Evie waited until they were home and settled before she visited with a large basket full of diapers, wipes, receiving blankets, and other items that new parents go through quickly. While she was there, she noticed they were struggling to keep up with the housework and the new baby, and they looked exhausted, so she offered to make them dinner while Lana napped and used the opportunity to tidy the kitchen while she cooked.
She was chopping onions and garlic for spaghetti sauce when Cole walked in and offered to help.
“I’ve got it,” she smiled at him over her shoulder as she flattened a clove of garlic with the side of her knife blade. “But you’re welcome to sit and talk with me.”
“It already smells amazing in here.” He sat on the other side of the island. “I can’t thank you enough for this. Lana can’t move around very much, so I’m trying to keep up with everything while she heals, but neither of us is getting much sleep.” He rubbed his eyes with his palms. “Lana’s mom wassupposed to come help out, but her sister warned her that when she came to help her after her first baby, she didn’t do anything but hold the baby while Kristan did all the cooking and cleaning.”
“So, when Lana told her that she wouldn’t be doing that here, she decided not to come.” He scoffed, his annoyance with Lana’s mother clear in his expression.
“Seriously?” Evie frowned as she dumped the garlic and onion into the pan with some butter. “She decided not to come see her grandson because she would be expected to help out?”
“Lana’s mother is… special,” Cole explained slowly. “She was one of the first female jockeys in the US and continued as a trainer after she retired. When Lana was in high school, she was kicked in the head, which resulted in a month-long coma. She came out of it with a significant change in her personality. She kind of acts like a spoiled child, the type who takes her toys and goes home if she doesn’t get her way.”
“Oh,” Evie said softly, feeling terrible for Lana to have gone through that. “That’s awful.”
“When she’s having a good day, she’s fantastic. Warm, funny, very gracious. But her mood can flip on a dime, and she takes things very personally now.” Cole shifted, rolling his neck and shoulders. “So when Lana made it clear she wasn’t going to come here and sit on her ass with the baby in her arms for six weeks, she took it as a personal attack.”
“Too bad, she’s missing out on her grandson’s first weeks.” Evie stirred the ground beef into the onions and garlic. “What about your parents?”
“Well, because Lana’s mom was supposed to be here for six weeks, my parents were planning to come when she left. They didn’t want to overwhelm us, and my dad is very blunt and canbe abrasive, so mixing him and Lana’s mother is like throwing a match into a powder keg. Ka-boom!” He threw his arms up with a grin. “Which I normally find hilarious, but with Lana recovering…” He shrugged. “It didn’t seem like a good idea.”
“Anyway, I called and asked if they could come early, but when they found out Lana’s mom was coming for the first six weeks, they booked a thirty-five-day cruise around Australia and New Zealand. It’s non-refundable, and they would have lost a lot of money, so I told them to go ahead, we could manage.”
“You know, I have some vacation time I have to use before the end of June.” Evie turned to face him, excited as the idea hit her. “I could come help out for a while if you’d like.”
“Evie, sweetie, I can’t ask you to use your vacation time to come cook and clean for us.” He shook his head, looking at her like she had lost her mind. “Especially after the last few months you’ve had. You should go on a trip or take up a new hobby. Something fun.”
“Thorn is taking me to the Bronx Zoo on Sunday to see the new tiger cubs, then he’s going undercover for six weeks or longer.” Evie shrugged, filling a large pot with water for the pasta. “I don’t have anyone else I’d go away with, and I’m not comfortable travelling alone. As for a new hobby, my current hobbies already take up all my free time.”
She set the pot on the burner, turned it on, and added salt to the water. “Honestly, I’d love to come help out. You can focus on Lana and Colton, Lana can focus on healing, and I’ll feel like I’m doing something worthwhile.”
“Are you sure?” He was only double-checking out of politeness, and she nodded, smiling.
“Absolutely. I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t want to.”
“Well…” He ran his hand through his sandy brown hair. “If you’re sure, I don’t think I can turn you down.” He looked toward the dining table covered in boxes and baby items. “Actually, I’m pretty sure Lana would murder me in my sleep if I did.”
Evie giggled. “Then I’ll let Nissa know I’m taking my vacation time and I’ll see you bright and early Monday morning with breakfast.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Birthday Clause
When she was asked what she wanted to do for her birthday, Evie explained she didn’t want to celebrate. While she was feeling much better than she had over the last few months, she still didn’t feel up to a party, cake, or even presents, preferring to ignore it altogether. There was a little pushback, but she held firm, telling everyone in no uncertain terms that, while she appreciated their wanting to celebrate her, she didn’t want to be celebrated. They eventually dropped it when she warned them that if they tried to plan anything, she wouldn’t show up.
Her therapist was extremely proud of her for setting boundaries and holding them, going on about growth and stepping away from her people-pleasing tendencies. Evie had nodded along, but the truth was, the idea of being the center of attention for a full day made her feel sick with anxiety. The low-level anxiety that was almost constantly present was somethingshe knew she’d have to address with Dr. Monroe eventually, but she wasn’t ready to face the reasons for it yet.
So when Thorn approached her with the idea of spending the Sunday after her birthday at the zoo, she was suspicious that he was trying to make it a birthday thing in a sneaky way. For someone who refused to do anything for his own birthday, going so far as to keep the date from Evie for three years before accidentally letting it slip, he was usually the most insistent on celebrating hers.
“As long as you swear this isn’t about celebrating my birthday, I’ll consider it.” She narrowed her eyes at him as he filled the doorway to her office.
He held up his hand in supplication as he came in and sat down. “Cross my heart.” He drew an X on his chest with a smile, then passed her his phone.
She looked down and saw an article about twin Amur tiger cubs born at the Bronx Zoo, who had made their debut in the exhibit the week before. “I know you love all things big cat related, so I thought you would enjoy a chance to see them. It has to be this weekend because I am leaving for at least six weeks next Friday,” he explained. “It is a coincidence that it is close to your birthday, I promise.”
Evie felt a shiver of fear run up her spine. What did he want to talk to her about that he didn’t want to say where someone might overhear them? Was he planning to leave? The panic must have shown on her face because Thorn’s smile faded, his expression turning pensive and mildly concerned.
“It is not bad,” he reassured her gently. “I have something personal to tell you and want your opinion before I make a final decision, and I would rather do it away from where someone might overhear.”
“Just tell me you aren’t thinking of leaving.” She watched his face closely, searching for any subtle sign of discomfort or guilt, but all she saw was surprise. His eyebrows went up, and he quickly shook his head.
