“You good, Maeve?” Ren asked, sipping on her lemonade. “You know, your Zoey can get through a Cookies and Cream Dream faster than I’ve ever seen anyone.”
Maeve laughed. “She’ll be very proud of that fact.”
Ren winked and went back to insisting that Noah start grilling.
Bella came out with the steaks and when he saw her, Logan jogged over to help, then Martha took over and told Bella that she should give Maeve a tour of the place. Over in the paddock, Emmett was helping Zoey up on one of the horses while Brodie stayed guard.
This was her daughter with her grandparents, Maeve thought, with a pang of regret that it hadn’t happened sooner.
Bella picked up her glass and gestured for Maeve to walk with her. They strolled down one of the paths on the property, this one led to a small stream with a bridge.
Once they were out of earshot, Bella said, “So, how are you doing?”
While Maeve and Bella had vaguely known each other from school, they had become friends through Bella’s mom, Heather, who was a nurse at the hospital. They often carpooled because Maeve lived next door to the orchard and had become friends with Bella as a result.
Maeve took a sip of lemonade, the ice clinking. “I’m okay.”
Bella raised a brow like she knew she was lying.
“I am,” Maeve insisted. “It’s all a bit weird, but in a good way, for Zoey.” She nodded toward where a horse was being slowly led round the paddock by Emmett. “He seems taken with her.”
Bella agreed. “I think Emmett can be quite a softie underneath it all.”
It was a warm day, white clouds drifting lazily on the pale blue sky. Bella stopped walking for a second to tie up her hair, then she looked at Maeve and said, “And what about Brodie?”
Maeve narrowed her eyes, she could see the sparkle in Bella’s expression. “What about Brodie?”
Bella shrugged and they kept walking, but when Maeve glanced sideways, she saw Bella was watching her. She looked the picture of innocence in her crisp white T-shirt, pale blue jeans and sandals, but Maeve recognized the shrewdness behind her eyes.
Maeve sighed. “Honestly, nothing’s happening between us. Of course there isn’t, we’ve gotta focus on Zoey, but?—”
“But?” They’d stopped on the little bridge and Bella turned and leaned against it.
Maeve leaned against the other side of the bridge. “But sometimes it feels like there’s something there. Then, as soon as I say that, I think, every woman Brodie meets must say that.”
Bella laughed.
Maeve widened her eyes. “See, no one bothers denying it!”
Bella scuffed the bridge slats with her sandal. “What if it was different with you and him? He’s older now, maybe he’s ready for a change?”
“You think he’s bored of gorgeous supermodels?” Maeve asked wryly.
Bella shrugged. “You’re gorgeous.”
“I am not!” Maeve waved away the compliment, embarrassed. “It’s silly, I don’t know why I’m even talking about it. It would never work.”
“It might work.”
Maeve looked down at the ice cubes and lemon in her drink. “And what if it didn’t? What if it all went wrong? Then what? It’s bad for Zoey. Bad for me. And we’re back where we started.”
“Not entirely,” Bella replied, hoisting herself up so she was sitting on the side of the bridge. “He’d still be her dad.”
Maeve raised her brows in question.
“You don’t trust him to stick around if things went wrong?”
“He hasn’t exactly got the best track record.”
