None of this was reality. Not her reality, anyway. She and Jake were not engaged. He was not her fiancé. The entire thing was an elaborate ruse to make Grandma Hattie happy. She’d do well to remember that.
A lead weight settled in her stomach. When she and Jake left here, they needed to talk. Time was fast running out for her.
Her honeymoon was almost over.
Too bad it had never begun.
The house inside was every bit as welcoming as the outside. They headed past a formal living room, and Lucinda caught flashes of bright primary colors. Red, blue, green and yellow. Happy. Alive.
Nothing was new, but everything felt oh so right.
In the kitchen, whitewashed cupboards provided a backdrop for the yellow that splashed on the walls, through the curtains’ print and on the whimsical M&M cookie jar. The room was, undoubtedly, the hub of this home. Many a meal had been prepared here, an abundance of relatives and friends had visited over food and drink. The room made her think of hot, just-out-of-the-oven chocolate-chip cookies, fresh baked bread, Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.
The family room extended beyond it, with gleaming hardwood floors and, again, color! Lots of it.
A large quilt hung above the fireplace, and Lucy moved close to study it. “This is beautiful. Is it one of yours, Mrs. Parker? Annie mentioned your quilting club.”
“Call me Trudy, please. We’re not real big on formalities. Besides, I get Mrs. Parker from the kids at school every day, all day long. At home, I’m Trudy.” She put a hand over Lucinda’s. Those green eyes, so like Jake’s, grew misty. “And we’re going to be family.”
Lucinda fought tears too. Jake’s family was so open, so ready to accept her. And she was lying to them. They were lying to them. Setting them up for heartbreak.
Trudy didn’t seem to notice. She fingered the bottom edge of the quilt and beamed. “Yes, that’s one I made. A lot of work…and love went into this one.”
“Want to see some of her others?” Gram piped up.
“I’d love to.”
With Ray-Ray plodding along behind, she followed Jake’s mother and grandmother down the hall to a large linen closet. Lucy gasped in surprise when Mrs. Parker opened the door. It was like discovering a treasure chest filled with jewels. Quilts and fabrics in all the hues of the rainbow hid inside.
Reaching out, she ran a hand over the neatly folded bundles, the rows of hand-stitching tickling her fingertips. “These are all yours?”
Trudy nodded. “Mine and Gram’s.”
Lucinda turned to Jake’s grandmother. “Did you make the blue-and-white quilt on my bed?”
“The one in the guest room?”
Lucinda nodded.
“Yes. Yes, I did.” She hesitated. “You’re sleeping in the guestroom? By yourself?”
Lucinda blushed, but Jake picked it up. He spread his hands. “What can I say, Gram? She’s got old-fashioned values.” He winked at Lucinda. “She’s saving herself for our wedding night.”
“Oh.” Grandma Hattie wrung her hands. “But don’t you want to know if the shoe fits before you buy it?”
“Gram!” Jake laughed.
“I’m just saying—”
“I know what you’re saying.” He snuggled Lucinda close. “Don’t worry. This shoe’s gonna fit just fine.”
Lucinda felt herself imploding with embarrassed heat. Jake’s grandmother was something else.
His mother cleared her throat. “So, let’s get back to the quilts, shall we?”
Lucinda laughed. “Yes, let’s.”
“This one—” Trudy tugged, removed it from the shelf. Soft pastels formed a heart within a heart within a heart. It was one of the most intricate quilts Lucy had ever seen. “This one is for my second grandchild.”
Lucy’s eyebrows winged up, and she felt the heat of a blush creep over her neck and face.
Trudy laughed softly. “Oh, I know, I know. No married children. But there’s always hope. Especially now. I made one for Sammy when he was born. We knew with him what we were expecting, so it’s all in shades of blue.”
She laid a hand on one that was wrapped. “This one is for Jake on his wedding day.” She studied speculatively. “I don’t think I’m going to show it to you just yet.”
Lucy’s stomach nose-dived. She was so far out of her element here. She nailed Jake with a “do-something” look, but the expression on his face communicated loud and clear that he was every bit as uncomfortable as she was.
Jake tried to redirect the conversation. “How’s the school year going, Mom?”
Before his mother could even open her mouth to answer, Gram swatted him on the arm. “Who wants to talk about work, Jake? Lighten up.”