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“I appreciate the vote of confidence, ma'am.”

“You'll do just fine.” Little Grandma's expression grew serious, and I felt the weight of her scrutiny. “Just remember, that girl's precious cargo. We're trusting you with our heart.”

“I understand, ma'am. You won't regret it.”

Joy's eyes filled with tears again, but these looked different. The way she looked at me made my chest tight with an emotion I wasn't sure I was ready to name.

“All right then.” Little Grandma clapped her hands together. “That's settled. Now Joy, why haven’t you brought Graham over to your Mama’s table for Sunday dinner? You’re not ashamed of him, are you?”

“Absolutely not. I just didn’t want the normal B.S. from Randy and Seth that normally happens when I have a boyfriend.”

“For goodness' sake, Graham’s a big boy. He can handle that. Anyway, mark my words, by Christmas y'all will be planning a wedding.”

Joy's mother laughed for the first time since the conversation started. “Little Grandma, leave them alone.”

“I'm just stating facts.” Little Grandma shrugged innocently. “Now, Graham, you make sure you call us if anything else happens.”

“Yes, ma'am, I will.”

“Good. And Joy, honey, next time something scares you, you call us. Promise me.”

Joy nodded, her throat working.

“I promise, Little Grandma.”

With that edict, everybody got up and started to leave, even Miss Laverne. “I want to make sure I get back early enough to the Wylies for Wheel of Fortune,” she explained.

The last person to leave was Emmie. She and Joy went down the hall to the sunroom in the back of the house where I couldn’t hear them. I set about cleaning up the dishes and starting the dishwasher. I wanted to get Joy back to my house as quickly as possible.

When they finally came back down the hall, I could see that they’d both been crying. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” Emmie said.

“We’re getting there,” Joy answered. “I’m going to walk Em out to her car.”

“No. We’re both walking her out to her car, then we’re taking off.”

Joy nodded.

The girls got their purses, and I followed them outside.

I opened the driver’s side door to Emmie’s Audi and made sure she was in before I shut it. She rolled down her window. “You do realize that Little Grandma basically just planned your wedding, right?”

“Oh fuck, I forgot,” Joy wailed.

My smile felt soft and knowing. “I know. I like her.”

Emmie snickered. “She likes you too, Graham.”

“She’s a hoot.”

“That means you’re stuck with all of us. Even Joy’s dad and brothers.”

Joy clutched my arm as I kept staring at Emmie. “I can deal with that, as long as I have Joy.”

“I’m beginning to see why Little Grandma likes you so much.”

I laughed again.