Page 110 of Pinch of Love

Grace had happy tears in her eyes and smiled at Caleb. “Girl things.”

Caleb flinched and nodded before turning away.

“Are you going to tell Jackson today?” I asked.

Izzy waited for her mom’s reply.

“For sure. I can’t keep this from him. Especially since he’s going on tour.”

“I am so happy for you,” I told her belly.

Grace instinctively rubbed her stomach and shook her head. “I thought something was up, but I figured, what are the odds? I’m not exactly a spring chicken.”

“It only takes once,” Izzy said, schooling her mom, followed by a chuckle.

“Well, back to it. Things have to be close to perfect,” Grace said, wandering back to the front of the store.

I turned to Izzy, who looked to be contemplating life. “How are you with this news?”

She smiled at me and nodded. “Really good. I was kind of worried about my mom.”

“Really?”

Izzy laughed. “Yeah. I’ll be going to college soon, and I was worried she’d be all sad, but I think this will be a very good distraction.”

I chuckled. “That is an understatement.”

We heard voices out front and came out to see Jackson and Grace. It looked like she was telling him the good news, but then she darted in our direction.

“Sorry, have to tinkle.”

“Do you want us to wait here after you're done?”

Grace nodded. “I want to tell him right after I’m done here.”

Izzy and I found Caleb staring at some antique yoyos.

We heard the flush of the toilet, the sink running, and then Grace throwing open the door like a mad woman. “Wish me luck.”

I knew there wasn’t an ounce of luck needed. They’d been in love since they were teenagers, and it was only now that the timing had been right. I thought back to Cash and wondered if our timing would ever be right.

Izzy, Caleb, and I peered at her mom from behind a stack of boxes. Grace looked to be telling him something. She grabbed the wand from a cubby to show him, and the next thing we knew, he was spinning her around and kissing her like there was no tomorrow.

“Ah, to be in love.” I smiled, making our way to the happy couple.

Izzy, Caleb, Pancake, and I walked toward Grace and Jackson.

“Should we head over to the lake before the weather says we can’t?”

Jackson looked at me to see if maybe I knew, and I smiled wryly.

“Izzy and Maya both know. Clumsy me left the stick in the bathroom. Maya panicked and thought it was my daughter.”

Caleb’s eyes nearly popped out of his head, and we all knew everything we didn’t need to know.

“Izzy and Caleb, you can ride with me,” I informed them.

Grace and Jackson climbed into Jackson’s truck as I wrangled the teens into Grace’s car.