The flicker of hope in her eyes killed something in me. She was itching for me to settle down and give her some grandbabies.
“It’s okay. I was on my way home from a SAR meeting anyway.”
“How did it go? How’s Nash?”
“Good on both counts. Maybe we can meet him for lunch one of these days.”
My mom smiled. “I’d love that. And have him bring Maddie. It’s been too long since I’ve seen that girl. I’m so happy those two finally got together. You need someone who keeps you on your toes like that.”
“Just haven’t found the right person yet,” I muttered, hating to lie to her.
She squeezed my hand. “You will. Just give it time.”
As she shifted, I caught sight of the dark circles under her eyes. “You doing okay?”
With every year that passed, my mother seemed more and more fragile. I’d thought she would get stronger with time, but it seemed to be having the opposite effect.
She nodded, forcing her smile brighter. “Just fine. I haven’t been sleeping great. I think I’ll call it an early night.”
“Okay. Call me if you need anything.”
“I will. Love you.”
I pulled her into a gentle hug. “Love you, too.”
As she disappeared up the stairs, I stayed frozen. How had we become this? A family so fractured we were ships passing in the night at best. I kept hoping things would change, but they never did.
I stalked out the front door, trying to leave behind the reminders of all our misery. And headed home, where I knew I’d be completely alone.
3
GRAE
Aspen smiled at Maddie as she slid an assortment of baked goods onto our table at The Brew. “You know, when you quit, I was worried I’d never see you.”
Maddie grinned as she popped a piece of a scone into her mouth. “With these goodies, you’ll never have to worry about that.”
Wren rested a hand on her belly, which was just starting to round. “I swear this kid is going to come out asking for orange-cranberry scones.”
Aspen chuckled. “We’ll have you covered if they do.”
A little red-haired girl that was the spitting image of Aspen popped out from behind her mom. “You’re gonna have a baby, Miss Wren?”
“I am. I’ve got some months to go, but they’ll be here before we know it.”
Cady started bouncing up and down. “I hope it’s a girl, and maybe she’ll want to do ballet with me. Charlie’s my best friend, but he doesn’t want to do ballet with me, and some of the other girls in my class are kinda mean. I need a ballet buddy.”
I leaned forward in my chair. “Who’s mean to you?”
She scrunched up her nose. “Heather Beasley’s the worst. She always says I’m not good and my tutus are ugly.”
Fury lit through me. “What the heck? That little—”
Maddie squeezed my arm, silently reminding me I was talking to a five-year-old.
“That’s not cool,” I adjusted.
Aspen crouched so she was eye-to-eye with her daughter. “And what does it mean when someone is unkind to us?”
Cady’s lips pressed together. “That they’ve got some sadness in them. It’s not about us.”
“That’s right. There’s something going on with her, and we should feel bad.”
Cady nodded, her expression serious. But as quickly as the look filled her face, it was gone. “Can I go help Zeke make the cookies?”
Aspen laughed and ruffled her daughter’s hair. “Sure. But only one spoonful of dough, or you’ll get a stomachache.”
“Okay!” Cady was already off.
“Promise?” Aspen called after her.
“Cross my heart!”
She sighed. “Kids are not for the faint of heart.”
“You are so good with her,” Maddie said. “Most kids wouldn’t be able to see the reason behind someone’s actions at that age.”
“I think someone needs to give ole Heather Beasley a swift kick in the booty,” I grumbled. “What’s wrong with people?”
Maddie chuckled. “She’s five. Are you going to take her on?”
“I’d like to at least threaten her a little.”
“Trust me, I’ve thought about it,” Aspen said. “She’s awful. And her mother’s even worse.”
Wren groaned. “Katelyn, right? She picked on Grae and me like crazy in middle school. And I’m pretty sure she tried to hook up with Holt in high school.”
I gaped at my best friend. “Are you serious?”
She nodded. “Holt’s given her a wide berth ever since.”
Aspen leaned against a chair. “I don’t think she’s changed much since then, so I’m taking Holt’s approach as much as I can.”
Wren squeezed her hand. “I hope I can be half the mom you are to this little one. You’re amazing.”
Aspen’s eyes glistened. “Thank you. Some days I wonder if I’m enough. It’s tough doing it alone.”
Maddie stood and wrapped her in a hug. “You’ve always got us. Whatever you need.”
Aspen took a shuddering breath. “Thank you. I swear I’m not usually this emotional. It’s just been a long week.”
“You need a girls’ night. Drop Cady with Lawson for a sleepover with Charlie, and we’ll do something fun.”
Maddie arched a brow at me. “The last time you called for a girls’ night, you got wasted, and I got cracked over the head with a tree limb.”
I winced. “Quiet girls’ night?”
Aspen laughed. “That sounds like a plan. I’ll let you know when I can get off for an evening.”
She headed back behind the cash register, and I turned to Maddie and Wren. “Has Aspen told you anything about Cady’s dad?”
They both shook their heads, and Maddie worried the corner of her lip. “I get the sense that he wasn’t a great guy, but she hasn’t opened up any more. I just hate that she hasn’t had help all these years.”
“I can’t imagine how hard it must be. But Cady’s amazing, and it’s because of Aspen,” Wren said.
I watched as Aspen smiled warmly at a customer, but she had shadows in her green eyes that told me her life hadn’t been easy.
“So…” Maddie began. “Caden certainly seemed to be needling you last night.”
I grimaced at the reminder, but Wren perked right up. “What was he doing?”
Maddie leaned back in her chair. “He’s like a little boy pulling G’s pigtails at recess.”
I snorted. “Hardly. He just gets extreme pleasure out of annoying the hell out of me and suggesting I make horrible life decisions.”
Wren frowned at that. “I’ve seen him tease you, but I’ve never seen him be mean.”
“It’s not mean, exactly.” It was as if Caden were assessing me every moment, certain I would screw something up. “It’s like he doubts me. I can’t explain it.”
Maddie nodded. “And that hurts because you two used to be so close.”