“Now, don’t freak out like your dad. Everything will be just fine. Morgan and that boy have been working on things all day.”
My brows push up into my hair. That boy?
Ava stands and begins to pace in front of the chairs. “All day?”
“Evelyn left last night. She didn’t feel well.”
“Last night?” Ava rakes through her spa-fresh hair. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because of this right here. I didn’t want any drama.” Someone starts talking to Fran in the background. “I have to go, honey. We’ll talk more in a bit.”
The call ends.
There’s silence except for the wind and birdcalls. Ava’s frozen, clutching her phone. “Is she serious? Have you been working all day?”
Morgan nods. “But it’s okay. I wanted to help.”
Ava shoves her phone into her back pocket. “Wait. Is this why you didn’t go on the boat?”
“Maaay–be?”
Ava palms her cheeks. “I’m so sorry. I can’t believe this. I can’t believe she put you to work without even telling me.” She spins to me. “And you too!”
Morgan stands. “Your mom asked me to do it. Will volunteered to help me.”
Hudson gives me a knowing smirk. “Nice.”
“Not the time, Hudson,” Ava snaps, pacing again.
“And Evelyn didn’t abandon you.” Standing, I brush debris off my blue-stained shorts. “She left in an ambulance last night.”
We fill her in. Then she insists on hearing how we became Fran’s minions.
When we finish, she grips each of our shoulders. “I'm so sorry. But don’t worry. Hudson and I are going to help now. You won’t have to be stuck together anymore.”
That doesn’t sit as well as it should. Sure, it’ll be nice to have help with the never-ending list. Still, it grates to think of someone actively preventing me from beingstuckwith Morgan.
As I try to gauge her reaction, she just smiles and nods. Is she… relieved? That doesn’t sit well, either.
“Thanks, Ava,” she says. “And I didn’t mind. I want your big day to be perfect.”
Ava seems near tears now, so Hudson rubs his hands together. “Okay, I’ll tell Matt the bocce ball tournament is off. What do we need to do first?”
“Sounds like the pavilion needs work. Maybe we finish that first?” Ava says.
He nods. “All right. Let’s get going.”
Ava grabs Morgan’s hand and tugs her away. “You can ride with me in the golf cart.”
They trot off.
Hudson twitches his fingers for the keys. “Guess you’re with me.”
I hand them over as Morgan and Ava drive away. Great. He’s watching me with a stupid I-see-what’s-happening-here smirk.
“What?”
“Oh, nothing. I am just thinking about how you and Morgan seem different since this morning. Something going on you want to share with your dear cousin?”
