Angel came down the carriage house stairs at a few minutes after nine the next morning. Gretchen was leaning against her car, waiting for Angel. She made an exaggerated display of checking her watch.

“You only had to come downstairs. How are you late?” Gretchen teased.

Angel checked her own watch. “I’m only three minutes late.” She’d been working on time management, but hadn’t quite conquered it yet.

Gretchen peered at her. “How are you doing? You seemed really down last night.” She hurried to add, “Not that I blame you.”

“I’m okay. It’s probably for the best. I need to focus on other things right now.” She didn’t know who she was trying to convince more, Gretchen or herself.

Gretchen eyed her critically, but didn’t say anything.

“Really, I’m fine.” She got into the car and shut the door.

“Okay.” Gretchen shrugged as she sat in the driver’s seat. “Let’s get going then. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

The two of them had volunteered to put the newspaper and pastry bundles together for that day. They’d need to see Adam to get the newspapers and Angel wasn’t sure how she felt about seeing him again so soon after their breakup. But she’d made a commitment to help with the bundles and she didn’t want to go back on her word.

Too soon, they were pulling up to the newspaper office.

Gretchen turned to her before getting out. “Are you sure you want to go in with me?”

“I’ll be fine.” No, she didn’t want to go in there, but Gretchen couldn’t carry all of the boxes out to the car by herself.

She followed her friend into the office, almost hiding behind her as they entered. Her pulse quickened, imagining having to talk with Adam. A few days ago, she’d been furious with him, and in the heat of the moment she’d said some things that she now regretted. Had she overreacted?

The office was empty and her worry seemed anticlimactic.

Where was Adam? The door was unlocked, so he had to be here. Anxiety over seeing him started to rear up.

“Hey,” Adam said as he walked out of the back room. He stopped when he saw Angel. “Oh, I didn’t expect to see you today.”

She gave a tentative nod. “I said I’d help.”

He pressed his lips together. “Thank you. I appreciate the help.”

He almost looked like he was going to cry and her stomach twisted. She’d hurt him—something she’d never thought she’d do. But he’d hurt her first by not telling her the truth. He exited into the back room and she stared at him as he retreated. Should she tell him she was sorry about what she’d said?

Before she could decide, he brought out a dolly containing the stacks of newspapers. “You asked for one hundred, right?”

Gretchen nodded. “Uh-huh. My parents said the trial run was so popular with the nightly rental guests that they want to roll it out to every guest.”

“That’s awesome,” Angel said, turning to Gretchen. “I didn’t know that.” Even if a relationship between Adam and her hadn’t worked out, she didn’t want him to lose the newspaper.

“Do you need help with them?” he asked.

She and Gretchen exchanged glances and Angel shook her head.

“No, we’re fine. Thanks.” Gretchen grabbed the handle of the dolly, which was stacked high with newspapers.

Angel and Gretchen rolled the newspapers out and unloaded them into the trunk of the car. Angel could feel Adam’s eyes on her through the office windows as she got into the passenger seat while Gretchen took the dolly back inside.

She leaned back against the seat. Seeing him hadn’t been quite as bad as she’d expected, but she also hadn’t thought much about how Adam would feel after the breakup.

* * *

If a grand gesture was needed to win Angel back, that was what he’d do. Adam took a moment to compose himself on Mary’s front porch, then rapped on the door sharply. When she came to the door, she wore an expression of guilt and fear.

“Adam. I wasn’t expecting to see you again.” Her knuckles were white against the dark wood of the door.

“May I come inside?”

She glanced into the room. “Yes, come in.”

He stood on a flowered rug near the entrance and took a steadying breath before addressing her.

“Mary. I need you to tell Angel that you’re her grandmother.”

Unless Mary told her the truth, Angel would never forgive him. Mary had promised that she’d tell her granddaughter who she was within two weeks, and now that time was almost up.

She sat down in an armchair in her small one-bedroom apartment, suddenly looking ten years older than she had when he’d first met her. She looked up at him.

“I can’t do it.” She shrank back down into the chair.

He closed his eyes. “What do you mean, you can’t do it?”

She fiddled with the yarn fringe of a blue and green afghan, but said nothing.

He tried again. “Mary, you need to tell her.”

She looked up, her eyes bright with tears. “I can’t. What will she think of me?”

He sat down on the edge of the couch and leaned forward.“She’ll think you’re her grandmother.”

“But I haven’t seen her since she was three years old,” she whispered.

“You made a mistake,” he said firmly. “She’s an adult now. A warm and caring adult. She’ll understand.” He hoped Angel would understand his reasons for keeping her grandmother’s secret as well.

Her eyes drilled into his face. “She’s special to you, isn’t she? My granddaughter?”

“Yes.” He stood and paced the room. “I hate keeping this a secret from her.”

She nodded.

“I’m going to need to tell her tomorrow, whether you come with me or not.”

“Alright.” She took a deep breath. “I’ll do it.”

“You will?” He was almost afraid to hope. He didn’t know if it would be enough to get Angel back, but at least she’d finally know her family.

“Yes.” Her voice was shaky. “When should I tell her?”

He thought about it. He didn’t want to take Mary to the Bluebonnet Café while Angel was working and he wasn’t sure she’d open the door if he brought her grandmother to her house.

“The Sweethearts’ Dance at the renovated Sorenson Farm barn. Angel is friends with Maggie Price and she’ll be there. I know she will.”

She nodded slowly. “I heard about it. I’m glad to see that the farm will be saved and won’t become a new housing development. It’s been around since before I was born.” She stood. “I need a cup of tea. Would you like some?”

“No thanks.”

She pushed herself up from the chair and busied herself in the kitchen before returning with a steaming cup of tea. “Do you think she’ll agree to talk with me?”

“I don’t know,” he said honestly. At this point, Angel was pretty mad, but as far as she knew, Adam was the reason she hadn’t yet met her grandmother. If he kept it that way, it might kill any chance for things between him and Angel, but if it saved her relationship with her family, it would be well worth it.

“I’ll make it work.” He met her gaze. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow night at seven.”

“Alright.”

He turned to leave, but before he reached the door to see himself out, she called out to him.

“Adam.”

He pivoted to face her.

“Thank you.” Her hand shook as she set the tea cup down on the counter. “I’m sorry if this has caused problems with you and my granddaughter.”

He pressed his lips together and nodded. “You’re welcome.”

Outside, he sat for a moment in his car and stared straight ahead. None of this had gone the way he wanted, but Angel was special and she deserved to know her grandmother and the rest of her family—even at the cost of his own happiness.