She collapsed back on the bed and huffed out a breath. It was probably Posy, impatient for Evie to spill the tea on her triple dinner date.
Which reminded her…
Looking around, there was no sign of any of the three men who had rocked her world last night. It was probably a good thing. Hadn’t she promised herself to only steal that one perfect night?
Except why, then, did she feel so damn disappointed?
The hammering continued, growing more insistent. Evie groaned and dragged herself out of bed, fumbling for her robe. Her head - and several other parts of her body - throbbed, a reminder of last night's indulgences. As she stumbled towards the door, a familiar voice cut through her fog.
"Evie! Open up! It's Adrian."
Her ex-husband's tone sent a jolt of adrenaline through her system. What in the name of Christmas cake was he doing here? And why did he sound so angry?
She yanked open the door, squinting against the harsh glare of morning light on the sprinkling of newly fallen snow. There stood Adrian, his face twisted in annoyance, with Brandi clinging to his arm, and Ollie gleefully kicking around snow in the background.
"Mommy!" her baby cried, launching himself at her.
Evie scooped him up, her heart swelling even as confusion clouded her mind. "Baby, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be on vacation with Daddy."
Adrian's scowl deepened. "Yeah, well, change of plans. Your son was too much for Brandi to handle. He’s done nothing but play up.”
Anger flared in Evie's chest, warring with the joy of having her little boy back for Christmas when she’d expected to be without him. She hugged Ollie tighter, breathing in his familiar scent and allowing it to calm her.
"What do you mean, 'too much to handle'?" Evie asked, her voice sharp. "He's five years old, not a wild animal, and he’s never been difficult in his life!"
Adrian opened his mouth to reply, but before he could, a deep voice called from inside the house.
"Everything okay, Evie?"
Gabe appeared behind her, looking fresh and dressed in jeans and a cashmere sweater, meaning he must have gone home to change and used the back entrance, which was side by side with the rear door of the hotel. Evie's heart skipped a beat at the sight of him, memories of the previous night flooding back.
Despite Evie’s reticence, Gabe had no qualms in coming and planting a scorching kiss on her lips, momentarily shorting herbrain. He held up an insulated travel mug. “Shepherd sent your favorite morning coffee,” he said mildly.
Evie’s mind whirled, and she glared at him. They hadn’t discussed this, and her son was right here!
Brandi looked between Gabe and Evie in disbelief, but it was Adrian whose eyes widened, then narrowed dangerously. "What the hell is going on here?" he demanded, his gaze flicking between the two of them.
Wait one goddamn minute! Evie felt her cheeks flush. She might be irritated with Gabriel for moving too fast, but no way did her ex-husband get a say in anything she did. She set Ollie down gently, giving him a quick kiss on the forehead. "Baby, why don't you go inside and say hi to Gabe? Mommy needs to talk to Daddy for a minute."
As Ollie scampered past her, Evie squared her shoulders.
“Honestly, Eve, do you really think this is appropriate?” Adrian spat. He didn't even try to lower his voice.
He shot a look at Gabe’s retreating back, then at Evie’s robe, his expression condemning her, even while Brandi was still looped around Adrian’s arm like a human designer bag.
Evie was suddenly hyper-aware of her tangled hair and the faint scent of sugar cookies and sex clinging to her robe. She could practically hear Iris, Marigold and Bee prepping a fresh batch of town speculation. But she squared her shoulders, refusing to let Adrian’s judgment settle in her bones.
This was the man who’d left her because saving fifteen minutes on his commute was more important than his wife and child. The one who'd promptly taken up with another woman before he’d even moved all his belongings out of their small apartment.
But Adrian was in for a shock. Evie was no longer the good little wife who ceded to his every dictate and settled for less thanshe wanted in a vain effort to save up for a future she never got to enjoy.
Standing tall and wrapping a cloak of composure and serenity around her, she said, “I’m not sure what’s inappropriate about two single people having coffee, but either way, it has nothing to do with you.”
“It has when my son’s involved,” Adrian hissed.
Evie folded her arms across her ample chest. “You mean the son you just took on holiday with your new girlfriend - the one who ‘couldn’t cope with him’, so you brought him home early?”
Completely oblivious, Brandi bobbed her head like a nodding Santa figure.
