Chapter 28
CHLOE
It was fun getting a rise out of Evan. Brendan had asked me if I wanted to go to one of the local bars with him later, and I didn’t give him a straight answer.
While he was easy to talk to and clearly into me, I excused myself, stepping away before committing to anything.
I pretended to need to go to the bathroom again.
The house was crowded enough that it was easy to get lost in the mix, and by the time I came back out, Brendan was nowhere to be found.
It was already getting dark, but they’d set up so many lights that the entire front yard was illuminated.
I went outside in search of Evan and eventually found him watching Effie compete in a potato sack race.
Just as I was about to take the spot next to him, an attractive woman dressed as Little Red Riding Hood began chatting him up.
A female voice interrupted my staring.
“You must be Chloe.”
I turned around. “Yes.”
“I’m Maura, Drew’s wife.”
I offered a smile. “Oh, it’s great to meet you.” We shook hands. “Effie has told me quite a lot about her aunt Maura.”
“I’m so happy you were able to make it to one of our Halloween parties while you’re in town.”
“I’d heard how legendary they are. Now I can see why.”
Maura looked over toward where Evan was talking to the woman. She leaned in. “Don’t worry. She’s not a threat.”
How the hell had she known what I was thinking? Playing dumb, I responded with, “Excuse me, who?”
“The woman he’s talking to. He’s been there, done that with her, and it didn’t work out.”
It didn’t make me feel all that much better to know Evan had already slept with that one. A rush of heat crept up my face. “Exactly how many women in this town has Evan been there done that with?”
Maura smiled. “Not that many that I know of. A few after his divorce. But trust me, none of them were it for him. Evan has specifically sought out women he knows won’t want much from him, women he also knows Effie won’t bond with.
And typically, those women aren’t worth keeping around.
That one’s name is Kimber. She’s divorced, too, and not looking for anything serious.
He never introduced her to Effie.” She paused.
“The last one, Naomi, did a bait and switch. She started out pretending like her career came first, like she didn’t want much, but then she started expecting more. ”
This woman was a treasure trove of information.
“Why are you telling me all this?” I laughed nervously.
Maura shook her head. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to overstep. I just noticed you watching him and thought I’d offer my two cents. I’m also a little nosy.” She hesitated. “I know you and Evan have history.”
“All of that is in the past. Like you said, he’s not looking for anything serious with anyone. I actually am looking to settle down, and unfortunately, I don’t live here. So even if I were interested in Evan, it can’t go anywhere.”
Damn. That sounded defensive. I was certain I’d just outed myself as a fraud.
Still, Maura played along. “I understand. I’m sure your job is very important, and I didn’t mean to pry.” She sighed. “I love Evan very much, and I’d love for him to find the one—not for Effie, but for him.”
I looked over to find him still talking to Kimber as he watched Effie.
Despite being overcome with jealousy, I continued to put up a front.
“He and I have had fun flirting since rediscovering each other, but my entire life is in Chicago now. He knows I’m not here permanently, and he’s being smart about making sure we don’t get too close. ”
“As long as you’re both on the same page.” She flashed me a scrutinizing look.
I wondered if she could see right through me, because in all honesty, it was a facade. There was nothing I wanted more than Evan Ricci.
My chest filled with emotion as my voice cracked. “I’m not really at peace with anything, Maura. I wasn’t expecting to see him again, let alone live with him, let alone still have such strong feelings for him—and Effie, for that matter. That little girl deserves the world.”
“She’s special, isn’t she?” Maura grinned.
“I’m really falling in love with her. And that scares me.”
“It’s not one-sided either, I bet, from the way Effie talks about you.”
“Well, I can’t speak for her, but I don’t believe it is. I can understand why Evan is cautious about women. Can you blame him, considering what happened with Effie’s mother?”
“Evan thinks everyone is a potential Katerina, but the fact is, Katerina is a rare breed. A mother who abandons her child deserves a special place in hell.”
I liked this chick. “You don’t mince words…” I chuckled, pulling myself together.
Maura crossed her arms, which were draped in the long black sleeves of her witch costume. “I don’t hold back. Katerina’s mother and mine are good friends, too. I tell Lydia all the time what I think about her daughter.”
“Evan hasn’t mentioned Effie’s grandmother. Is she still local?”
“She is.” Maura laughed as she looked past me. “In fact, Lydia just got here. She’s right over there.” She pointed to a dark-haired woman in the corner of the room.
“Oh my gosh. I suppose that shouldn’t surprise me, given how many people are here.”
Maura grabbed me by the arm. “Let me introduce you.”
Uh... A rush of adrenaline coursed through me. “Oh, that’s really not—”
Before I could say anything further, Maura had pulled me over to where the woman was standing.
“Lydia, this is Chloe, the woman who’s currently living with Evan.”
She couldn’t have softened that introduction a little? Talk about a hard launch.
But the woman smiled. “It’s wonderful to meet you. Effie has told me all about you.”
My eyes widened. “She has?”
I found it interesting that Effie had never mentioned talking to her grandmother about me. Then again, talking to her grandma wasn’t something she had to announce.
“Oh yes,” she said. “You’re all she talks about during our weekly phone chats.”
“Well, that’s sweet.”
I turned to where Maura had been standing, only to find she was gone. Was she trying to torture me by leaving me alone with Katerina’s mother?
Lydia cut right to the chase. “I know you must have thoughts about my daughter…”
“I didn’t say that.”
“But you’re thinking them, as you should. I’m not going to justify her actions, because I can’t. All I can do is try to accept my daughter’s choices, even if I don’t agree with them.”
“That’s fair.”
“When Katerina got pregnant, she wasn’t ready to be a mother.
She hadn’t even been sure she wanted to have kids.
I think after a while, she went a little crazy, started missing her youth.
After she and Evan separated, she met another man and became addicted to feeling younger again.
He had no responsibilities and came from money.
He convinced her to travel with him. I think she tells herself Effie is in great hands with Evan.
And while that’s true, Katerina doesn’t understand the massive hole she’s left in Effie’s life.
Maybe that’s a testament to how Katerina feels about herself.
She doesn’t value herself enough to realize how she could possibly mean that much to her daughter.
And that’s a damn shame because someday she’s gonna wake up from this fog she’s in and regret it all.
It hasn’t happened yet, but I pity her when it does.
By that time, Effie might not be as forgiving.
Right now, Effie loves her mother no matter what and believes she might come back, but I do see that hope fading over time.
” She shook her head. “I try to be a good grandmother to her, and thank the Lord Effie has a great father.” Lydia smiled.
“I hope you understand that I can’t control my daughter as much as I wish I could. ”
I found her very endearing and felt a bit bad that she felt obligated to explain the situation to me, a virtual stranger.
“Do you think I’m judging you?” I asked.
Lydia shrugged. “I don’t know how you couldn’t be…”
“You want to know what I think?”
Her jaw flexed. “Sure.”
“You can’t change people. They’re responsible for their own decisions. The only opinion I have is that Katerina is lucky to have her mother, someone who cares about her and will love her no matter what. And Effie is lucky to have her grandmother in her life.”
Lydia’s smile faded. “Evan tells me your mother has dementia…”
Again, I found myself surprised at how much she knew. “When did Evan talk to you about me?”
“We talk on the phone after my phone calls with Effie. I asked about you since Effie wouldn’t stop raving about the new house guest.”
I nodded. “It’s been quite a visit between my mother and sorting through all of my family’s old belongings.”
“Emotionally heavy, I would imagine.”
“Yes.” Suddenly I was in tears.
Lydia rubbed my arm gently. “Oh, sweetheart. I’m sorry to make you cry.”
“It’s okay. I don’t know why it’s coming out all of a sudden in the middle of this party.”
“Your mother would be very proud of how you’re handling everything.”
“I like to think that.” I sniffled.
“Grandma!” Effie appeared between us. “Did you make Chloe cry?”
“No, sweetie,” I answered. “These aren’t bad tears. Your grandma just made me feel some things that needed to come out having to do with my mama.” I looked over to find Evan standing there as well.
“You okay?” he asked, putting his hand on my back.
A shiver went down my spine as I wiped my eyes. “Yeah.”
“Grandma, come see the pumpkin I carved,” Effie said, pulling Lydia toward the door.
Once they were gone, Evan looked at me closely. “What was that all about?”
“Maura sort of ambushed me with your ex’s mother. Fortunately, Lydia’s an absolute sweetheart.”
“You’re right about that. I’m happy you had a chance to meet her. But why were you crying?”
“At first, she was talking to me about Katerina and how she has no control over her daughter’s decisions.
Then she said you’d mentioned the situation with my mom.
I started to cry when she brought up Mom, I think, because Lydia has such strong mother energy.
I could sense her genuine concern for her child.
I’m just really missing that in my life, having a mom who thinks about me, a mom I can call whenever I need to talk. ”
“Sweetheart, I’m sorry,” Evan said. “I know you and Judy would be as close as you always were if she weren’t sick.”
“Yeah…” I murmured.
“I get what you mean about Lydia,” he said. “She gives me the same motherly vibe.”
I sometimes forgot that Evan had been without his mother long before I ever had to deal with my mom’s condition. He’d had it so much worse than me, lacking a father on top of that.
“It’s like a trifecta between you, me, and Effie. We’re all starving for our mothers for different reasons.”
Evan adjusted his hat. “I never thought of it that way, but you’re right.”
“Boy, do I know how to be a downer at a party, huh?” I sighed.
Evan looked around. “What happened to your boyfriend?”
“I ditched him to go find you before Maura cornered me. Meanwhile, you were chatting up your ex-girlfriend.”
“Kimber? She wasn’t a girlfriend.”
“Ah, but she still got to go to Never Never Land.” I winked, hoping my snarky comment didn’t come off as jealous—even if I’d be perpetually jealous of anyone who got to be with Evan Ricci.
Just then Brendan approached.
“Feel like skipping this joint and heading out for a drink?” he asked.
Evan’s jaw tightened.
Had I implied that I’d for sure be up for going to that bar with him? I hadn’t meant to.
Before I could respond, Evan had his hand on my back. “She has plans.”
Then he took my hand and led me not so gently into the house.