Molly huffed, because they all knew—even Molly—that if she’d been given two, she’d probably have used both.
Evelyn pulled open the bow on the bag and pulled out a sample bottle. “I just love mint.”
“I’ve never tried that one,” Rachel said as Evelyn opened the bottle to give a good sniff. “I got lavender. It’s my favorite.”
And, come to think of it, nearly every time she got a sample from Kaiya it came with a lavender bottle. She glanced to where Kaiya was helping her daughter across the monkey bars. Huh.
“Oh, lavender is my favorite, too.” Evelyn held out the mint bottle and did a quick swap to try the other.
Rachel gave the mint a go and…oh, it was lovely. Not lavender lovely, but still nice.
“Skin care samples, toaster tarts, margaritas, and friends,” Molly said on a sigh. “The perfect Sunday morning.”
Evelyn popped the entire lid off her cup and peered inside. “I didn’t know margaritas would taste so good this early in the day.”
“Travis made them,” Molly-the-freaking-traitor announced without giving any thought to present company.
“Travis brought you drinks?” Evelyn eyed Molly, clearly surprised. “I didn’t realize you two were close.” That last part held a subtle note of concern.
Shit.
Molly’s eyes widened at Evelyn’s tone. Evelyn’s not-sure-I-like-this mama-bear tone. Rachel had a similar version she used when Brady had brought a frog to live in their shower and neglected to mention it to her until she went to clean the shower and found a giant bullfrog lapping up water from the drain plug.
“No, not me…” Molly nibbled at the side of her lip. “He didn’t bring them to me. We’re…um…only friends.”
Crap. Rachel rubbed at her hairline.
Evelyn’s gaze traveled around the circle of women, taking stock of who else might have been Travis’s mysterious margarita mama.
Sadie raised her eyebrows at Rachel.
“He made them for me,” Rachel said, to end Evelyn’s awkward perusal. “Last night he brought them over, since the party was kind of rough, and the sign on the door mentioned them.”
Well, that didn’t quite sound right, either. April started to speak. “What she means is?—”
“Travis isn’t good for you.” Balancing the baby in one arm, Evelyn grabbed Rachel’s other hand and squeezed. “He shouldn’t be bringing you drinks. That’s not entirely appropriate, is it, now?”
“It’s really nothing.” Rachel studied her tumbler. Why did she feel like she’d been hauled into the discipline office at work? “I mean, it’s not nothing because it was really nice of him. It’s just not what you’re thinking…”
Evelyn’s expression darkened as Rachel spoke. She looked practically fit to be tied.
Molly sidled up next to Evelyn. “Travis was being kind to Rachel only because she was having a bad day.”
“You have to know,” Evelyn said, her tone more serious than Rachel had ever heard it, “Travis and Gavin have always had a bit of a rivalry.”
Yes, Rachel was aware of this. Gavin had been clear about his frustrations with his brother. He hadn’t been a jerk with his remarks, but there was always an undercurrent of discontent there. It didn’t help that Travis sometimes didn’t show up to work and left Gavin taking up the slack.
“They always tried for the same things. Wanted the same things.” Evelyn situated herself so she leaned toward Rachel. “You don’t want to get tangled up in that.”
“Of course I don’t,” Rachel assured her. “We shouldn’t even be having this conversation because it wasn’t what you’re thinking it was.”
“Do you think my intuition is faulty?” Evelyn asked, apparently turning on the full mother-in-law effect.
“That’s not what she’s saying,” Sadie chimed in, and thank goodness she was all fired up to go attorney on the situation. “She’s simply explaining that Travis brought them to her only to be friendly. As a member of the same family. He didn’t bring them to her so she’d get all liquored up and take off her top.”
Rachel’s mouth dropped like Molly’s did when she was trying to be comical. Rachel was not, however, going for comedy. “Sadie…”
“I assure you, she didn’t take off her top,” April said, trying to be helpful, Rachel was certain, but her friends needed to stop talking about her taking off her clothing.
