Chapter 11 Eve
EVE
Eve stood in front of the bathroom mirror, wrapped in a towel, her hair dripping water onto her shoulders. The hot shower had felt amazing, washing away the tension from the night before and the restless sleep that had followed.
She opened the door and stepped into her bedroom, then froze.
Lila sat cross-legged on her bed, the notepad from the nightstand open in her lap, her eyes bright with excitement.
“Lila,” Eve said, her voice coming out more sharply than she’d intended.
Lila looked up, completely unrepentant. “Aunt Eve, you’re investigating! You’re trying to find out about Mom’s past.”
Eve sighed and tightened the towel around herself. There was no point in hiding it now. Lila was far too bright for a sixteen-year-old, and the evidence was literally in her hands.
“Yes,” Eve admitted. “But your mother has no idea what I’m up to, and we need to keep it that way.”
“I want to help,” Lila said immediately.
“Lila—”
“Please,” Lila interrupted. “I’m good at this kind of thing. You know I am. And Mom is so focused on learning photography that she left me a note beside my bed when she left at around five this morning. She and Nolan are going somewhere on the outskirts of town to do a nature shoot.”
Eve blinked. “Five in the morning?”
“Sunrise photography,” Lila explained. “The golden hour or something.”
Eve felt a flutter of concern. “Why didn’t she mention it to me?”
“Because she probably thought you’d try to stop her,” Lila said matter-of-factly. Then her expression softened. “But we have to trust Mom. She’s an adult with amazing intuition. And besides, I have her on the friends and family tracker app.”
“You what?”
Lila grinned. “Here, look.” She grabbed Eve’s phone from the nightstand, typed in the passcode without hesitation, and pulled up an app Eve had never seen before.
“See? I put it on ages ago. Mom’s here.” She pointed to a dot on the map.
“Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve. It’s about twenty minutes north of here.
Nature preserve, hiking trails, tons of birds and wildlife. Perfect for nature photography.”
Eve stared at the screen, then at Lila. “How do you know my passcode?”
Lila shrugged. “You’re not exactly subtle when you type it in.”
Eve should have been annoyed. Should have lectured her about privacy and boundaries. But the relief of knowing exactly where Mia was outweighed everything else.
“Okay,” Eve said slowly. “Having you with me might not be such a bad idea. You might see things I miss.”
Lila’s face lit up.
“But,” Eve added firmly, “we can’t let your mother know we’re trying to find out about her past. Not yet. Not until we know what we’re dealing with.”
“She won’t find out from me,” Lila promised. Then she frowned, her expression growing more serious. “To be honest, I’ve always wondered about my grandfather’s side of the family.” She glanced at the notes again. “Circle Pond...” She looked up at Eve. “Brian lives there.”
“Yes,” Eve said.
“So does Uncle William.”
“Yes.”
Lila’s green-gold eyes widened as something else dawned on her. “Who doesn’t want us there for some reason. That’s why you quizzed him last night about his renovations. You were checking if he was being honest about them.”
Eve couldn’t help but smile. “You’re just too observant for your own good sometimes, kiddo.”
“So I’m right?” Lila pressed. “You think William is trying to keep us from going there?”
“Yes,” Eve admitted. “I think William is trying to keep us away from Circle Pond.”
“Because he doesn’t want Mom to remember living there?” Lila’s brow furrowed deeply. “Why doesn’t Mom remember her father or living here?”
“That’s what I want to find out,” Eve said.
Lila’s eyes darkened to a golden hazel, excitement and determination mixing in equal measure. “Ooohhh. A puzzle. We’re going to be amateur sleuths. Just like those true crime podcasts you love.”
“We’re going to be careful,” Eve corrected.
“I know how we can get into that gated community,” Lila said, her mind already racing ahead.
“Brian,” they said in unison.
“I’ll get dressed,” Lila said, her eyes now greener than green, the gold making them sparkle. She looked so much like her mother in that moment that it made Eve’s chest ache.
“You do that, so I can get dressed too,” Eve pointed out, gesturing to her towel.
“Oh, sorry, Aunt Eve,” Lila said sheepishly. “I came to find out what we were going to do today and let you know that Mom had already abandoned us.”
The word choice alarmed Eve. “Oh, honey...”
“That came out wrong,” Lila assured her, standing. “I’m really glad Mom has found something to occupy her mind.” She blew out a breath. “She was getting really obsessive again.”
“I know,” Eve said, nodding. “I was worried...”
“She was going to start cleaning everything, counting everything, and going into the same spiral she went into after Grandma died,” Lila’s voice dropped, and her eyes clouded over. “I might only have been six at the time, but I’ll never forget that.”
“I know, sweetheart,” Eve said softly. “So I have to agree with you that this newfound photography hobby is the best thing for your mom.”
Lila turned and walked to the door, then stopped. “Oh, and since we’re being truthful...”
“We were?” Eve said, looking at the young woman suspiciously. “What have you done?”
Lila grinned. “Well, I thought that a phone could get lost or tossed... so I kind of... uh... put a tracker in Mom’s watch.”
“What?” Eve sputtered. “How did you even...” She held up her hands. “No, don’t tell me.”
“Oh, and I may have put one in her purse as well, just in case.” Lila pulled a face. “I just wanted to know she was safe.”
Eve stood staring at her, amazed.
“Well...” Lila said in her defense. “After her dream, I got to wondering... why wouldn’t Mom remember being here? I heard her telling you about her dream...” Her brow furrowed. “It seemed odd to me that she’d fixate more on her dog and father than a man trying to abduct her.”
Eve’s amazement at the young woman intensified. “So you were eavesdropping?”
“No,” Lila said, then shrugged. “Okay, maybe… yes… But in my defense, you both left your doors open, and the head of my bed touches the same wall the head of your bed does...”
“True,” Eve stated. “But I thought you were asleep.”
“I was,” Lila told her. “But like you did when you went through to your room, Mom also stopped to pull my blanket up and kiss me. You know I’m a light sleeper, and that wakes me.”
“I know,” Eve said with a smile. Lila had complained about that many times in her young life. “Now go get dressed so we can get some breakfast and find a way to get Brian to take us to Circle Pond.”
“Let’s just ask him,” Lila suggested. Then she disappeared into her room.
The dining room was busier than the previous morning, tables filled with guests enjoying breakfast before heading out for their day’s adventures.
Brian appeared almost immediately, his face lighting when he saw Lila.
“Good morning,” he said, setting menus in front of them. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“Coffee for me,” Eve said. “And apple juice for Lila.”
“Coming right up.” Brian disappeared as quickly as he’d appeared.
They ordered breakfast, and when Brian returned with their drinks, Lila leaned forward with a smile. “Brian, what time do you finish your shift today?”
He blinked, surprised. “Around ten. Why?”
“Would you like a ride home?” Lila asked. “My Aunt and I want to get a look around Circle Pond, and since you live there, maybe you could show us around?”
Brian’s face went from surprised to delighted in the space of a heartbeat. “Really? That would be great. I usually walk, or my grandfather picks me up, but he’s at the fair today as it’s my grandmother’s day off.”
“Perfect,” Lila said. “We’ll wait for you.”
It was easier than Eve had expected. Now she just had to make sure William wasn’t around to find them there. “Now we just have to ensure William isn’t home.”
Lila pulled out her phone and dialed. “Uncle William?” she said when he answered. “Hi, it’s Lila... Yes, we’re good... Hey, do you know where Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve is?”
Eve watched as Lila listened, nodding along.
“Oh, it’s a well-known spot? That’s good... Mom went there with Nolan this morning to learn about nature photography... Really? That’s a relief... What are you up to today?”
Another pause.
“Oh no, the flu? That’s terrible... Are you going to be at the store all day? That sounds exhausting... Do you want me to come help?” Lila asked sweetly.
Eve held her breath while she wondered how many times Lila had manipulated her or Mia with her very convincing act she was currently putting on for William.
“Are you sure? Okay, well, maybe we’ll stop by for hot chocolate later then.
.. Okay, have a good day... Love you too.
” Lila hung up and looked at Eve with satisfaction.
“He’s stuck at Moore’s Treasures and Treats all day.
His store manager is out with the flu, and he’s got a new consignment coming in that he has to inventory and price. ”
Eve had to admire Lila’s commitment to their little side project investigation.
Later that morning, Brian climbed into the back seat of the SUV, his backpack slung over one shoulder, his face still slightly flushed from hurrying.
“Thanks so much for this,” he said. “My grandmother is going to be thrilled. She loves having guests, and she was so relieved that I had a lift.”
“We’re happy to,” Eve said, pulling out of the Inn’s parking lot.
Brian gave directions, and twenty minutes later, they were pulling up to the gates of Circle Pond Gate Community.
Brian leaned forward and punched in a code on the keypad. The gates swung open with smooth, well-oiled precision.
The development was beautiful. Curved roads lined with mature trees, houses set back on generous lots, each one distinct but harmonious with its neighbors. The kind of place where people raised families and stayed for generations.