Hannah picked up her fork and took a bite. And then she took another bite. “It’s delicious,” she said. “It has exactly the right amount of tartness to balance the sweetness.”
“I’m glad you like it, but let’s get back to Mike and Norman. You’re not getting off the hot seat so easily. Your mother’s very upset, you know. People have been stopping her on the street and asking when your wedding invitations will arrive.”
“Did she tell them that it was a small, private wedding?”
Grandma Knudson shook her head. “No. She was too embarrassed. You know as well as I do what people think when you get married so fast in a small, private ceremony.”
“They think I’m . . . ?” There was no way Hannah could finish her question. She was too shocked.
“Of course they think that. It’s usually the case, especially with a first marriage like yours. There’s even a betting pool that Hal McDermott set up down at the café for the date the baby will be born.”
Hannah’s mouth dropped open and she shut it quickly. And then she gave a rueful laugh. “What happens to the betting pool if there’s no baby? Because there isn’t!”
“Good question. My guess is that Hal gets to keep the proceeds, and that’s not right. I think I’ll have Bob and Claire go down there and convince him to give all that money to the local charities. That would serve people right for betting on something like that!”
“Do you think Hal will agree to give the money to charity?”
“He’ll have to. Betting pools are illegal in Winnetka County, and Hal knows it. So is playing poker for money behind that curtain of his in the back room of the café. He’ll knuckle under. You don’t have to worry about that. And if he doesn’t, Bob will give a rousing sermon about gambling the next time Rose drags Hal to church.”
Hannah couldn’t help it. She laughed. Grandma Knudson always got what she wanted, and this would be no exception.
“That’s better,” Grandma Knudson commented. “It’s good to hear you laugh. Now what are you going to do about Mike and Norman?”
“What do you think I should do? Invite them to be Ross’s groomsmen at a huge church wedding?”
“I think that’s exactly what you should do! Give Mike and Norman a chance to step up to the plate. As it stands right now, everyone’s buzzing about the fact that their hearts are broken. If both of them are in the wedding party, it’ll put all those wagging tongues to rest. Believe you me, they’ll jump at the chance to do that!”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive.” Grandma Knudson locked eyes with Hannah. “Neither one of those men enjoys being the butt of gossip, and both of them like Ross. Of course they’re disappointed that you didn’t choose one of them, but they’ll do the right thing if you ask them.”
Hannah thought about that for a moment. Norman and Mike did like Ross. The three men were friends. And she knew that Ross liked Mike and Norman. If she’d said she wanted a big wedding and asked Ross to choose two men to be groomsmen, he would probably have chosen Mike and Norman.
“Well?”
Grandma Knudson was waiting for an answer, and Hannah hedged a little. “You may be right, but I’ll have to ask Ross what he thinks of the idea.”
“I did that this morning. I called Ross at work and he said it was fine with him if that was what you wanted. And Mike and Norman are definitely on board. I double-checked with them right afterwards. And both of them told me that they’ll accept if you ask them.”
“You called Mike and Norman, too?”
“Of course I did. I wanted to make sure this would work.”
Hannah gave a little groan. Railroaded. She’d been railroaded, but Grandma Knudson had a point she couldn’t ignore. If everyone in town was gossiping about her and Hal had even set up a betting pool, she had to do something to turn things around. And then she remembered what Grandma Knudson had said. “You said you double-checked with Mike and Norman this morning?”
“Yes.”
“If you double-checked, that means you or someone else had checked with them before this morning. Was that someone you?”
Grandma Knudson looked slightly flustered. “Actually . . . no.”
With a burst of lightning clarity, Hannah saw the whole picture. Her eyes narrowed and she faced the matriarch of the church squarely. “Mother checked with them before you did. Is that right?”
Grandma Knudson sighed. “Yes, but she didn’t want you to know that it was her idea.”
“That figures,” Hannah said with a sigh.
“Your mother is an expert when it comes to gossip,” Grandma Knudson attempted to explain, “but she was afraid you’d reject her plan out of hand if she was the one to suggest it. That’s why she asked me to talk to you about it. And I did. Your mother, Andrea, and Michelle are already working out the details of your wedding.”
“They’re planning my wedding without me?”
“Yes, but you know how long wedding plans take. Delores and the girls have everything organized, but nothing’s been firmed up yet. All they need is for you to give them the go-ahead.”