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His voice dipped low. “This makes the decision all the more difficult for you, doesn’t it?”
    Bethanne didn’t need clarification. They’d gone round and round about her selling her party business so she could move to California. Over the years it had grown and prospered. Bethanne had a huge emotional investment in it. Still, it went without saying that it would be far easier for her to sell her company than for Max to move his wine-export business to Washington State.
    While Washington was the second-largest wine-producing state in the country behind California, it wasn’t anywhere close to competing.
    “I … I don’t know.” The thought of selling her business was one thing, but to move away from a grandchild was something else entirely.
    “Do you regret marrying me?” her husband asked.
    “Max! How can you even ask that?”
    “You’re right. It’s a ridiculous question. We belong together. I knew it the minute you climbed on the back of my motorcycle and held on to me so tightly you nearly crushed my ribs.
    “You’re smiling.”
    “How can you tell?”
    “I know you, my love. You’re thinking about the two of us riding down that road in Nevada shortly after we met.”
    Bethanne laughed, remembering all too well being stuck in the middle of the Nevada desert with a broken-down car.
    “I can still see the look on Annie’s face when we saw you and Rooster. Both of you in leather vests with tannedmuscular arms, looking for all intents and purposes as though Rooster would have liked nothing better than to do away with the lot of us.”
    “Rooster has that way about him.”
    “That he does,” Bethanne agreed. She’d come to admire and appreciate Max’s closest friend. It’d been Rooster who’d held the company together after Max’s wife and daughter died. Without him, Max would have lost everything.
    Suddenly, the front door flew open and Grant let himself into the house. “Bethanne,” he all but shouted her name.
    “Hold on a minute, Max,” she said.
    Wearing a huge grin, Grant came toward her. “I just heard the news.”
    Bethanne set her cell aside and stood. Grant wrapped his arms around her waist, lifted her off the ground, and swung her around.
    Bethanne let out a squeal and, laughing, demanded, “Grant, Grant, put me down this minute.”
    “We’re going to be grandparents.”
    “Yes, I know. Andrew phoned me this afternoon.”
    “We need to celebrate.”
    “Grant, hold on.” She reached for her cell. “Max, Grant is here. I’ll call you back in a few minutes.”
    “What does he mean you need to celebrate?”
    “I don’t know; he just got here.” Her husband sounded jealous, which was ridiculous, seeing that the two of them were deeply in love and married. “I won’t be long, I promise.”
    “Call me back when you can.”
    “Will do. Love you.”
    “Love you, too.”
    Bethanne ended the call and turned to face her ex-husband.
    “Are you as excited as I am?” Grant asked, his face aglow with happiness.
    “More so.” Bethanne could barely sit still.
    “We can’t let this opportunity pass without celebrating. Let me take you to dinner.”
    Bethanne hesitated but then agreed. Max wasn’t the jealous type; he’d understand, and she’d phone him later with plenty of reassurances. But now was a time to celebrate.

Chapter Three
    Lauren knew Elisa was stunned by the news that her daughter was pregnant. Thankfully, Elisa had resisted the urge to rush to Pullman and browbeat Katie into getting an abortion, thanks mostly to Garry, her husband.
    On hearing the news, Garry had insisted they give Katie and Dietrich time to sort this situation out themselves, the same way Elisa’s parents had done twenty years earlier when they discovered Elisa was pregnant. Although Elisa didn’t like it, she’d agreed to give the two young adults breathing room. It was hard for her friend to stay out of it, Lauren realized, and she had to admire Elisa’s restraint.
    In the morning