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Grandmother’s eyes widened. “Really? Did you ask her what’s going on?”
I simmered on that question. “I tried, but she wasn’t chatty.”
Grandmother now leaned back and put her hands into her lap; she seemed to be sizing me up. “What happened?”
“I went in, and she was there. I told her you’d ordered a doll, and she seemed surprised.”
“I had Hazel order it, but she would’ve told me if it was from Melody.”
I grunted. “Of course she would.” The whole staff knew everyone’s business; that was how it had always been. “I don’t know. She seemed surprised that you’d ordered a doll.”
Grandmother smiled. “How did she look?”
I rolled my eyes. “Fine.” I wasn’t giving that away.
Grandmother chuckled and then picked up her fork and took a bite of the mashed potatoes.
“What?” I asked, seeing that she was still grinning.
She shook her head. “The way you tried to stop the wedding had the town talking for years. Foryears. It was classic.” She turned and caught my eyes. “I was proud of you. Fighting for the woman you loved.”
I knew I was blushing. Looking back, it was so ridiculous. “Oh brother.”
My comment made her chuckle even more. “You didn’t get any other information? Did you ask?”
My grandmother knew me too well. I waited for a little bit and then said, “She didn’t have a ring on her left finger. When I inquired about Peter and her son, she didn’t answer.”
That startled her. Her fork slipped from her fingers and clanked down on her plate.
“What?” I asked.
She shook her head. “I’ll be. How have I not heard that Melody Harris—I mean, Paine—is back in town, running her mother’s store, and divorced?” She let out another light laugh. “I guess there’s a Christmas love story ready to happen.”
I gave her a pointed book. “Grandmother, really? It’s been nineteen years.”
She tsked her tongue. “Love has no boundaries. Not even that of time. Sometimes you just have to wait.”
I shook my head, unsettled. “You really are being ridiculous, old lady.”
She laughed again. “I guess we’ll have to see what Christmas magic has in store for us.”
All I could do was roll my eyes and take another bite of meat. There would be no Christmas magic for me. I’d learned my lesson about love from Melody and then from my wife: it only led to heartbreak.
“You’re going to take me and Hazel to the town Christmas movie tomorrow night, aren’t you?”
I was aghast. “At the public park?”
She nodded, and a smile spread across her face. “You know I can’t participate in many of the town’s Christmas activities, but I can go to the Christmas movie. I heard they are playingIt’s a Wonderful Life.”
“I am not taking you to a movie outside.”
She stuck out her bottom lip. “Why not? Hazel and I look forward to it. We need you to take us and take our chairs and bring your solar equipment so I can plug in my electric blanket and be toasty warm. Oh, and bring our popcorn and hot chocolate.”
I rolled my eyes and couldn’t help but smile. It was a tradition, and I sort of looked forward to it as well. When inRome. “Fine. What time does it start?” I couldn’t seem happy to be doing it.
“Seven pm. I figure we should leave about six-fifteen to get a good spot.”
“Yes, your highness. I will take you and your handmaid to the movie.”
