“But haven’t been here for the aftermath,” Bev said, finishing my thought.
I hummed, letting my silence confirm the unspoken answer.
“You always want more for your children than you had for yourself. When my husband died, Mark—our youngest—was only in middle school and Maverick—our oldest—was about to graduate high school. I was so thankful Maverick stayed close. It took a lot to keep my boys together after Martin passed. Butnow, looking back, I wish I had pushed them to leave the nest and see the world. I know it seems tough to be by yourself right now, but you’ll have your time to shine soon enough.”
Bev propped one hand on the grass and stood, brushing the bright green blades off her white denim jeans. Port growled her annoyance at another nap disruption before playfully nipping her brother’s tail to wake him up. Tito launched himself from his curled-up position, yipping twice before running as fast as his legs could carry him back to Bev’s yard.
“That’s my cue, sweetness. Feel free to come over and play with the puppies anytime. I can show you the rest of my tea towel collection.”
I chuckled, curious but scared as I imagined the other sayings she might have on her towels. If it were anything like the dick-shaped bushes andtwatermelonone she had slung over her shoulder, it would at least be hilarious.
I stood with a groan, wiping the grass away that had stuck to my still wet leggings. “I might take you up on that. I’ll have to at least bring the Pyrex back from those delicious cinnamon rolls you sent over.”
“Oh, take your time on that. There’s a new recipe I want to try. I’ll have Maverick drop it by sometime soon. He mentioned that TriVolt will be helping you and Cam make his condo more…”
“User friendly?”
“Exactly,” she said, snapping her fingers. “My boys will get his place fixed up right. They did a great job with mine.”
“I’m very grateful for the help.”
“Don’t be too grateful yet. Maverick can be a bear of a man until he warms up to you.”
I tilted my head and furrowed my brows as Bev sighed and shook her head, staring beyond her yard and over the large pond that bordered the community clubhouse. “I do hope he’ll warm up quickly.”
“Doubt it,” I said, putting my hands on my hips. “I’m not exactly Miss Personality these days. He doesn’t have to make any effort with me as long as he helps Dad.”
“Pity.”
“Why’s that?”
“It’s just, you two would probably hit it off if you gave it half a chance.”
“No shaved legs, remember? Why don’t we focus on him perhaps saying more than five words to me next time?”
“Ha. Good for you. Keep him on his toes. Do that with all my boys, would you? Oh, and before I forget. I’m hosting a Girls’ Brunch on Saturday at ten. Bring a dish to share, mimosas and Bloody Marys provided. You can vent about your shitty ex-husband and the spawn his recent infatuation is carrying to your heart’s content.”
“I’m not sure how to respond to that, Bev,” I said, feeling awkward that I’d shared so much with her. “But I do have an awesome recipe for Bloody Mary mix I’ve been itching to try.”
Not that her comments weren’t the bright spot in my day, but the last thing I wanted was to share my less-than-stellar situation with other people. Plus, I still had the ever-looming inheritance paperwork drawn up and awaiting my review.
“Well, there you go. I’m sure it’s better than the store-bought stuff I was planning to pick up. It must be a sign, so don’t think on it for a second, honey. It’s time to welcome you into the fold. Remind me to tell you about my poached egg disaster sometime. I can’t wait for you to meet my daughters-in-law. Plus, it will do you good to get out of that house for a while. Just bring your smile, that mix, and something tasty to eat, okay?”
“I’m looking forward to it. But just so you know, my cooking skills fall somewhere between undercooked water-park chicken fingers and toddlers who force you to eat Play-Doh spaghetti while pretending it’s gourmet cuisine.”
“Then you’ll fit right in. I think the last time I asked Jenna to cook something other than a crockpot dish, she declined, saying even her foster puppies refused to eat her food.”
“Then I’ll definitely be in good company.”
“Absolutely.”
I nodded, hoping my grin seemed genuine. Bev patted my arm as we strolled back to her yard, and I watched her corral her puppies back up her porch steps and inside.
Chapter 5
“Mom’s neighbor needswork done on his house,” I said, pushing my black, wire-framed glasses up further on my face and tearing my eyes away from an annoying spreadsheet that refused to balance.
The downside of my office at TriVolt was its glass wall, exposing me to constant interruptions from the receptionist’s desk and the newly renovated showroom.
