“No?” Why’d it come out as a question? “Nothing’s changed, it’s just that he’s in this too.”
Dad’s eyes filled with respect. “Let me know what you two want to do.”
“Yeah, sure. I’ll talk to him.”
Evander wandered into the shop, scratching the back of his neck. He was heading for the food before he saw Violet and veered toward his wife. A shot of envy entered my veins.
Divorce papers. Easy peasy.
Violet smiled and giggled in a way I’d never heard her do in our entire lives—until she met Evander. Hearts were in her damn eyes.
I looked out the shop doors. At the same moment, Van glanced over from the crowd of guys. The corner of his mouth tipped up, and he popped a brow like he was asking if I was okay.
I gave him a small nod, but I wasn’t okay. A divorce shouldn’t be easier than a marriage, even a pretend one.
Van
* * *
Every time there was a lull in activity, I sought out Clover no matter where I was standing. Most of the time, she was surrounded by sisters, or sisters-in-law, or some of the grandmas who were here. Sometimes she played with the kids. I could pick out her nieces and nephews, but I had to work to remember what other kids went with other couples.
Trailers were filled with pumpkins, and Clover was standing next to one, admiring all the orange fruit—vegetable?—inside. A smile lit her face when Laila ran to her. She bent down and talked with the girl; they admired a pumpkin, then Laila ran off.
Clover laughed and straightened, her expression delighted to be surrounded by metric tons of pumpkins.
“Did you get one picked out?” Jasper asked, walking toward me. His arms were full of two different-sized pumpkins.
“I don’t think I have a use for them.”
He gave me a no excuses look. “We all take a pumpkin. It kinda makes you feel like a kid again.”
Hadn’t I just been talking to Clover about that sensation? This was just another moment I got to experience that I hadn’t gotten as a kid. Another fun activity we could do together.
“You carve them?”
“I’ll carve twelve if I can.”
I hadn’t carved a jack-o-lantern in years, and to hell with it. It sounded fun. Would Clover think so? “Does Clover carve them?”
“She used to when we were kids. Don’t know if Douche Nozzle would’ve ever let her. No offense.”
None taken. “I’ve called him worse.”
Jasper started walking backward toward the line of parked cars. “If you come up with any inventive names for me, share them.”
“Will do.”
Clover was alone by another trailer of pumpkins. Her gaze strayed to Poppy and Jensen laughing with Auggie, then to Lily and Eliot. Eliot had one of the kids on his shoulders. Violet was under Evander’s arm as they chatted with some of his cousins. Clover’s smile stayed in place, but her gaze dropped. Then her light began to fade, like it was starkly obvious that she was alone.
But she wasn’t. Not yet. I jogged to join her at the trailer. “I was told I have to choose one.”
Her eyes sparkled as soon as she popped her head up. “Evander and Violet are trying to get us to take five.” She clapped her hands. “Aren’t they gorgeous? All this color when the world around us is getting brown?”
My heart swelled at her enthusiasm. Damn, she was cute. “Yeah. Want help? I haven’t carved one in forever.”
“I haven’t either. Are you up for ten?”
I’d make sure I was. “Absolutely.”
