And you think if you stay home tomorrow night and concentrate real hard, you’ll figure everything out?” he asked skeptically.
“No, but’”
“Okay, then. I’ll see you at six,” he said, sliding out of the booth and dropping a casual kiss on her forehead. “Don’t even think about standing me up. I have allies.”
He could tell by her resigned expression that she knew exactly who those allies were. Maybe if she hadn’t taken so many hits recently, she’d have fought him harder. As it was, she merely sighed.
“See you at six,” she said, then glowered at him. “I want my own bucket of popcorn.”
He grinned. “Of course you do.”
He couldn’t seem to stop smiling as he paid Cora Jane, who’d remained suspiciously out of sight during his entire exchange with Gabi.
As she handed him his change, she threw in a piece of advice free of charge. “You hurt that girl and there will be no place around here for you to hide,” she said. It was a pretty fierce warning from a woman who stood five foot two in her sneakers.
“Got it,” he told her somberly, dropping a kiss on her cheek. “No worries.”
“If I didn’t believe that, you wouldn’t have spent five seconds alone with her just now,” she said, proving that her avoidance of his table had been deliberate. “Not when she’s this vulnerable.”
“You want to come along tomorrow night to chaperone?” he asked, only half in jest.
“Don’t think I wouldn’t do just that, Wade Johnson, if I didn’t think you’re going to be exactly what she needs. Don’t prove me wrong.”
“Understood.”
Even more than Cora Jane probably realized. He’d seen for himself just how fragile Gabi was. Seeing her like that when he knew firsthand the sort of confident, successful woman she’d been just a few months ago had made him want to smash his fist into something. That idiotic ex’s jaw came to mind as the perfect starting point.
* * *
Cora Jane found Gabriella exactly where Wade had left her. She looked as if the weight of the world rested on her shoulders. Cora Jane leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek before nudging her over to make room beside her in the booth. Cora Jane settled close, then cupped Gabi’s chin in her hand.
“You doing okay, honey bun?”
To her shock, Gabi took one look at her and burst into tears.
“Everything’s such a mess,” she said with a moan. “I know you already know, because Samantha has a big mouth, so you can’t deny that I’ve really screwed up this time.”
Cora Jane gathered her close and let her cry herself out. She’d thought long and hard since hearing the news about the best way to handle it. Nothing, though, had quite prepared her for the self-derision she was hearing in Gabi’s voice. When Gabi’s tears had dried, she looked directly into her eyes.
“Now, then, young lady, you listen to me and listen good,” she said in a tone intended to catch Gabi’s attention. “You’re having a baby, which from here on out we’re all going to think of as the blessing it is. You broke up with a man who obviously didn’t deserve you. You lost a demanding job that was draining the life out of you. And you’re here with family who’s ready to love you and support you in any way you need. I plan to see only the good in all that. I suggest you do the same.”
A watery smile formed on Gabi’s face. “I always thought I got my ability to put a good face on things from Mom, but it was you.”
Cora Jane smiled and squeezed her hand. “I have my moments,” she said modestly. “Now let’s back up a minute. Tell me how you’re feeling, physically, not emotionally.”
“Tired,” Gabi admitted.
“Then you’re in the right place. You can sleep as late as you want while you’re here.”
Gabi looked startled. “You aren’t going to insist I come to Castle’s at the crack of dawn for the bakery deliveries?”
Cora Jane chuckled, fully aware that her granddaughters all hated the early-morning demands of running a restaurant that served breakfast starting at 6:00 a.m. “Not this week, anyway,” she responded. “Next week, we’ll see how you’re doing. I want you to concentrate on getting plenty of rest, fresh air and exercise right now.”
“I love you,” Gabi said, leaning against her.
“I love you, too, and this baby you’re carrying. Now, Samantha just called from the house. She arrived a few minutes ago and has started dinner. Let’s get Emily and head home, put our feet up and relax. Tonight we’re going to focus on Emily and Boone’s wedding. Tomorrow will be soon enough to tackle everything else.”
Gabi smiled. “You sound as if we can fix my life up in an afternoon.”
“Maybe not in an afternoon,” Cora Jane conceded. “But it seems to me tomorrow evening might get things rolling.”
Her granddaughter frowned at her. “Wade Johnson is not the answer,” she said forcefully.
Cora Jane didn’t argue. Instead, she simply smiled at Gabi’s emphatic declaration. “I suppose we’ll have to wait and see, won’t we?”
“Grandmother!”
“Come along,” Cora Jane urged. “Emily’s found the perfect wedding dress. I can’t wait for you girls to see it.”
“Emily has also found an excellent fabric for the booths in here,” Gabi said slyly. “You don’t seem nearly as enthusiastic about that.”
“This old vinyl has served us well for a lot of years,” Cora Jane said with a huff.
“Which explains why it has cigarette burns from the days when smoking was allowed and tears from rambunctious kids,” Gabi countered.
“Your grandfather picked it out,” Cora Jane argued, unexpected tears welling up in her eyes. “Every detail in here was the way Caleb wanted it.”
Gabi stopped and stared at her. “It’s because of Granddad you don’t want to change? Not because you’re being stubborn?”
Cora Jane chuckled. “Well, of course I’m being stubborn, but I’m nostalgic, too. It wouldn’t feel right to come in here and see things changed too much. I know your grandfather’s gone, but sometimes when I walk in here, I expect to see him coming out of the kitchen or catch a glimpse of him just outside on the deck.”
“You need to tell Emily that,” Gabi said. “She thinks you’re just dismissing everything she suggests without a second’s thought. It hurts her feelings.”
Cora Jane sighed. “I know that. I guess I thought she’d figure it out when I kept balking.”
“None of us are mind readers,” Gabi said. “Not even you.”
“I’ll try to remember that.”
Gabi studied her worriedly. “How does Jerry feel when you get all nostalgic about Granddad?” she asked, referring to the restaurant’s longtime cook, who’d become a lot more to Cora Jane since Caleb’s death.
“He understands, or says he does,” Cora Jane said. “It may not make sense to someone your age, but in a way it’s him knowing your grandfather that’s