Pure happiness shone in Paula’s face as she cut portions of cake and put them on paper plates. “Y’all are the best. Thank you so much. Just so you know, I’m not marrying the father. I found out about the baby after we’d been broken up for a while and he’s no longer in the picture.”

“Good Lord!” Fanny Lou scolded. “If you were the first woman who got pregnant and didn’t marry the father of the baby, we could drown you in the river. But you’re not the first and you damn sure won’t be the last. We haven’t had a baby in the family since Mitzi was born. This is a blessing, and I, for one, am calling dibs on rocking her to sleep the first time you need a few minutes.”

Harry raised a hand. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”

Everyone got a piece of cake and went to sit around the table, leaving Mitzi and Graham by themselves.

A dark shadow passed over Graham’s face, prompting Mitzi to ask, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, but . . .” He paused. “I don’t want to be a naysayer, but it’s a tough row, raising a child on your own. It’s even harder when they get old enough to realize that they only have one parent and think it’s their fault that the other one isn’t there. Paula’s going to need lots of support.”

“Did you have support?” she asked.

“Yes, I did. Alice was and is amazing. My folks were wonderful, always ready to help out with whatever we needed. Dad adored the girls and they did him, but no matter how much I reassure them, they have the feeling that Rita left because they were big girls. They think she was ashamed of them,” he said. “I don’t know what to do. Got any ideas?”

“Can I think about it until Sunday?” she asked.

“Of course.” He crossed the room to sit with his girls.

She watched him out of the corner of her eye, and went to sit down at the other end of the table.

Jody nudged her with an elbow. “So what were y’all talkin’ about over there? It looked pretty serious.”

“He’s going to help me build an archway for the bridal fair on Sunday,” Mitzi answered.

“That doesn’t sound much like flirting,” Jody said as she headed over to the table for a second piece of cake.

Depends, Mitzi thought. I felt more talking about hammers and nails with him than I have in the past when guys tried to sweet-talk me into bed with them.

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen