shitty week. I was surrounded by the parts of my life that didn’t in any way fit with Penny’s. I tried to get back into minding the bar, but I felt like I was being forced to sit still when I should be moving. The days dragged on like years, driving me half-mad.
Texting with Penny was my touchstone, bringing me back to where I wanted to be. Reminding me of what I needed, what I was working for.
After that, I had purpose. I knew what I had to do.
I knew I could probably get through the next couple of months if I could just see her. Once. To do that without raising suspicion and violating the contract, I had to accomplish two things. One, I needed to talk to Lizzy, Jimmy’s girlfriend. And two, I needed to find the time and the place.
Lizzy made it easy. She was a peach, and I knew I could trust her to keep it a secret. She helped me with the shit I knew nothing about, showing me pictures on her phone and helping me find the best source. She even made the deal for me and delivered the goods. All I had to do was make a choice based on what I knew of Penny and provide the credit card number.
Finding the time would be another challenge. My grandmother ended up having a stroke the night after I got back, so it was touch and go for a while. But eventually, she got back with it. When I go into her room one morning, she’s sitting up, waiting for me. She looks like she’s back to her tough old self. “How’re you feeling?”
“Luke, you’re late,” she says.
I laugh. “Late for what?”
The nurse smiles at me. “She’s been wanting to discuss last night’s episode of Million Dollar Marriage with you. I think she wants to give you a piece of her mind.”
“We all do!” Gran says. “We can’t believe what you did to her.”
I lift an eyebrow. So all the old people have been discussing my love life, is that it? “To who?”
“To your wife! What are you doing cavorting around with those sluts when you have a beautiful wife back home?”
I scratch the side of my face. That’s overdoing it, isn’t it? I talked to some of the women on other teams to form alliances, but that’s as far as it went. But my Gran has always been black and white. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Gran.”
I fluff her pillows, but she nudges me away. “I like that Penny girl. When do I get to meet her? I’d like to meet my own granddaughter-in-law.” She smacks me on the hand. “Why have you been keeping her from me?”
“Gran, it’s . . .” I sit on the chair across from her, my Braves cap in my hands. “You see . . .”
I look at the nurse, who whispers, “We’ve tried to explain it. She doesn’t understand that it was just for television.”
I lean forward. Gran is a traditional woman; she was married to my grandfather for sixty years. “Yeah. Well, see . . . the thing about the show is that after you leave the race, you can choose to get the marriage annulled.”
She’s not following me. “Annulled?”
“Yeah. Like broken. Declared invalid.”
Her eyes widen. “But you didn’t, did you?”
“Well . . . not exactly, not—”
“Good! You’re married to her. You make it work. You don’t give up when the going gets tough. She’s good for you, Luke. I see the way you look at her. The way she looks at you. You belong together.” She pats my hand.
My Gran. The only person besides Penny and me who believes we even have a shot in this world.
She motions me closer, and I lean in. “And don’t fuck things up,” she growls into my ear.
The nurse bursts out laughing.
“I won’t,” I tell her. “I promise, I won’t.”
The nurse taps Gran on the foot. “I’ll let you guys visit,” she says and leaves.
When she’s gone, I look around to make sure we’re alone, then reach into my pocket and pull out the case and open it. This is the only piece of jewelry I’ve ever bought, so I don’t know much, but it’s pretty. It’ll be prettier on her hand. I don’t think Penny’s much for jewelry, but I think she’ll like it. “You think this is good, Gran?”
She studies it. “Well, it’s a step in the right direction. The first ring you gave her