him in her home, making himself at ease.
He’s a good man.
So why couldn’t she make herself say yes to him?
Chapter 7
“Bye, Pops! See you next Sunday!”
“Sunday? You’re allowed to come visit an old man during the week too, you know!”
Decker’s grandfather held out his arms for a hug from the latest addition to the Cauldron family, Jim’s new wife, Joy.
Joy smiled brightly—she really was a joy—and wrapped Pops in a big squeeze. Deck watched the older man close his eyes and enjoy the hug, and thought about how much Robert Cauldron must miss his wife.
Fifty years of marriage probably means you’d miss someone something awful.
But Pops and Grams had been blessed; they’d married young, raised twin boys who’d both married young themselves, and had six grandsons between the both of them, who doted on their grandparents as much as their grandparents adored them.
Of course, all six of those grandsons were almost ten years older than their fathers had been when they’d settled down and started a family, so it was no wonder Pops was so anxious for them to get married and have some kids of their own.
Thinking about it like that, Decker felt a little guilty about not marrying sooner so Grams could have met his kids.
Of course, if he’d married sooner, he wouldn’t have been free to marry Bobbi, and there was no doubt in his mind she was the woman for him.
As she released Pops, Joy was still smiling. “Since school doesn’t start until later next month, Tessa and I have plenty of time to come visit. I’ll drag her—and probably Jami too, if she can put down her laptop long enough—up here for lunch one day this week. Maybe Tuesday?”
“Tuesday sounds great. You have Tessa bring a pitcher of that delicious lemonade of hers, or she can just stay home!” Pops glanced at Griselda, his housekeeper, who had finally settled into one of the wingback chairs with a sigh and reached for her knitting. “That work for you, Griz?”
The older woman pursed her lips as she stared up at the ceiling. “I think… Yep, that’ll work. I’ll move my grocery visit to tomorrow so we’ll have plenty of treats.”
“Treats?” Wyatt joined the conversation as Jim took Joy’s hand, and the newlyweds slipped out the door after Cade and Jami. “Did I hear there will be treats on Tuesday?”
Laughing, Griselda waved her fingers dismissively. “Yes, yes, you’re welcome too, boy. Lunch on Tuesday. Deck, Ted, will you be around?”
Decker glanced at his cousin, who was frowning down at a folder stuffed with papers, his phone in his other hand, which most likely had a calculator app open on it. Not that Ted usually needed a calculator, because his mind was a machine. He put everyone to shame with his math skills.
“What?” Ted asked distractedly, not looking away from his spreadsheets for even a second.
“Lunch on Tuesday?” Wyatt repeated. “Treats will be involved.”
Finally, Ted looked up from whatever had him so entranced. “Sorry, I’m looking over last quarter’s numbers again. Treats sound good; let me check my calendar.”
With an exaggerated sigh, Wyatt flopped down onto the couch beside Deck and stretched his legs out in front of him. “Your office is in this very house, Ted. You can take a break for Griselda’s desserts.”
“I didn’t say the treats would be sweet, dear,” the older woman reminded him, without looking up from her knitting. “Your grandfather adores my pierogi, you know.”
“Hey now.” Wyatt sent a wink toward Deck. “What you two do on your own time is your own business.”
Griselda’s head snapped up, as Ted began to chuckle. To Decker’s surprise, their grandfather actually blushed as he leaned forward to call his pet pig into the room.
“Herman! Herman, where are you?”
“Doesn’t Griselda use pork in her dumplings?” Decker managed with a straight face. “That seems cruel to Herman.”
The old woman scoffed as the giant pig waddled into the room. “I use potatoes, as well you know. And if you keep teasing your poor grandfather, Deck, I’m uninviting you from my pierogi party on Tuesday.”
“Dumpling, pierogi, whatever you two want to call one another—”
Pops glared at Wyatt. “That’s enough,” he interrupted.
Herman snorted in agreement, before settling his massive weight down beside the old man’s chair.
Deck cleared his throat, as Ted bent back over his calculations. “Actually, I probably can’t be here on Tuesday, but thanks for the invite.”
“Why? Gotta hot date?” Pops sounded a little too hopeful.
“Actually…” Time to just spit it out. “Yeah. I’ve been seeing a lady…a few