The Good Mother
Shelley Galloway

To Tom.

Back when we met, my accent was thicker,

my figure was better and wrinkles around my eyes

were only something to dread. Thanks for making

me still feel like the girl you fell in love with…

all those years ago.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Epilogue

Chapter One

In her next life, Evie was going to think things through just a little bit more carefully. Think about things like good old cause and effect.

Brrrinnnggg! Bring, breeng! Bringgg!

Case in point. How come she hadn’t considered just how terrible the shrill ring of a fake cell phone would sound in her baby daughter’s hands when she was in Grab-A-Lot Dollar Store two days ago? Thinking ahead would have done her a lot of good.

Briinnggg!

“Momma, make Missy stop! Her stupid cell phone is drivin’ me crazy!”

Leave it to Jenna to tell it like it was.

“Missy, stop,” Evie said, more to please her seven-year-old than to bring about any change in her toddler.

Jenna had never been one to suffer fools, or to suffer her baby sister’s needs and wishes. Actually, from the moment her little redheaded darling had been born, she hadn’t been in the mood to put up with much of anything, which was really too bad, since Evie could have used some support at the moment.

Briiinnnngggg!

“Momma! She’s not stopping.”

A better mother would be more patient and kind. But Jenna had come about her personality rightfully…which meant a lot of the time Evie didn’t have much patience, either. “Thanks for the update.”

“Can’t you do something?”

“No, and you can’t, either. Don’t touch that phone,” she added, when she heard Jenna shifting closer to the baby, which could only mean the toy was about to be snatched.

It didn’t take a genius to know what would happen then. Missy screaming—loud, clear and unrelenting.

“But Momma—”

“Don’t touch it.”

Breeeinnngggg! Bring! Ding!

“I hate that phone! Can I at least say that?”

“You may.” Evie drummed her fingers on her steering wheel and hoped she was going to make it to her parents’ without going crazy or wondering yet again why she’d decided to make the drive from Texas to Florida’s panhandle in two days.

After all, the girls were acting just like all the parenting books said they were supposed to. Jenna was all of seven and trying so hard to be helpful, even if she was only helping to benefit herself. Missy was just a baby.

As the toy rang and whistled and Jenna sighed dramatically, Evie glanced up to meet her eldest’s glare in the rearview mirror. “Why don’t you color or something?”

Out went the lip. “I’m sick of coloring. And I can’t do anything with Missy going nuts with that phone.”

“It’s keeping her happy. Look on the bright side. She’s not crying.”

“Well, I’m not happy.”

Evie wasn’t, either, but since no one had cared about that during the last year, she didn’t bother to bring it up now. “You’re just going to have to be patient.”

“How much longer until we get to Bishop’s Gate?”

Recalling that they’d just passed the sign for I-85, Evie guesstimated they were close. “One hour. Maybe less.” Bishop’s Gate was a sleepy little beachside town on the west coast of Florida. As the resort billboards on the side of the road advertised, nonstop fun was just minutes away.

Jenna groaned like that was an eternity. “Momma, we’ve been in here forever.”

“Only nine hours.”

“I don’t see why we had to vacation in Florida, anyway.”

“I told you why. We’re going to Bishop’s Gate because it’s where I vacationed every summer when I was a little girl.”

“Now Missy and me get to go.”

It was truly amazing just how sarcastic a seven-year-old could be. “Yep.” And they were going to have a fun time.

“Daddy said Gulf Shores was closer.”

“Daddy’s not here.” Evie winced as she heard her sharp tone. Because she promised herself never to talk bad about John in the girls’ presence, Evie added, “Don’t forget, Grandma and Grandpa will be at the house when we get there. We’re going to grill hot dogs tonight, then all go to the beach tomorrow.”

As Missy pressed another three buttons on the phone and squealed with laughter, Jenna folded her arms across her chest, a true imitation of her father. “Daddy’s going to be all alone while we’re in Florida for one whole month.”

Evie seriously doubted that. Ever since their divorce, John had spent very little time home alone. In fact, he’d spent very little time “finding himself,” which was what he’d said he needed to do the night he’d said their marriage was over.

But that wasn’t something good mothers told their daughters. “We’ll call Daddy tomorrow. You can tell him all about the trip. You’re going to send him pictures, too, remember?”

“I remember.” As Missy kicked her pudgy legs against the navy car seat, Jenna twisted up her lips in a pout. “I’m going to tell Daddy all about your presents, starting with Missy’s cell phone.”

Evie smiled. “I think you should, honey. I think you should tell him all about every single little detail. Maybe you could even bring Missy’s cell phone with you next time y’all go visit him. That way, he’ll know exactly what it was like, traveling in the car with both of you for ten hours straight.”

As Jenna pondered that one, Evie popped a tape in the cassette player. “I’m going to listen to Harry Potter now. You can listen, too, or put on your headphones.”

Evie pushed Play before Jenna could react. During the last few years, Evie had learned there was a time to talk, and a time to hope for silence.

As the story clicked on and cars continued to pass her minivan, Evie let her mind drift, thinking about earlier days when she’d been the one sitting in the backseat on the way to Bishop’s Gate. But back then it hadn’t been a minivan, it had been an early model Chevy station wagon, and she’d never minded the drive because she’d always spent the time thinking about August Meyer.

For eight summers, they’d gone from boy-girl enemies to playground buddies to true friends. They’d argued and played and flirted and finally became something more special. Each summer, they’d shared secrets and swam in the warm gulf water. Nights had been for staying up too late and laughing too much. They’d flirted just enough to make things interesting, and finally kissed the summer before her senior year.

As the scent of the ocean became more pronounced through the open sunroof, Evie grinned, knowing she had no choice but to be honest with herself. They’d done a whole lot more than just kiss. They’d discovered all about love and lust in a cove off Cascade Beach, so much so that Evie had been sure August had been the One, and that she’d been just as special to him.

But then everything changed. After one late period, she and August had pondered babies and futures and their relationship.

But when her monthly had come and with it the knowledge that no baby was on the way, the damage to their relationship had been done. Summer ended, college had come calling, and though they’d promised to stay friends, their letters and phone calls to each other became a thing of the past.

Evie had gone to Texas A&M, August to Florida State. Then she’d met John, had thought she’d found her future, and before she knew it, those summers down at Bishop’s Gate at the Silver Shells Beach Resort were a distant memory.

Until her dad called on Memorial Day and said she should pack up the girls and join them for a month of fun in the sun. Evie found she couldn’t say no. Life had become too hard and too stressful, the memories of happier times too vivid to ignore.

With a clunk, Missy’s cell phone dropped to the floor of the backseat as she fell asleep. A quick glance in the rearview assured Evie that Jenna had done the same. Seeing that she only had fifteen miles to go, Evie dialed her mother.

“I’m on I-85, on the edge of town, Mom.”

“Good! Your dad and I just got back from the store and are putting groceries away. Dad got you two six-packs of Coors Light.”

Evie couldn’t help but smile. Their relationship had truly come full circle. Back when she’d been a teen, she clearly recalled the night she and August had each sneaked a bottle of beer and drank them on the beach, the warm water swirling around their toes as they perched on rocks and pretended they’d never get caught.

Now her parents were buying Evie her own supply. “I’ll be ready for a cold one.”

“Your dad’s gonna fire up the grill. You hungry?”

“I am,” she said with some surprise. It had been a while since food sounded good.

“We can’t wait to see the girls. Dad and I just put fresh sheets on Jenna’s bed and put the crib together. You won’t have to worry about a thing.”

Evie could feel her shoulders relaxing. “Thanks, Mom.” Evie already pictured herself in an old pair of sweats, sipping a Coors and watching the sunset, while her mother held Missy and her dad chatted with Jenna about anything and everything. She might even have ten whole minutes to sit and do nothing. Ten minutes to—

“We’re going to have so much fun together, especially since the Meyers are coming over tonight.”

Hold on, now. “The Meyers?”

“Yep, your dad’s going out to play golf with August tomorrow morning.”

“Why are they coming over tonight?”

“Because we asked them to. Goodness, Evie, it’s been a full three years since you’ve been here. Bev said all I do is talk about Missy. She wants to see that baby.”

Three years. When she and Jenna had last gone down to visit, John had been away on business, and August had been on vacation.

“Evie, is that all right?”

“Of course, Momma,” she answered in a rush. “I’m sorry, I’m just tired.” And nostalgic. Gosh, seeing August again! She wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

“August and Tanya are doing pretty good managing that resort. You’ll have to ask them all about Silver Shores.”

“I will.”

“And August finally broke up with Erin, thank goodness.”

Evie turned off Harry Potter and listened to her mother a little more closely. “Erin?”

“She’s a local girl. I guess Erin and August knew each other back in high school. I have to tell you, Beverly and I knew from the beginning that that match wasn’t meant to be.”

“How long did they date?”

“Off and on a couple of years, I guess.”

“I never heard about that.”

Her mother paused. “Well, you were busy with John, then busy with other things.”

Other things. Code for getting a divorce and trying to pick up her life. “Oh,” Evie said, though that word pretty much summed up nothing.

“You’re going to love catching up with August and his family, I’m sure of it,” her mom said brightly. “We’ll talk more when you arrive, honey. Bye!”

Stunned, Evie clicked off and pondered that one as she exited the highway, drove on the bypass, then finally took the turnoff to Silver Shells, a cottage and resort community that had been nestled in Bishop’s Gate for well on twenty years.

After another series of right and left turns, she pulled into the driveway just as Jenna was waking up.

Evie had just opened her car door when her dad came trotting out.

“Hey, honey,” he said, enveloping her in a hug. “Glad you made it okay.”

“Me, too,” she said as her dad opened the van’s side panel and smiled broadly at Jenna.

“JJ!”

“Grandpa!”

Evie stood to one side as she watched her dad scoop up her eldest and shuttle her on inside, Jenna squealing in delight when he pretended to almost drop her.

As the front screen door slammed, a huge sense of relief filled Evie as she climbed in the backseat and crouched in front of Missy, whose head was listed to one side. Just looking at the sleeping twenty-two-month-old made her smile, and think every day was so worth it, even when things seemed completely insurmountable.

As she unfastened the front buckle and carefully lifted the top out from around Missy’s wispy curls, her daughter’s body hung limply. She had never known anyone who could sleep as soundly as Missy. Evie scooped the baby up, resting her daughter’s curly-topped head against her shoulder as she backed up and began scooting out toward the door.

Only to be stopped by a hand on her hip.

“Whoa, there,” the hand’s owner murmured.

Whoa, was right. Though the contact had only lasted a split second, the touch vibrated through her whole body. Evie twisted out of the van, planted her feet on the ground and took a deep breath, all the while doing her best to keep Missy firmly upright.

And then it was all she could do to stand still because the man staring at her was one she would’ve known anywhere: August Meyer.

“Need a hand?”

She looked at his hand—big, capable, devoid of rings. And because he looked just a little bit cocky, she raised an eyebrow. “Not on my butt.”

“Sorry.” He didn’t look the least bit contrite. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“You didn’t.” She juggled Missy a little closer.

His eyes softened. Green eyes that looked so familiar and warm. Comforting, like a hug. “How are you, Evie?”

Her mouth went dry as she realized she remembered far more about August than she’d ever admitted to herself. “Truthfully?”

He held up a pinkie, just like they used to do so many years ago. “Of course.”

“I…I don’t really know.”

Chapter Two

Thankfully, August didn’t have a moment to reply because her mother came flying out the front door.

“You’re here! When you called and said you were close, I thought you’d maybe get here in an hour, not in fifteen minutes.” Jan smiled at August before hugging Evie and scooping Missy out of her arms at the same time. Missy opened her big blue eyes and squirmed.

“I’m going to go take our baby on inside,” Jan said, pressing kisses to Missy’s chubby cheeks. “August, you’ll help Evie unload, right?”

“It’s why I’m here.”

Evie blinked. His words were bland, his expression open and friendly. Their past was just that…in the past. So why did she feel as if his words held special meaning just for her?

As the screen door slammed shut again, leaving the two of them alone with just the sound of a couple of bullfrogs, August met her gaze. “It’s good to see you.”

“You, too. It’s been a long time.”

“Almost ten years.”

“Yes.”

He tilted his head toward the excited chatter filtering out from the cottage. “Your girls are pretty.”

“Thanks. They’re a handful.”

“I guess all kids are.”

She’d run out of words. “Maybe.”

Still, he scanned her face, his green eyes looking like he was trying to memorize every feature. “I heard you got divorced.”

“I did. About a year and a half ago. I heard you just had a breakup, too.”

“Me and Erin weren’t ever going to amount to much. It just took us a while to come to terms with it.”

“It still had to be hard.”

August shrugged. “If it was, it was because things didn’t happen like I’d hoped. When my dad died and left me the business, Erin and I kind of fell by the wayside.”

“I heard about your dad. I’m sorry.”

He shrugged. “Thanks.” After a moment, he gestured toward the van. “So, what can I help you with, Evie?”

There she went again, imagining a loaded question.

What didn’t she need help with? Everything. Her life. Her job. Her complete sense of failure as a wife…running off a husband who wasn’t even running to something, just away from their marriage.

But that wasn’t what August had meant, and those problems weren’t ones she was willing to share with him.

Instead, she pointed to the open side door. With the girls out of it, Evie thought the minivan looked a whole lot like Santa’s sleigh, it was so completely packed full of toys and coolers and suitcases and baskets. “Take hold of anything you want,” she said, quickly grabbing the nearest duffel and yanking it over the bucket seats.

August popped open the hatchback and pulled out two suitcases. “You never could travel light, Evie,” he said with a chuckle. “Remember how you’d pack for the beach?”

She did. Her beach bag would be filled with lotions and lipstick and hair bows. Anything to make August pay attention to her.

As she followed him into the house, Evie couldn’t help but notice that he still had a swimmer’s body. Those shoulders were still incredibly broad, his hips lean in the worn pair of camou-colored cargo shorts. “I guess some things never change,” she murmured.

The cottage was just like she remembered, except for smelling of fresh paint. Jenna was already sitting on a red-and-yellow area rug, playing with a pile of Legos her parents had dug out and watching TV. A plate of animal cookies and a glass of milk sat on a table to her right.

Evie was so relieved someone else was taking care of all the details that she didn’t even care that Jenna was most likely getting too full for dinner.

August had already gone downstairs to the lower level, and Evie was about to follow when her dad stopped her and put the duffel next to the stairs. “Come have a beer, sunshine.”

“The van—”

“August will get another load, and I’ll help him in a minute. You need a break.” Circling an arm around her shoulders, Mike led her into the bright kitchen.

After her dad thrust a cold bottle of Coors into her hand, he raised an imaginary bottle in a toast. “Cheers, dear. You made it.”

“Cheers.” Tears pricked at her eyes. She knew exactly what he meant. Today had certainly been a long time coming. Ever since her divorce, she’d just been subsisting, doing her best to get through each day. Weekends consisted of days alone with both girls, or days alone without them. Through it all, she still hadn’t yet mastered managing her time. Agreeing to leave the state with the girls for a whole month had taken more than a leap of faith. It had been a leap without a safety net.

But John had been asked to go to Japan on business, and even he had thought it was a good time for her to get away.

As they heard the screen door screech open and slam again, duty called. “I better go help—”

Her dad held up a hand. “August, you okay?”

“I’m fine,” August called back, tromping back downstairs.

Her dad grinned. “See?”

Evie leaned against the granite-topped center island. “I see. I see that you’re up to something.”

“Just no good.” Her dad winked, the old joke they’d shared illuminating the room as brightly as the new fluorescent track lights above them.

“Momma? Momma, Missy needs to be changed, and she’s hungry, too.”

Ah, Jenna. The voice of reason. “I’ll be right there.”

“I’m taking care of it,” her mother called out. “You stay in the kitchen. Mike? Come help August.”

“You sit here and relax for a spell, sunshine.”

Evie did, hopping up on the bar stool next to the island. She wasn’t a huge drinker, but beer never tasted so good as it did at the beach. Must be something with the salty air, she supposed.

In the living room, life went on, the screen door opening and shutting, Missy fussing as her mother attempted to get that diaper changed, Jenna talking a mile a minute. The noises were comforting, familiar. Almost strange. It had been a long time since she’d sat while everyone else did the work.

After a few more minutes, August came in the kitchen with her cooler and propped it next to the stainless-steel sink. “This is the last of it.”

“Thanks. I really appreciate all your help.”

“It took ten minutes, Ev. No big deal.”

Since she didn’t want to thank him yet again, she simply nodded.

“I put the down pillow on your bed. It was yours, right?”

Now, why did that seem so personal? She swallowed. “Yes.”

He stepped closer, letting her see that he, too, had grown older. Fine lines creased his eyes, the shadow of a beard graced his jaw. He was wearing cologne. Nothing too fancy, but tangy enough to set her senses on edge and make it hard to remember that she had a whole lot of other things to think about besides old memories.

“Well. I guess you’re all set, then.”

“I guess I am.” She attempted to smile. “I swear, I’m so tired, I’m going to sleep the moment my head hits that pillow.”

The doorbell rang, effectively preventing August from commenting on that. Thank God. “Mom and Tanya are here,” he said, looking almost regretful. “I better go help my mom get settled.”

She was just about to follow August out of the kitchen when her dad wandered in again. “Stay here and talk to me,” he ordered, popping open a beer for himself and pulling out a tray of burgers, all ready for the grill. “You hungry?”

“I could be.”

“I hope so. You look like hell, Evie.”

“Thanks.”

“You need to hear it. You’re too skinny and you’ve got lines on your face.”

“Those would be wrinkles. I am getting older, Dad.”

“Not that old. More likely, I’d say you’re stressed out.” Looking her over again, he shook his head. “That damn John.”

Just hearing John’s name could make her go from almost happy to miserable in a heartbeat. “I don’t want to talk about John.”

Her dad scowled, revealing his own supply of age lines. “We never have talked about him, about what he did to you. Not really.”

“There was nothing to say. He didn’t want to be married anymore.” To her.

“He always was too selfish. The girls needed—”

“He’s a good daddy.” With some shock, Evie remembered how he’d never minded helping to change diapers or spend time with Jenna. How he’d been thrilled to have another girl and had visibly held back tears when Missy had been in the hospital with croup. “John’s always been good to the girls.”

“But never the husband you needed. He should have intended to be more than a good father—”

“Daddy, we weren’t meant to be together. I’ve known it for a long time.”

“Still, he broke your heart.”

“My heart broke because I realized that my marriage had never been like I’d hoped it to be.” Quietly she added, “Daddy, it wasn’t like you and Momma. John and I never had a thing to say to each other at the end of the day.”

Concern flickered in his gray eyes, so like her own. “But still—”

“But still, it’s been hard,” she agreed. Terribly hard.

After taking another sip of his beer, her dad shook his head. “Come on out to the patio and watch me cook. August’s mom and sister are already out there.”

“I can’t wait to see Tanya. I haven’t seen her since she came out to visit last year. Do she and August stop over a lot?”

“Pretty much. August runs Silver Shells now, did you know that?”

“Yeah, I know.”

“He took over when his dad had heart surgery. When Al passed, August made a lot of changes. The place was just listed in Florida Today as one of the top vacation resorts.”

All this was news to her. “I can’t believe so much has happened to August and I didn’t know it.”

“Why? You’ve had your own problems, Evie.” Handing her a tray of appetizers, he said, “Let’s go visit.”

As they heard laughter out on the back patio, her dad’s expression momentarily sobered. “It’s only fair to warn you that Bev Meyer isn’t doing too well.”

Evie’s steps faltered. “Mrs. Meyer’s sick? What’s wrong?”

“You’ll see,” he said before walking out the back door, leaving Evie to wonder what else she’d missed while unsuccessfully trying to have a life with John.

Chapter Three

Evie Ray Randall was skinny. So skinny, August figured she could put on twenty pounds and still look in need of a good meal. Her arms were too thin, her hips too bony. Dark smudges marred the translucent skin around her eyes, the shadows almost matching the smoky gray irises that had mesmerized him from the moment they’d first met.

Evie’s hair needed to be cut or styled or whatever his sister, Tanya, was constantly doing to hers, because it hung down her back in a limp ponytail, the once vibrant color dull and faded.

So, how come he still thought Evie was the most beautiful woman in the world?

It had to be the spark of mischief that never quite left her eyes. The way she was never too sweet, too patient, or too upbeat. In short, Evie Ray had always been real. She laughed when things were funny, showed her temper when she was mad, and cried at Hallmark commercials. Yep, with Evie, what you saw was what you got. And he’d always wanted every bit of her.

“What?” Evie asked, catching him staring from across the table they were setting. “Do I have ketchup on me or something?” She picked up a napkin she’d just folded and swiped it across her face.

“Stop, you look fine,” he said, grabbing the napkin. “I didn’t mean to stare, I was just thinking of something else.”

She pulled a stack of plates from the basket her mom had set out and started walking around the table, placing each in the center of a red linen place mat. “Really? It must have been pretty important.”

When he took too long formulating a reply, she gestured toward the far side of the patio. “Are you worried about your mom?”

“No. Well, not too much.” Out of habit, he studied his mom’s color as she munched on a bacon-wrapped shrimp. For the moment, his mother looked healthy, her color not too flushed.

Evie leaned forward. “My dad told me that she’s been sick.”

“Yeah. She’s had some trouble with her cholesterol and blood pressure, among other things. She had to have a stent put in one of her arteries last year. Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s slowed her down for a minute.”

“What gave you the first clue?” Evie asked with a broad grin. “The pile of shrimp or the plate of fries my dad just handed her?”

“All of it,” he said, finally able to see the humor. Bev Meyer had never been one to follow anyone’s advice but her own. Why had he thought things would suddenly change? “I’m trying to take care of her, but she wants none of it.”

“She’s always been independent.”

Thinking of his mother, who’d once been a ballet teacher before settling down to raise kids and help her husband with the resort, he nodded. “Yeah. She has always been that.”

“Things have been tough since your dad died, huh?” she asked, handing him the spoons as she folded napkins and began circling the table once again.

Dutifully, August placed a spoon to the right of each plate. “Yep, but at least Tanya lives nearby, too. She moved next to Mom, just in case Mom starts feeling bad but doesn’t want to tell us. The first time Tanya and I heard Mom was having heart problems was when her doctor told us they’d admitted her to the hospital.”

“Oh, August.”

He tried to smile, to ease Evie’s look of worry. “It sucked. Luckily, she’s promised she’ll never keep us in the dark again.”

“She better not.”

Determined to lighten the mood, he pointed to the chunky blue salt-and-pepper shakers on the table. “These look familiar. They’re from your catalog, right?”

“Yep. Mom and Dad are great customers.”

“I looked through it the other day. You do a great job.”

“It’s not my catalog. I just work there and help manage things. It’s a good place to work.”

“It’s great they let you take a long vacation.”

“Summer is a slow time for us.” With a shrug, she added, “Plus, I needed a break.”

“Being here in Bishop’s Gate will be good for you.”

Emotion sparked in her eyes. “Lately, I’ve been hearing that a lot. I must look even worse than I thought.” Before he could say a word, Evie pointed to the flight of steps leading out toward the walkway and beach. “The table’s all set. Let’s go sit out there.”

“All right.” Grabbing two more Coors Lights, August told everyone they were going for a short walk, then followed Evie, who’d already stepped off the patio, kicked off her shoes, and was walking barefoot down the path.

In a couple of strides, he caught up with her. “I got us another round.”

“Thanks,” she said, twisting off the cap easily.

After a few more steps, they sat down on a pair of ancient iron chairs, half buried in silky-soft warm sand. Within seconds, Evie buried her toes in the sand, too. “Ah,” she said, finally treating him to a genuine smile. “Do you smell the surf? I love it here.”

August stretched out his legs and glanced toward the horizon, where the warm gulf water rushed in gentle waves across the shoreline. “Me, too. I’ve always loved it here.” Beside him, Evie sat with her head back, sheer bliss on her face. She looked beautiful. “For the record, I think you look okay, Evie,” he said softly.

Her head popped up, her eyes so full of cautious eagerness, that it took his breath away. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” he replied, hoping she didn’t hear how affected by her he was. He took a fortifying sip of his Coors and watched the waves with Evie.

Little by little, the sunlight faded and the temperature dropped. Behind them, August could hear his mom laugh at some old joke Mike was telling.

“You just need to take some time for yourself,” he added after a while.

She laughed at that. “What I need to do, August, is take care of my children.”

August pointed behind them. On the patio, Missy was playing with some French fries on the tray of her high chair and Jenna was showing Tanya her collection of naked Barbie dolls. “Your girls look fine.”

Her expression softened. “Right now, at this minute, I guess they do.”

Her pleasure in his simple compliment brought back all kinds of memories for August. “Remember when we went to that carnival and got stuck on the Ferris wheel?”

She chuckled. “Don’t act like that was a rare occurrence. I think everyone in Bishop’s Gate has gotten stuck on that Ferris wheel one time or another.”

“I won’t deny that. Still—do you remember the night it was our turn?”

“Absolutely. I remember that it was pretty much the hottest night of the year.”

It had been hot. Evie had worn short jean shorts, blistering white Keds and a bright teal halter top. She’d been all smooth, tan skin and golden hair. Gorgeous. “You were the only girl who didn’t panic when the wind picked up and our seat started rocking.”

Evie leaned closer, her bare arm brushing against his…just like they had so long ago. “That’s because I was the only girl who had August Anderson Meyer’s arm around her.”

He remembered that well. Her skin had felt like satin, and there’d been enough humor in her eyes to make being stuck on the ancient ride a true adventure.

He’d kissed her, too. He’d pulled her so close that their seat had rocked quite a bit, all on its own. “That was a great night, though your parents never did push back curfew.”

Evie smiled. “They weren’t fools—they knew what we wanted to do. Jenna’s got another thing coming if she thinks she’ll ever pull one over on me.”

Back on the porch, Jenna was showing Jan a picture she’d just colored. “It’s for Daddy,” she pronounced, her voice floating toward them.

Evie visibly winced as she stared at the water once again.

“You okay?”

“Oh, sure. I’m, uh, having a tough time remembering not to care that I took the girls away from their dad—from John—for a whole month.”

“Did John not want you to come to Florida?”

She looked surprised. “He encouraged me, actually. He’s going to be gone most of the month, and he knows just how much the girls love my parents.”

“So, you and your ex still get along.”

“Well enough. He’s there for the girls whenever he can be.” Digging her toes deeper into the sand, she added, “John’s always been a good father. A very good father.”

Her defense of the guy made August seethe. She was hurting. He saw it now, and he’d heard about it from her parents. She looked worn-out and stressed, overworked and underfed. August knew her ex-husband was the reason…so why was she defending the guy? “A good father…but not a good husband?”

Gray eyes widened and a hint of a smile played around the corners of her pale pink lips. “I don’t know about that. I think he just fell out of love.”

“Did you?”

“I don’t know. Honestly, some days…some nights I wonder if I’d ever really been in love with him.” She shook her head. “I was on cruise control, you know? I went to work, I came home, I cooked dinner. On my days off I vacuumed and cleaned the house. Sometimes I remembered to wear makeup.” Quietly, she added, “Sometimes I remembered to give John my attention. Sometimes he remembered, too.”

August hated the thought of her so unhappy. “He should have helped you more.”

“It wasn’t me, it wasn’t him…it was ‘us.’ And ‘us’ wasn’t good. We made babies. We raised them together. We divided chores and shared a checkbook, but I don’t know if we ever shared a life.”

It sounded like a cop-out to August. “I can’t believe he left you and the girls.”

“He didn’t, not really. He’s nearby, he helps. He just left me.”

He hated that she so obviously thought it was her fault. August clasped her hand, unable to keep from touching her. “Evie—”

She squeezed his hand to stop his words. “At first I was devastated. But then one night when I was all alone, sipping wine and feeling sorry for myself, I remembered our honeymoon. There we were, sporting shiny gold rings. We’d just had the most amazing wedding and reception, were finally free to do whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted—and I didn’t have a thing to say to him.”

Stark awareness filled her eyes as she met his gaze. “And that’s when I knew, August. Three months after our divorce, as I sat on my couch, remembering a thousand little details, I knew John had been right. We’d jumped into marriage and into grown-up life without ever jumping into love. And, as much as it pains me to admit it…that wasn’t enough. John and I, we had no passion.”

No passion.

The details of her life were hard to hear, though August had wanted to hear every bit. Back in high school, he’d had a major crush on Evie Ray. The last summer when they were together, when they thought she was pregnant, he’d fantasized about a future with her in it. When their “scare” was over, he’d been almost disappointed. Enough to think about persuading her to not go back to Texas, to attend Florida State with him.

But something had vanished between them. Once more, he’d been too unsure of himself to try and make things better. He’d felt that regret time and again through the years.

He should have done more to make her see he was worth it. That they were worth it.

“If John fell out of love, the problem was his, not yours,” he murmured, running his thumb over her knuckles.

“I guess.” Evie said the words almost wistfully, almost as if she didn’t believe him, which made August wonder just how much she’d begun to doubt herself. Did she not feel she deserved anything?

“Momma? Momma, I can’t find Neena,” Jenna announced from the patio, loud enough for everyone on the beach to know that she had a problem.

Evie dropped August’s hand like it was on fire and got to her feet just as Jenna darted down the steps to them. “Neena is Jenna’s baby doll,” Evie explained. “Any chance you saw it when you were unloading?”

August shook his head, not failing to notice the switch in her posture, the change in her voice. “I don’t remember a doll, but I don’t think I looked under the seats, either. Maybe it’s still there?”

“Maybe.”

Jenna slipped in between them. “Momma, what about Neena?”

With a wry expression, Evie ruffled her daughter’s curls. “Let’s go look in the van, sugar.” Without looking back, Evie slipped on her sandals and guided Jenna back to the house.

August picked up the half-full bottle of beer Evie had abandoned and followed, too, feeling curiously left behind as the girl jabbered and complained and Evie nodded sympathetically.

When they reached the patio, Jenna’s voice turned whiny. “I’m tired, Momma. I want Neena.”

Evie gave her a quick hug. “I know you are. We’ll find Neena then get ready for bed.” Almost as an afterthought, Evie turned to August. “See you,” she whispered. “I’ve got to go.”

“Wait a minute.” He pointed to the table they’d just set. “Aren’t you going to eat?”

“I will—later.”

Frustration coursed through August, tempting him to take charge. He wanted to tell Jenna to wait a minute and let her mother eat. To tell her parents to go look for the doll instead of watching Evie do it.

But it wasn’t his place.

As Jenna started crying in earnest, Evie picked her up and headed to the front of the house where her van was parked. Catching his eye, she smiled. “Don’t worry, August.”

But August knew he would. In many ways, he’d never stopped worrying about Evie. Not when he thought he’d gotten her pregnant.

Not when she’d called to say that everything was fine and no baby was in the future.

Not even when he’d come to the conclusion that maybe what they’d felt hadn’t been love—just more like teenage hormones on overdrive.

There’d always been a part of August that would worry about Evie Ray. He wasn’t about to stop now.

Chapter Four

The baby doll had been found. Dinner had been consumed, the golf game between August and Mike confirmed, and after promises to get together soon, the Meyer family had taken off.

After a bout of too-tired tears, Evie had gotten the girls bathed, unpacked and asleep. She then padded into her own room, decorated in soft blues and grays, as soothing as a hot bubble bath in the middle of January. Her mother had placed a vanilla candle on the whitewashed dresser, and stuck six spunky daisies in a tall, thin glass.

The tiny bedroom felt cozy and comfortable and more like home than her bedroom suite in her old house in Grapevine.

Undoubtedly, her parents were upstairs, probably waiting for her to reappear so they could have a nice chat, but honestly, Evie wasn’t up for it. The silence was too sweet, the crisp cotton sheets too beckoning.

She sank on the lace coverlet with a sigh and finally relaxed. She’d done it. She’d made it to Florida, and she’d made it through a first conversation with August, which had been an odd mix of tenderness and crazy swirling emotions.

Yawning, Evie stretched back against the padded headboard.

Seeing August had been something of a shock to her system. She’d firmly put him in the back of her mind, in the shadows of her past. She’d had no desire to think about what could have been. No reason to remember what almost was.

Being in the same room with him had opened a million senses, and made everything in her body feel electrified. His touch had made her warm. His caring looks made her pulse race erratically. During that whole conversation with him, Evie’d noticed her brain fogging up, encouraging her to reveal things about her marriage to John that she never shared with anyone…and making that little voice in her heart wonder if maybe she wasn’t as shut down and worn-out as she’d previously thought.

Evie curled onto her side, hugging the down pillow August had placed on her bed, and tried not to feel so much.

“Evie, you okay?” After a brief knock, her mom popped her head in. “Dad and I were wondering if you were going to come back up and visit a while.”

Hastily, Evie released the pillow and sat up. “Sorry. I think the trip has caught up with me. I think I’m going to go to sleep.”

“Oh. Well, all right.” Her mom pattered on in, ignoring the subtle hint and invading her space, just like she always had. “I’m sure you remember where everything is. There’s more blankets in the hall closet. More pillows, too.”

Evie patted the one from home. The one with the pretty yellow case August had placed neatly in the center of the bed. “I’ll be fine. I think that second beer I had with August was a mistake.”

“Probably not the talk, though. You two looked like you were picking up where you left off.”

“I don’t know about that.” But it had been nice to visit with him. Nicer than she would have ever imagined. And because she felt ridiculous even thinking his touching her pillow was worth a second thought, Evie kept her voice level. “He’s a good guy.”

Jan sat down next to Evie, a puff of White Linen perfume floating around her, mixing with the sheets…making everything smell comfortable and familiar. “That August, he’s so considerate.”

He’d been more than that. He’d listened to her and made her feel more relaxed than she had in an entire year. “He was really helpful, unpacking the van and all.”

Jan picked up a pillow that had fallen on the floor and neatly set it against the headboard. “You two sure looked like you were having quite a conversation.”

“Just catching up.”

Her mom nodded. “You’ve got years of that to do. Maybe you should spend some time together.”

The words were spoken casually. So casually that Evie knew that her mother was up to no good. Drawing from past experience, Evie nipped her matchmaking in the bud. “I’m not here for another summer romance, Mom. I’m here to see you and Dad and have fun with the girls.”

“I know, but if something came along, that might be nice, don’t you think?”

No, she did not. Evie couldn’t even imagine having time or energy for a relationship. As it was now, she was lucky if she remembered to eat. “I’m really tired.”

For a split second, her mom scanned her face. Emotion filled her gaze, so strong it brought back memories of major events in their lives…Evie’s graduation, Jenna’s birth. Evie’s announcement that she and John had separated. With a sigh, Jan stood up. “All righty. See you in the morning. Good night, Evelyn.”

Evelyn said, “’Night, Mom.”

Alone again, Evie opened her suitcase, pulled out two cosmetic bags and got ready for bed. She had just crawled under the thick down comforter when she realized she’d forgotten to call John to let him know that they got there safe and sound.

Quickly, she dialed his number on her cell phone, and got his voice mail, as expected. “It’s me. We got to Florida, no problem. The girls say ‘Hey.’ Jenna’s already drawn you two pictures. I’ll pop them in the mail soon.” Then, remembering how much John hated the fancy dinners he always had to attend on his business trips, she added, “I hope you remembered to pack some peanut butter. ’Bye.”

With that, she turned off the light and pulled the sheets up to her chin. As she closed her eyes, so many thoughts filled her mind. Her past, her present.

The lack of dreams about a future, except for the ones that focused solely on the girls.

And, strangely, her mother’s sunny optimism for romance.

“MOMMA, GRANDMA SAYS I gotta eat egg sandwiches,” Jenna announced from the foot of Evie’s bed the next morning. “I hate eggs.”

Evie opened one eye to see just how upset her daughter was. A pouty lip meant not too much. Blotchy cheeks meant a real crisis was at hand and tears were on the way.

Jenna was holding Neena for dear life and balancing a tilting egg-sandwich-laden plate in the other. As Evie expected, Jenna’s cheeks were red enough to make another woman think she needed sunscreen. Uh-oh.

“Oh, Jen.” Evie rolled over and held out her arms. “Put the plate down and come give me a hug.”

Jenna put down the plate and scooted forward, pink puppy dog pajamas riding up her calves as she slipped under the covers.

Evie cuddled her close, loving the coconut shampoo scent in her daughter’s hair and the faint fragrance of hot chocolate surrounding her. When Jenna visibly relaxed, Evie said, “Now, what’s going on?”

Big gray eyes, full of worry and belligerence, stared back at her. “Grandma doesn’t want me just eating Cheerios. She said I get eggs.”

“And you said—”

“I don’t like eggs. I hate eggs! But she didn’t listen.” Jenna shifted to glare at the egg sandwich on the floor. “That’s when she handed me that.”

Evie sat up, eyeing the plate. Ugh. She’d always hated eggs, too. “And that’s when you decided to get some help.”

“Yep. I won’t eat it, Momma. I won’t.”

“You don’t have to.”

“Really?”

“Really. I know you don’t like eggs. I don’t like them, either. Cheerios are fine. What’s Missy doing?”

“Playing with Grandpa, but he says he can’t stay much longer cause he’s gonna go play golf.”

“Boy, I better get up.” Glancing at the clock, Evie did a double take. Nine! When was the last time she’d slept so late?

Jenna pulled back the covers and hopped out, Evie following more slowly. “I hope Grandma made coffee,” she muttered under her breath.

“I hope Grandma made me cereal,” Jenna said with the exact same intonation as she led the way upstairs.

Evie threw on a robe, picked up the offending plate and followed. Sure enough, her mother was at the stove, making still more egg sandwiches. “Hey, Mom.”

“Jenna shouldn’t have woken you up.” Looking around, Jan said, “Where’s your plate, young lady?”

Jenna scooted onto the chair. “Momma said I can have Cheerios.”

Jan put her spatula down and pivoted to the kitchen table. “Jenna, you watch your mouth. Evie, tell her—”

“Mom, Jenna won’t eat eggs. I thought you knew that.”

“But—”

“She won’t. Ever. Let her have some cereal and a banana. It’s good for her.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll eat something, soon,” Evie said, getting a mug and pouring a generous amount of coffee and cream into it.

With a flick of her wrist, Evie watched her mother turn off the burner and pull out a giant box of Cheerios. “Feed your daughter,” she said, thrusting the box at her with a sharp look. “Then feed yourself something. Anything.”

“Oh, Jan. Leave Evie and Jenna alone,” her dad said as he rose from the couch. “Nothing wrong with Cheerios.”

“Morning, Daddy.”

“Morning, sunshine,” Mike said, propping Missy on his hip and taking a seat across from Jenna. “How’d you sleep?”

Evie leaned close and kissed Missy on the forehead. “Great.”

A knock sounded at the door, then it opened slowly, revealing August in a faded blue golf shirt, khaki shorts and a worn leather belt. “Hello?”

Mike smiled brightly. “Hey, August, come on in. Want something to eat?”

August eyed the kitchen counter. “Got any egg sandwiches?”

Mike winked at Evie. “You bet. Jan, can you make August some breakfast?”

As they all expected, Jan bustled back in and hurried to get August a plate. Mike laughed.

Finally, August turned to her. “How are you this morning, Evie?”

She’d just rolled out of bed. She’d barely had a cup of coffee. Her daughter was pouty and her mother was ticked at her. “I’m…good. You?”

“Me?” August looked her over, for some reason making her feel pretty and attractive instead of in need of a hot shower…and well, a makeover. A slow smile lit his eyes. “I’m perfect,” he drawled.

For a split second, Evie felt perfect, too.

Chapter Five

“Watch your toes!” Evie cried to Missy as the toddler pulled herself up onto a big rock and scrunched her tiny toes in the powder-soft sand next to Evie’s towel and umbrella on the edge of Cascade Beach. “The sand’s hot!”

“Hop,” Missy mumbled, squishing her toes again in the sand before plopping down on her bottom.

Evie rolled to one side and watched her baby girl giggle as she scooped up a handful of sand and looked at it in her palm before letting it flow through her fingers. “Oh, Missy. You bring me joy.”

“She’d bring anyone joy,” Tanya said from her left. “Missy is such a sweetheart.”

Evie couldn’t deny it. From the moment Missy had been born, she was Jenna’s polar opposite. Easygoing, sleepy at night, happy with life. Evie could only imagine what life would have been like with two Jennas. Most likely, she’d have white hair and be talking with a stutter. “I’m lucky.”

“You are that. You have two adorable girls while I’m still trying to find Mr. Right.”

Thinking about John, Evie now knew there was a whole lot more to people than labels. “‘Mr. Right’ isn’t as easy to find as you might think. Actually, ‘Mr. Right’ might not even exist.”

Tanya’s shoulders slumped. “I suppose not. But, still…”

“But still…I know.” Evie knew what Tanya meant. It would be nice to find someone who was as good as his first impression. Someone who lived up to expectations.

As Tanya stretched out her legs on the beach towel, she smiled at Missy and her handful of sand. “She’s so adorable, she makes me want to have a baby.”

“Be careful what you wish for. Missy’s a good girl, but she had me up for almost two days straight when she was getting her front teeth. You may like sleeping.”

“I hadn’t thought about that.”

“I have a feeling there’s a lot about raising a kid that you might not have thought about,” Evie said with a smile.

“Maybe so.” Tanya chuckled. “I do like eating adult food…not things with cartoons on their containers.” As she picked up a bag of fruit snacks, she shook her head. “I can’t believe you eat these.”

“I don’t, Jenna does.” Well, Evie had been known to eat through a whole box when there was nothing else in the house. “And speaking of Jenna, I hope she’s not driving my mom batty at the grocery store.”

Tanya winked. “I bet she’s only asking for one thing in each aisle.”

“You do know my daughter.”

“I learned a thing or two from my visits to Texas over the years.”

Tanya had visited her and John at least one weekend a year from the time they’d both graduated college. Every time, their friendship had seemed to pick up exactly where it had left off. Consequently, Tanya had been the only person who hadn’t been surprised when Evie announced her separation.

Laughing, Evie said, “If my mom only has to deal with food requests, she’s getting off pretty easily.”

Still rummaging in the beach bag, Tanya pulled out a box of Goldfish. “Now these, I like.”

“You’d look at them as a gourmet treat in no time,” Evie commented. “You’d have a good feeling about juice boxes, too.”

“I would if I could add a shot of vodka on occasion. Hey, speaking of drinks, we’re probably due for something cold and wet, too.” Tanya popped open the cooler she’d brought from home. “I’ve got Diet Coke or iced tea. Which one?”

“Sweet tea?”

Tanya looked properly horrified. “Is there any other?”

Evie smiled at their old joke. “Tea, then, please.”

Tanya unscrewed the top of a large glass jar, poured out two cupfuls, added some ice out of a plastic baggie, and handed the cup to Evie, who smiled appreciatively. “You are a sweet tea genius.”

In a ridiculous Elvis impersonation, Tanya bowed. “Thank you, thank you very much.” After closing the cooler, Tanya sat down next to Evie. “So, you’ve been here two days. Are you relaxing yet?”

“Getting there. My body’s going through shock, I think, from getting so much rest and relaxation.” Not wanting to discuss her health with one more person, she sipped her tea and turned the tables. “What’s new with you?”

After handing Missy a juice box, Tanya shrugged. “Not much. I’ve moved next to my mother and teach ballet at her old studio.”

“Do you like that? You always had dreams of going to New York.”

Tanya smiled. “I think every dancer has that dream. To answer your question, I do like it, but I don’t love it. I’m not the teacher my mother was.”

“You might be.”

“I’m not. My mother was a born instructor—I wanted to perform. The two are pretty different entities.” Curving her legs underneath her, Tanya said, “I’m having to learn a lot about patience.”

The confession made Evie realize that they’d all given up some dreams at one time or another. Obviously, that was what growing up was all about—picking and choosing the path to take. “August told me you’re helping him, too.”

“I am…well, I work at the resort as much as August asks me to.”

“Asks you? What’s up with that? The Tanya I know takes what she wants when she wants it.”

“We both know I haven’t been that demanding in years. Besides, I’ve been trying to give August some space. He’s still trying to get over his breakup with Erin and, well, he feels a lot of responsibility for Silver Shells. It makes him grumpy at times.”

Erin. For a second, Evie thought about asking about August and Erin, but decided against it. She focused on the easier subject instead. “Grumpy, that’s hard for me to imagine.”

“Oh, he’s not mean, August just likes things how he likes them, and forgets to ask for help. But with Silver Shells doing such good business, he can use all the help he can get. Especially with Mom. She can be trying at times.”

Remembering August’s frequent glances at his mom while they were setting the table, Evie nodded. “August seems worried.”

“He is. We both are. Neither of us wants to see her go through some of the procedures my dad was subjected to.”

Thinking of Beverly’s robust laugh at the barbecue, Evie said, “I thought she looked great.”

“She does. All those years of ballet have helped her bones. But her cholesterol’s off the charts. She’s ornery, too.” Tanya shrugged. “I don’t want to bore you, but taking care of someone who doesn’t want to be taken care of gets tiring, especially now that I’ve moved next to her. Sometimes I just want to tell her to remember her age.”

That sounded like trouble. “Maybe she’ll settle down soon.”

Tanya laughed and stretched out her legs, flexing her poor, calloused toes. “Maybe she will. And maybe one day the perfect man will appear out of the surf and take me away.”

After righting Missy’s lopsided juice box, Evie scanned the horizon. “I’ll be on the lookout.”

“Believe me, he hasn’t had the nerve to come around yet. I’m kind of ornery myself.” After a moment, Tanya said, “I’m kind of surprised you aren’t.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“After everything you’ve been through, you don’t seem bitter or angry.”

“That’s because I’m not. Just tired,” Evie replied, telling the truth. All she wanted to do was sleep and sit on the beach and watch the tide come in and out.

“Luckily, you have someone lying in wait.”

Evie glanced at the horizon again. “You’re completely confused, T.”

“Stop. You know who I’m talking about.” Tanya batted her eyes at Evie. “I mean my brother would love to be your knight in shining armor, and I bet you might just let him be that again.”

“Again?” As close as they were, August was the one subject Evie never discussed with her friend. Just how much did Tanya know about their past?

“Yes, again.”

For a split second, Evie recalled their frantic phone calls when her period had been late and his vows that he’d take care of her.

The sinking feeling she’d had, not wanting to be taken care of. The relief when she’d called him and told him that everything was fine and there would be no need to plan futures again…or, at least not for four more years.

“There’s something, Evie. August doesn’t just pop over to your parents’ house for breakfast any day of the week.”

Evie bit back a wave of irritation. Suddenly everyone around her was expecting she and August to take up from where they’d left off. “I don’t know why August came over.”

Tanya kept talking. “There always was something special between the two of you. Could be again.”

“No chance. I can hardly take care of myself and the girls. I couldn’t take care of a boyfriend, too.”

“I don’t think August is going to want to be taken care of. Probably the opposite. If I know him, he’s going to want to take care of you.”

“Then that worries me, too. I never want to feel obligated to a man ever again.”

Tanya curved her arms around her bent knees. “Maybe you should, just a little. I always thought you were a little too standoffish around John.”

Evie stiffened. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She kept her gaze on Missy, who was using a beach chair to pull herself up.

“Sure, you do. Remember when I came out to visit when Jenna was two and you had a cold?”

Evie remembered. John had wanted her to go to the doctor and get a strep test. She’d pretty much told him to mind his own business. Tanya had had trouble keeping her mouth shut.

“I don’t want anyone taking care of me. Besides, August lives here and I’m in Texas. Getting involved in a long-distance relationship would be a pretty dumb move on my part, if I was looking to get into a relationship.” Which she wasn’t.

“I suppose.”

Suddenly, Missy tumbled and fell, taking in a mouthful of sand. Spitting and crying, she rubbed her mouth and eyes, which of course got more sand and salt in them. Then the wailing began.

Hastily, Evie wiped down the baby’s face while Tanya searched through the humongous straw tote for baby wipes. Still Missy cried on.

“Uh-oh,” Tanya said, her face filled with panic. “What does she need?”

“To get cleaned off,” Evie said around Missy’s crying body, which had attached itself to her chest and neck like a giant starfish. “Get me some bottled water, please.”

“Oh. Yeah.”

After Evie got a bottle of Aquafina and practically drenched Missy’s face, the tears finally started to subside.

When she was sure she’d gotten all the sand out of Missy’s eyes she held her daughter close and murmured, “Poor Missy. I’m so sorry that happened.”

Missy’s thumb popped in her mouth in record time, her eyes slowly drifting shut. Now that the mini-crisis was over, Evie leaned back against the canvas chair, breathing a sigh of relief. “I think we’re all better now.”

“Barely all better. That scared the life out of me. I think I need a drink.” Tanya opened her cooler again, so quickly that Evie couldn’t figure out if she was teasing or not. “Maybe I have some beer in here.”

“It’s eleven in the morning! You don’t need a drink, you just need to breathe deep.”

“Breathing’s not working.”

“It will. This wasn’t a disaster.” Evie couldn’t hide the amusement in her voice. If Tanya could have seen her and the girls when she’d slit her hand open slicing a tomato and both girls in hysterics at the sight of all the blood, she’d know what a real state of emergency was.

“I can’t believe you were so calm,” Tanya continued. “I was freaking out.”

“That’s because you don’t have any kids.”

“Now I know why. I’m taking back everything I said about wanting a baby.”

Though Missy was now sleeping soundly, Evie wasn’t in a hurry to set her down. Instead, she shifted Missy and made sure she was protected by the umbrella’s shade before relaxing. “You’ll get used to it.”

“I suppose.”

Though outwardly calm, inside Evie could privately admit to being a little shaken up, too. For a moment, she hadn’t been able to remember where the bottled water and clean towels were and had been frustrated when Tanya simply stared at her instead of acting quickly.

Closing her eyes, she rolled her head and tried to loosen the knot that had formed along the base of her neck. Tried to pretend that she didn’t mind all the responsibility. Tried to relax. Once again, it was easier said than done.

Chapter Six

August was on the phone with his accountant, but all he could think about was Evie.

He’d started a list of activities to entertain her and her two girls. And before he deluded himself into thinking it was for old time’s sake, he admitted the plain and simple truth: he wanted to be near her.

In fact, there was no way he was going to be within a mile of Evie Ray and not do his best to be in her presence. There was still a spark between them that had him thinking about pulling her into the shadows and kissing her.

Looking at his calendar, August saw that she’d already been there a full week and he’d only seen her a few times. Though his schedule looked busy, there was nothing on it that couldn’t be changed for more fun activities.

Maybe Evie would want to take the girls to the putt-putt course.

“August, need anything else?”

August couldn’t recall the last five things his accountant had told him. “Nope. I’ll be in touch if I think of something we forgot to discuss. Thanks for the phone call, Steve,” he said before disconnecting the call as fast as he could.

When blessed silence surrounded him, he stared at his notes again. Maybe he’d ask Evie if she wanted to go on a cruise around the bay with the girls.

“August? August, you busy?”

He looked up to see his mom hovering outside his door. He stood. “What’s up, Mom?”

“My bridge game was over early. Pat Kampf is sick.”

August couldn’t even remember all of his mother’s friends who were in poor health. “How are you feeling?”

“Good.” She waved a hand. “I have some business to discuss.”

“Okay.” Slowly he sat back down as his mom crossed to one of the chairs in front of his desk. “Do you need something?”

“Money.”

This was unchartered territory. His mom had her own accounts, but had invested the bulk of her money in August’s name in case something happened to her. August had agreed to the arrangement reluctantly…only with the knowledge that his mother could have free and easy access to the funds whenever she wanted.

But this was the first time in two years that she’d ever asked. “Okay.” He got out his checkbook. “How much do you need?”

To his surprise, she looked taken aback. “You’re not going to grill me?”

“You’re my mother. Of course I’m not going to ask you questions about why you need money. Besides, we both agreed you were in charge of your own funds, right?”

“Right. But this might be different.” She hedged. “It’s a lot.”

August tried to keep his voice light, though inside he was really curious. What the devil was going on? “I assumed it was, since you saw the need to ask me and all.”

“This is hard. I don’t know how you’re going to react.”

Absently twirling the pen in between his fingers, he looked his mother over a little more carefully. Now he was getting worried. Was she sick? “How much do you need, Mom?”

“Three thousand dollars.”

He dropped his pen. Warily, he raised his head. His mother was sitting there across from him, rigid and tense, obviously begging for a fight.

He was frightened enough to let her have one. Was her insurance not paying for her drugs the way they’d planned on? “What happened? Are you sick?”

She rolled her eyes. “Honestly, August. I’m fine. This money is for…personal reasons.”

Huh? “Mom—”

“You said you wouldn’t interfere.”

“That’s before I knew you wanted three thousand dollars.” And before she was acting so strange.

She bit her lip. “It’s not for me. Not, really.”

“What is it for?”

“A club.”

“What kind of club?”

“A social one. August, there’s no other way to tell you this but straight out.” She took a deep breath and plunged in, saying the words in a jumbled mess. “For your information, I’m joining Harmonious Haven.”

Harmonious Haven. The singles club advertised during late-night syndicated shows on Channel 12. Couple after couple were highlighted, each looking more fit, handsome and romantic than the last. The couples made the matchmaking Internet site sound like the best thing since sliced bread, but August knew it had to be a scam.

Falling in love was never that easy.

Before he could think twice, all of August’s good intentions about being supportive of his mother went out the window. “Mom—”

“Don’t you ‘Mom’ me. I know what I’m doing.”

“It doesn’t sound like it.” Before he thought better of it, he said, “What happened to Dad?”

“Your father is buried at Park Hill, thank you very much.”

August blinked, amazed at just how much her words could hurt. “He’s barely been gone a year.”

“He was sick for a long time before that.”

“And your point is?”

His mother jabbed one French-manicured finger toward him. “Watch your mouth.”

“Watch my mouth? You watch yourself.”

“I need companionship.”

Companionship? Was she talking about sex? For a split second, he recalled the last time he and Erin had gone to bed. When had that been? Two months ago? Three?

It felt like a hell of a long time. “It’s not my business if you want to join Harmonious Haven,” he said slowly, doing his best to try and forget about his own lack of love life and focus on his mother’s. “I just think this is coming from out of the blue.”

“For you, maybe. For me, I’ve been thinking about joining for a while. I’ve been surfing the Web site.”

“Surfing?” When had she gotten so computer-savvy?

She continued as though he’d never spoken. “I even called the number and asked some questions. HH is a member of the Better Business Bureau.”

Now that he thought about it, his mother looked…fresh. Like she’d gone somewhere besides Suzy’s Salon to get her hair done. Like she’d gone to one of those fancy counters at the mall and gotten her makeup refreshed. Like she got one of those BOTOX injections and was looking better for it.

It all made him a little squeamish. “You’ve got a heart condition.”

“But it’s still beating, August.”

“But—”

“I’m better, August,” she said more gently. “The doctors say I’m better. I feel better. I’m ready to do things again. That’s why I need to join now.”

Somewhere in the back of his mind, August realized just how hard it must have been for his mom to have to come to him for money. And to tell him the truth. After all, she certainly didn’t owe him any explanations.

Picking up the pen again, he said, “Is three thousand enough?”

“It’s enough.”

August pretended he didn’t notice that her eyes were shining. That she looked…happy. Signing the check, he handed it to her. “Will you be mad if I asked you to be careful?”

Her eyes softened and she stood, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’d be sad if you didn’t care. Thank you, dear.”

When he was alone again, August picked up the phone and started dialing Evie’s phone number. Obviously it was time to take some risks.

Chapter Seven

Jenna looked her mother up and down, paused to consider the invitation, then very carefully shook her head. “I don’t wanna go.”

It was a losing battle, but Evie braced herself to try again. She wanted to go on the cruise with August, but she could admit that she was chicken enough to need reinforcements. “Jenna, if you don’t go, you’ll wish you did.”

Jenna gave her a look that suggested she seriously doubted that. “What about Missy?”

“Missy’s too little to go on a boat, you know that.”

Hugging Neena tightly, Jenna scooted closer to the television remote. “I don’t wanna go, Momma. Me and Neena like staying here.”

“All right.” In spite of herself, Evie couldn’t help but admire her eldest daughter’s steadfastness. Actually, Evie wished she could borrow a little of that quality for herself. Ever since her phone conversation that morning with August, she’d gone through the gamut of emotions. Surprise that August asked her out, happiness that she could still get a date. Then, of course, pure fright set in.

Evie didn’t know how to date anymore. In her mind, dating was what she’d done in college. Those dates had involved bars and clubs, fraternity parties and walks on campus. It was fast-food restaurants and cheap movies.

She was pretty sure August knew how to date. She was fairly sure there was some dating ritual all current singles employed. They knew whether to open their car door or not. Whether to buy drinks or wait to be served. Knew the classy, happening clubs, listened to bands that didn’t cater to toddlers and wore the right shoes.

All Evie had been into lately was strawberry Quik, Kids Bop and a sturdy pair of Clarks.

Even though the battle was over and Jenna had come out victorious, Evie tried one last time. “I bet we’ll see lots of pretty fish.”

“Grandma’s taking me to the aquarium tomorrow,” her daughter volleyed right back. “Remember?” There was that tone again, the one her daughter had mastered mere months after learning to talk. Authoritative. Sure. Borderline bossy.

Desperation set in. If she didn’t have Jenna as a buffer, Evie was going to have to deal with this cruise as an actual date. Even though she knew it was a lost cause, she started thinking bribery might be in order. “What if—”

“Evie, honey, stop.”

In unison, Evie and her daughter turned to Jan in surprise.

“I didn’t see you there,” Evie mumbled.

“Obviously not.” Pointing to the kitchen table, her mother said, “Come sit down for a second, dear.”

As obediently as when she was ten, Evie crossed the living room and sat down at the kitchen table next to her mom. Jenna watched her with a glint of satisfaction, then clicked on the remote, smiled when she saw Dora the Explorer was on and went back to playing with Neena.

After opening the Tupperware cabinet for Missy, Jan pressed her hands on her thighs. “Here’s the deal, Ev. Jenna and Missy don’t want to go sit on a boat. I can’t say I blame them, either. Boats and children really don’t mix. They’re going to want to get off after twenty minutes and that won’t be an option.”

“Jenna might really enjoy it.”

Her mother laughed. “Jenna might really enjoy having pizza for dinner. She might really enjoy making a new dress for her doll. She will not enjoy a cruise.” Leveling a look at Evie, Jan said softly, “You know I’m right.”

She knew. Her mother was absolutely right. But that didn’t mean she had to give in gracefully. “Maybe.”

“You’re a good mother, and therefore you know what I mean when I tell you that all good mothers need to pick their battles. You could force your eldest to go, but I think you’d regret it. Jenna in a power play isn’t pretty.”

No. No, she wasn’t. Jenna in full battle mode was pretty much a remake of The War of the Worlds, complete with chaos, destruction and unceasing screeching at high decibels. It wasn’t for the faint of heart. “I guess you may have a point.”

Jan didn’t even try to not look smug. “I know I do.”

All this maternal advice was wearing Evie out. It had been a long time since she’d had a heart-to-heart with her mother about anything, never mind raising her girls.

And all this advice made Evie uneasy—didn’t her mother realize she made decisions regarding her daughters all the time?

Unable to sit still for a moment longer, Evie hopped up from her chair. “I’ll go ahead and call August to tell him no, then.”

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