“Darling,I just don’t know if you’re going to have enough volunteers.”
Sky frowned at the list of names on the laptop screen that was angled so both she and her mother could see it. “What are you talking about? We have rotating shifts of people. A few from your church. A few from the doggy daycare. And Clara, Indie, Jesse and Aspen.” Or at least, she hoped she still had them, even though she wasn’t with Becket anymore.
Had he told his family? What had they said?
She shook her head. It didn’t matter. They’d barely been dating anyway.
The Tea House was quiet today, which worked for her. She hadn’t felt like staying at home but she needed to finish organizing this fundraiser. She’d actually moved this fundraiser forward because she needed something to keep her busy.
Home just felt too close to Becket at the moment. Even when he was out, she found her attention going to the windows far too often, waiting for him to get home.
She still wasn’t sure if she’d made the right decision breaking up with him, but every time she started to question herself, the image of Becket being hit by that car played in her mind. Of him at the hospital, that huge scrape across his stomach.
No, this was safer…even if it did break her heart.
Her mother frowned. “Wait…Becket’s not on the list.”
She’d been waiting for her mother to notice that. “No, he’s…busy.” Yeah, busy being separated from her. Would she actually need to tell him that his help was no longer required? Or would he just know that, since they weren’t dating, he shouldn’t come?
She’d have to tell him. Dammit.
Her mother straightened. “What on earth could be more important than supporting his partner during a fundraiser she’s organized?”
“It doesn’t matter. Can we get back to this? Do you think these time slots work for your church friends?”
“I’ll ask them, but I’m sure they’re fine. The council has approved you using the park and public water?”
She nodded. “It’s all taken care of.”
She’d originally planned to run the fundraiser at her doggy daycare, where she already had all the dog-washing equipment, but the fundraiser had grown to include food carts and coffee stalls, so they’d needed an outdoor space.
“Good.” Her mother frowned and angled her head, her gaze moving over Sky.
Oh, God. Her Mom only did that when she was trying to figure something out. And the only thing she could be trying to work out right now was—
“Something’s off with you today.”
“No, it isn’t.” She lifted her mug and took a big, burn-her-tongue sip.
“It is.” Her mother leaned closer. “What is it?”
“Nothing.”
“It involves Becket, doesn’t it?”
“Mom—”
“Don’tMomme. I gave you life. The least you can do is tell me when something’s wrong.”
Jesus. She hadn’t told her mother about Becket because she didn’t want to hear the “I told you so” that would inevitably follow.
Suddenly, her mother gasped. “You broke up, didn’t you?”
Shit.
“He’s not on the list to help,” her mother continued, putting the pieces together. “You haven’t mentioned him since you got here, and you’ve been in a terrible mood.”
“Yes, we broke up.”
