Evie batted the thought away. She wouldn’t be able to keep the news from her family forever, but the idea of telling her mother about the breakup, quitting the practice, and all the other drama of the past few days made her head hurt.
“Okay, Waffles, give me ten minutes,” Evie said after getting him settled on the sunporch. “And don’t pee on the rug.”
She returned to her mother’s office to find her back at the computer.
“One minute,” Constance said before Evie could speak. She spent another five seconds typing into the computer, thenswiveled in the chair and folded her hands atop the desk. “I would like you to come over to the house this coming weekend. The event planner, Tami, will be here to present her vision for the anniversary party, and I would like your input.”
This again.
Her parents could barely stomach eating nightly meals together, yet her mother insisted on throwing this elaborate party to celebrate their fortieth wedding anniversary.
“I’ll have to look at my schedule,” Evie said. Her mother’s right brow arched. Evie suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. “But I’m sure I can be here,” she said.
Make no mistake about it, Constance Williamsalwaysgot her way in the end.
“I am not asking you to visit a torture chamber, Evelina.”
“You sure about that?” Evie said.
Her mother gave her that same look she had been giving her since she turned thirteen. She should have learned by now to whisper the backhanded comments under her breath, but no.
“You did not make me suffer through bridge traffic just to tell me that you want me to be here when the decorator comes over, did you?” Evie asked.
“I guess visiting your mother isn’t enough of a reason,” Constance said as she stood from behind the desk. She walked over to the built-in shelves on either side of the picture window that looked out onto the front lawn and pulled something from behind the display copy of the book on women’s heart health she’d co-authored years ago.
Evie frowned when her mother placed a small velvet drawstring bag in her palm.
“What’s this?” she asked.
“I found it while going through some things in my closet yesterday.”
Evie pulled the bag open and gasped. She shook out the piece of costume jewelry she had not seen in years.
“Grandma’s brooch! Where did you find it?”
She’d coveted the frog with blue stones for eyes when she was a little girl.
“It was in a small box of her things. I debated whether I should even give it to you. You’re already too much like your grandmother.”
A firecracker. That’s what her grandmother used to call Evie when she was younger. She, too, used to say that Evie was just like her.
Evie wrapped her arms around her mother.
“Thank you, Mommy.”
Constance’s brow arched. “Oh, now it’s Mommy?”
“When you give me an amazing surprise like this? Yes! Here.” Evie jutted out the left side of her chest. “Pin it on me.”
Constance’s lips twisted with irritated amusement as she opened the clasp on the brooch. “Don’t forget to remind Cameron that the theme for the anniversary party is red. I want to make sure everyone is coordinated.”
Great. Way to kill her happy mood.
She would probably regret this, but Evie decided to rip off the Band-Aid.
“Cam won’t be able to make it to your party,” she said.
Her mother’s forehead creased in affront. “He’s known about the party for months. Why would he make other plans?”
