Elsie’s entire back went ramrod straight, and she didn’t turn around to face Hope. Instead, she leaned over the large pot of soup that she’d made for the crew that day, seemingly happy to just have someone to cook for again.
“People just don’t like it here,” Elsie finally said, setting the ladle to the side. “The soup should be done soon when the crew is ready for a break.”
“I’m sure they’ll love some good home-cooked food.” Hope stood up straight, trying to figure out the best way that she could approach whateverthatwas. “But I’m surprised by the lack of business, especially with food that tastes so good.”
Elsie tensed again.
“You do realize that we can’t help you if we don’t know everything.” Hope crossed her arms, taking a bit of a harder stance than she typically would.
“Ronan got into some trouble before, that’s all. The townsfolk tend to steer people away from here.”
Hope hummed her understanding. She was curious just what that trouble could have been, but Elsie didn’t seem like someone who would take kindly to the prying. Perhaps Angelica had managed to get it out of Ronan already.
“I’m going to let the crew know that lunch is ready.”
“Sure.” Elsie tossed a smile over her shoulder at Hope, seemingly relaxed now that she knew the conversation wasn’t going to continue.
Hope left the kitchen and headed out into the dining room, telling the crew she saw along the way that the soup would be ready in a few minutes. She would have to make something else for Angelica, and she might as well cook something up for the both of them while she was at it, since Angelica was decidedly allergic to half of what Elsie had put into that soup.
Crossing her arms, she stepped into the small conference area and stopped short. Angelica was staring at the iPad in front of her, squinting at it, a scowl on her face. Eva sat next to her, an iPad of her own in front of her with math homework on the screen. Of course Eva would find Angelica to get some of that work done while she could.
“Are you and Mom dating?” Eva’s voice rang through the quiet room.
Angelica jerked suddenly. Hope tensed, everything in her body telling her to step in and stop the conversation while she was ahead, but she couldn’t force her feet to move. She couldn’t drag her body forward and do something—anything.
“Why would you ask that?” Angelica said, her tone a whole lot softer than Hope had expected it to be. Perhaps it was her familiarity with Eva now compared to when they’d first met all those years ago, or perhaps it was because she understood just how delicate a situation this was.
“All the people outside with the cameras are asking if you are.” Eva clicked another answer on her math work.
“Have they asked you directly?” Angelica asked, flicking her gaze up and meeting Hope’s as she stood in the doorway.
Hope put her hand out to indicate that she wasn’t planning on stepping in immediately. Eva might just tell Angelica more than she’d tell Hope, and right now, that’d work to everyone’s advantage.
“No, but that’s what they’re saying.” Eva pursed her lips together and frowned, looking directly at Angelica. “So are you?”
Angelica flicked her gaze up to Hope, begging for assistance in this conversation.
Stepping into the room, Hope shut the door behind her and squatted down next to Eva’s chair. “Would it upset you if we were in a relationship?”
Eva shook her head. “No, I like Ange.”
“I like her too.” Hope’s lips pulled tight as she forced a smile onto them. She hated that she was, but this conversation with Eva also made her incredibly nervous. She’d had such a turnover of her life in the last two years, and while she was resilient in so many ways, change was always a struggle for her. “Ange and I have been getting to know each other even more in the last year,since we filmed last season. Remember? She’s been over at the house a lot more.”
Eva frowned. “Not really.”
Hope’s stomach dropped. Most of the time that Angelica had spent at the house had been when Eva wasn’t there. To try and protect her—at least that had been the reason they’d come up with at the time. And now, Hope really regretted that choice. Eva didn’t know Angelica as well as she’d thought, which meant they were going to have to start spending time together in a different way than they had before.
“So you’re girlfriend and girlfriend?” Eva asked, looking from Hope to Angelica.
“Yeah,” Hope said, nodding. “We are.”
The silence in the room was nearly deafening, and all Hope could hear was her heart pounding loudly.
“I didn’t know you liked girls.” Eva wrinkled her nose slightly.
Hope shook her head, keeping her gaze locked on her daughter’s face. “I didn’t know I did either until a few years ago.”
“Did you figure it out when you met Ange?” Eva asked.
