Page 115 of Pinch of Love
A wicked grin spread across Millie’s lips. “Well, you told us you didn’t want to rush things. Didn’t want to put pressure on her. I certainly don’t want to hand you information that could speed anything up.”
I laughed. “This little meddling book club of yours is seditious.”
Millie chuckled. “It seems to work.”
My mom and dad looked at each other and smiled. They’d managed to have an amazing marriage, great kids, and a retirement that they’re enjoying together. Those two had always been the ones I looked up to and always would.
Maya’s thoughts about her parents wedged their way into my mind. She clung to the fact that she didn’t have good role models for her parents, partially blamed herself for getting into a mess with Rob, and was fearful of making the wrong choice.
But the thing about love was there weren’t right or wrong choices. Love molds to both. It’s what clings people together when the wrong choices have been made so they could get to the right ones.
“Cash, my granddaughter might look like the hot-mess express, but she’s not.”
I sat back down, my knee bobbing up and down as I thought about Millie’s words.
“I know she’s not. Maya is the smartest woman I’ve met. She’s creative, expressive, and has the world in front of her.”
Millie smiled and nodded. “But she also gets herself stuck in walls. That’s where you come in. Rob is a wall.”
Just hearing his name sent a prickle down my spine and a tingle in my knuckles.
“I don’t think she believes that she can move on with her life until things are tidied up,” Millie explained. “And the legal process is slow as molasses, but Maya could easily fall into the old ways just to make things go away. I’ve seen it happen many times before with those two.”
I hated hearing them referred to as a couple.
“Has it ever blown up like this before, though, where attorneys are involved? It feels like she’s really seen his true colors,” I explained. “I don’t get the feeling that she’s going back to him.”
“What if that was because she met you?” my mom offered.
“Well, I’m pretty great. I get that, but I highly doubt I had anything to do with it.”
“I’d just hate for my granddaughter to go back to North Carolina and have Rob manipulate her into thinking all this legal stuff would go away if she’d just try him again.”
My stomach knotted. “She wouldn’t.”
Millie pursed her lips together and shrugged. “Hope not.”
“We’ve said all we can say, but I’m glad we can count on you to get Hunter to your parents’ soiree in a few weeks.”
“What’s the date, and I’ll do my best?”
“October thirtieth,” my mom told me.
“That’s the day before Maya is checking out.”
“Huh. Who knew?” My mom smiled at me.
“Think about what we said,” Millie tried again. “Maybe a little push in the right direction isn’t all bad.”
I stood and looked at my dad, who hadn’t said another word.
My phone buzzed, and I slid it out of my pocket.
My first attempt at apple cider donuts. I think you’ll be impressed.
A picture slid over next, and the cinnamon sugar made my stomach growl.
I smiled, thinking back to the many mishaps of Maya. Honestly, I was surprised that she wasn’t the one stuck in the buckthorn with poison ivy up her hoo-hah. But she was smarter than that. We would have taken precautions. I smiled wider.