“Yes, ma’am.”
“And you and my granddaughter are—?”
“Friends,” he supplied with a smile for Kim. “Very good friends.”
“Hmm.” She studied him for a few moments later, then glanced at the dozing baby. “Not yours?”
“Daryn is mi
ne,” Kim said firmly. “Her father was a decent man, but not interested in having a family. He’s no longer in our lives.”
It was obvious that her grandmother did not like hearing that. “Don’t you be following in your mother’s footsteps, Kim. You got tangled up with one man who didn’t stick around, but I hope you learned your lesson that time.”
“Trust me.”
Grandma looked at Tate again. “What about you, young man? How did you get roped into this?”
“I volunteered, actually. Kim mentioned her mother’s request and said she wasn’t planning to attend. I could tell she wanted to see you, so I suggested I come along to appease her mother.”
“Humph. Can’t say I approve of what you two did, but I guess I can understand how it came about.”
“I’m sorry, Grandma. I know you’re angry with Mother—and heaven knows you should be—but, well, I hope you can find a way to forgive her. I mean, she’s definitely difficult, but—”
“But she’s my daughter,” her grandmother filled in with a rueful shake of her head. “And your mother. We can’t just cut her out of our lives, no matter how tempting she makes it at times.”
“I guess that’s true,” Kim agreed with a similar resignation in her voice.
Grandma sighed lightly and patted Kim’s knee. “I’ve understood why you felt the need to distance yourself from the family for a while. Wasn’t sure if that fictitious husband of yours had anything to do with it, but mostly I figured you just needed a break from the chaos your mother seems to enjoy surrounding herself with. Last time we all got together was at the reception she pretty much threw for herself and Bob, though she somehow strong-armed Treva into hosting it, along with that husband of hers at the time…what was his name?”
Kim figured her grandmother was fully aware of the name, but she supplied it, anyway. “Greg.”
“Right. Couldn’t stand that one. Anyway, Treva and Greg were already headed for a split by that time. That reception was filled with tension and back-biting and your mother’s melodrama, and I could see even then that you’d had your fill of it. Next I heard, you’d married and had a baby. I hoped you’d finally found the security and stability you lacked when you were growing up.”
“Other than the marriage, that’s exactly what I have found, Grandma. I love my job, I love being a mother to Daryn, I have a nice home and very good friends. I’m happy.”
“That’s all I ever wanted for any of my children or grandchildren. I don’t know what’s gone wrong with the rest. Your grandfather always said I was too critical and had too high expectations, which made the kids rebel and do the opposite of what I said, even when it was to their own detriment. But I did the best I knew how.”
“I’m sure you did, Grandma. And they aren’t so bad, really. Mom lives in her own fantasy world, but she seems happy now with Bob. The boys and I are all doing well enough, despite the instability of our childhoods. Treva loves being a grandmother to Harper and Abby and her daughters are successful in their careers. Uncle Nelson always seems content, and his boys are fine, even if Mike seems to be going through a rough patch. As Tate has pointed out to me a few times this weekend, all families have their baggage and issues. Ours just tend to air their problems more openly than some.”
Grandma glanced at Tate, who was somewhat of a captive audience to their conversation. “I guess that’s true.”
“I did need a break from the family,” Kim admitted. “I had to concentrate on my own life for a while. Daryn was an unexpected development, and I needed to deal with the resulting changes on my own. But I am glad I came this weekend, even though I allowed myself to be persuaded to do so under false pretenses. It’s been nice seeing you again, Grandma. I’m sorry I deceived you.”
“I forgive you, Kim. Just don’t let Betsy manipulate you like that again.”
“No, I won’t. Anyway, now you see why I can’t accept your ring.”
“The ring is still yours,” her grandmother shocked her by stating flatly. “I want you to take it.”
“But I can’t! I—”
“It’s yours,” Grandma repeated, her tone even more determined now. “It was foolish of me to use the ring as an incentive for any of my grandkids to enter into a lasting marriage. Maybe I’ve been right about the unsuitability of their matches so far, but who am I to judge, really? You’re my oldest granddaughter, daughter of my oldest daughter, so it seems only natural for it to be passed down to you.
“Besides which,” she added with a shake of her head, “you’re the only one in the bunch who’d risk telling the truth rather than just take the ring. You’re the one with the courage to walk away from the drama rather than get bogged down in it. And you’re the only one who ever sent me thank-you notes when I gave you gifts for Christmas and graduations. Of all my grandchildren, I think you’re the most like me—and while you may not think of that as a compliment, it’s meant as one.”
The rare glimpse of self-deprecating humor made Kim smile, even though her eyes burned with emotion. “What about Patty and Cara Lynn? They could be offended that you’ve given me the ring.”
“You let me handle that.” Grandma had returned to her brusque, regal tone now. “It’s my ring, I can give it to whoever I want. And let’s be honest, it’s not exactly the Hope Diamond. It’s a pretty little bauble, but you wouldn’t be set for life by selling it.”