“Who?” Emily asked without looking at Jancy.
“Only a man can make a woman act like you do. So what’s his name? Get it off your chest and you’ll feel better.”
“It’s Ryder,” Emily whispered.
“Sweet mother of God!” Jancy gasped even though she’d halfway expected it. “How long have you been dating? Vicky is going to throw a fit.”
“We were going to tell Mama last Sunday, but I decided that telling her I wasn’t going back to school was enough for one week. Now what do we do? I can’t tell her about Ryder with Nettie sick. That’s too much to put on her.”
“Did this all start this past weekend?” Jancy flipped the lever, sending the chair into an upright position.
Emily shook her head. “Been dating him since last Christmas.”
“Holy crap, Emily. How did you keep that a secret?”
Emily popped up from the sofa and started pacing around the room. “I was in school. He was out on the rig three weeks and then back home for two weeks, so it wasn’t so hard to keep it quiet. But now that I’m home and he’s not going back out—we just need to bring it out in the open.”
“Does Shane know?” Jancy asked.
“He’s the only one.”
“Poor Shane. Knowing and protecting his friends but still feeling guilty because he loves Vicky and Nettie, right?”
“And now I’ve put you in that position, too. I have to talk to someone. I sure can’t tell Waynette and my other friends about this. They’d freak out and beat a path straight to Mama. Ryder always had such a horrible reputation, but he’s changed and he loves me. I have to make Mama see that. What am I going to do?”
“Give it time. Nettie will get well. This thing with Carlton Wolfe will disappear. When everything’s settled down, then tell her. You don’t have to be in a hurry. I’ll keep your secret, because you need to be the one to tell her. But what’s the big deal? Ryder has a good job. He’s a sweet guy and he’s homegrown.”
Emily flopped back down on the sofa. “You do remember his reputation and you know how protective Mama is, right?”
“It’s not a bit worse than mine,” Jancy said.
“But I’m not marrying you,” Emily groaned.
“Marry!” Jancy’s voice went high and squeaky.
“June 24.” Emily’s tone left no room for argument.
“But that’s only three weeks from now. How is Vicky supposed to manage a wedding with all this going on in only three weeks? And isn’t the festival right near then?”
“June 17.” Emily groaned again.
“Forget the baby step idea. You’ve got to tell your mama now, and then you’ve got to put the wedding off for at least a few months. You are her only daughter, and she’s probably planned all kinds of fancy things for you.”
“The baby is due on Christmas Day. I’ve been real lucky not to have had any morning sickness.”
Jancy was absolutely speechless for several seconds. She opened her mouth, but words would not come out. Three weeks to plan a wedding and a baby on the way? Vicky might have a heart attack herself.
“I feel so much better just getting it off my chest. Thank you for listening and for keeping the secret until Sunday.” Emily sat back down on the sofa.
“Ryder?” Jancy managed one word and then a couple more. “A father?”
“He’s ecstatic and so ready to settle down. He’s hated dating in secret. Oh, Jancy, he’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“Really?” Her head buzzed with jumbled possible scenarios.
Emily’s phone rang, and she leaned forward enough to work it up from the hip pocket of her skinny jeans. “Hello, Mama. We are home safe. About to go to bed so we can get to the diner early in the morning and get started.”
A moment of silence.
“I didn’t call Waynette. Shane and Ryder offered to help us through the lunch rush. And, remember, you and Nettie ran this place by yourselves for weeks. We can do this. Don’t worry.”
If you only knew about what is coming, you’d think managing a diner was nothing. Jancy’s thoughts began to form whole sentences. You’re about to have a son-in-law that you would have never picked out for your daughter and you’re going to get a really big Christmas present.
“Yes, I will call you after the morning rush. By then the doctor will have been in with whatever reports he has and you can tell me about that,” Emily said. “Good night, Mama. Get as much rest as you can. Love you.”
She put the phone on the coffee table when she finished talking. “Mama says to tell you thank you from the bottom of her heart.”