Raine and I have something for you, Mom.”
Cody steered Evie toward the picnic table in his backyard.
“It isn’t another celebratory sundae from Quigley’s, is it?” Visions of blue ice cream and sprinkles danced in Evie’s head. “Because I don’t think I can eat another bite.”
“It’s better.” Raine lowered herself onto the bench across from Evie and handed her a gift bag. “Open the one with the yellow ribbon first.”
Cody and Raine were practically vibrating with excitement as Evie dug through the tissue paper and lifted out a brightly wrapped present.
“It’s our wedding picture!” Raine couldn’t stand it anymore.
It was a candid shot, taken after the ceremony. Cody smiling down at Raine—wiping a tear from her cheek.
“I love it. Thank you.”
“There’s another one.” Cody rattled the bag, earning a stern look and a “Careful!” from Raine.
Evie hid a smile. Raine was going to be a good mom. She pulled out—carefully—another photo frame, and this time Cody and Raine didn’t say anything.
For a moment Evie couldn’t either.
She ran her hand over the black-and-white photograph, tracing every dip and curve of the delicate profile, the impossibly tiny fingers and toes.
“Meet your granddaughter, Mom.”
“A girl?” Evie breathed the word.
Cody nodded. “Ella Joy Bennett.”
“We couldn’t keep it a secret anymore.” Tears glistened in Raine’s eyes. “We had to share.”
Evie’s throat closed.
“You’re not disappointed, are you, Mom?”
“Disappointed?” Evie’s head snapped up and she stared at her son. “Why would I be disappointed?”
“I thought maybe you were hoping we would have a boy. You know, so we could name him after Dad.”
“I’m not disappointed at all, Cody. I’m thrilled. Ella . . .” The name—the sweet face—took root in Evie’s heart. “She’s beautiful.”
“I know it’s not the kind of photo people usually frame.” Cody threaded his fingers through Raine’s. “But we thought you’d like it.”
“I’m going to put both of these on the mantel when I get home.”
“It’s getting pretty crowded, Mom,” Cody teased.
Evie stretched across the table and wrapped her arms around her son and his wife. “I’ll make room,” she whispered.
The opening notes of a song by Rend Collective Experiment began to play in the background, and Cody wiggled free.
“Sorry. That’s me.” He dipped a hand into his back pocket and pulled out his cell phone. “Hey. Yeah . . . hold on. She’s right here.” Cody handed her the phone.
Evie glanced at him before offering a cautious “Hello?”
“You didn’t answer your cell phone.”
“Jack.” Another unexpected gift. “I left it on Cody’s kitchen table.”
“Just thought I’d check in and find out how your afternoon is going.”
Evie slid to her feet and walked a few feet away. Cody nudged Raine and Raine nudged him back, and they both pretended they weren’t listening in on the conversation. “I was just about to ask you the same thing.”
“Right now . . . good. Travis went over to Brewster Street to mow the lawn and Lily is working on some new dance steps while I finish priming the kitchen.”
“Which one?”
“The one that looks like a backdrop on the set of Leave It to Beaver.”
“You’re painting my kitchen? Without me?”
“Your kitchen.” A smile flowed into the words.
“I talked to Pastor Keith about Fairview Street after church this morning. He agreed to meet with me tomorrow and I made a few phone calls—gathered some reinforcements. I was hoping you could come too.”
Jack groaned. “I can’t. I already promised Trav I would go to his preliminary hearing.”
“Then you need to be there with him . . . but I miss you.”
“I miss you too,” Jack murmured.
Good. Evie hoped that meant Jack wouldn’t mind when she showed up at his door.
“Well, hello there. Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?”
“Where’s Jack?” Evie hadn’t expected to see Travis saunter into the kitchen while she was trying to locate his brother.
“He went to the hardware store to pick up some paint, but he should be back in a few minutes.”
Evie forced a smile. “Every time I come over here, it looks different.”
Travis propped his hip against the sink and surveyed the room. His face glowed from being outdoors all afternoon and his jeans were coated with bits of grass, but there was no getting around the fact that the man was extremely attractive. Tousled blond hair and the same lean, sculpted features but with eyes more blue than gray. And they lacked the warmth Evie saw in Jack’s.
“I think this building would benefit more from a wrecking ball, but that’s my big brother.” Trav’s lips twisted in a smile. “Trying to make something out of nothing is a personal challenge to him.”
There was a double meaning embedded in the words that Evie didn’t want to analyze too closely. “Is Lily here?”
“I hope so. I came to pick her up.”
As if on cue, Evie heard the patter of footsteps in the hallway and Lily burst into the room. “I made up a new dance! Do you want to see it?”
Evie circumvented the refusal rising in Travis’s eyes with a quick smile. “Of course we do.”
For a moment Evie thought he was going to decline. But then he swept his arm toward the door. “After you.”
He followed them to the mirrored room and pulled his cell phone from his pocket as Lily began to flit around.
Just when Evie was tempted to snatch it away from him, Lily glided up to them. “Twirl me, Daddy!”
Travis looked at Lily like she’d just asked him to launch her to the moon. “There’s no music.”
“Yes, there is!” Lily reached for his hand. “Uncle Jack says it’s inside of you.”
Travis glanced at his phone. “Maybe when we get back from Quigley’s. You want to go with me, right? I thought we’d get a hamburger for supper.”
“Yes!” Lily performed a pirouette and almost landed on Evie’s toes. “Oops! I’m sorry, Evie.”
“That’s all right, sweetheart.” Evie wished Jack would get back.
“Can you and Uncle Jack come to Quigley’s with us?”
“I’m sure they’d rather be alone, Princess,” Travis said before Evie could respond. “It’s just going to be you and Dad tonight. I thought we’d get some ice cream and watch a movie.”
“Uncle Jack doesn’t have a TV.”
“That doesn’t matter because we have one at home.”
Lily’s forehead puckered. “Aren’t we coming back here?”
Evie hoped that Lily didn’t see the flicker of irritation in Travis’s eyes as he set his hand against the small of Lily’s back and guided her toward the door.
“Let’s go, Princess. If I don’t get a cheeseburger and fries in the next ten minutes, I’m going to disappear.”
Don’t get my hopes up.
The thought rolled through Evie’s mind before she could stop it and she felt terrible. Summoning a smile, she waved good-bye to Lily, but the moment the two were out of sight, she closed her eyes.
I’m sorry, Lord. I know I shouldn’t judge him. I’m worried about Lily. And Jack . . .
“The color isn’t that bad, is it?”
Evie turned at the sound of Jack’s voice and some of her tension melted away under the warmth of his smile. “I love the color.”
“Good. Because the guy at the hardware store said I can’t return them.” Jack set two gallons of paint on the floor. “Travis left?”
“He picked up Lily. They’re going to Quigley’s for supper and then home.” The last word stuck in Evie’s throat. “I think she’d rather be here though.”
Jack simply nodded.
How did he do this? If it was difficult for her, she couldn’t imagine how hard it must be on him.
“I wanted to show you something.” Evie reached into her bag and took out the photographs. “Cody and Raine gave me these today.”
Jack moved closer. “I saw the photographer take this one on their wedding day.”
“You did?”
“It was right after the ceremony. Raine told the photographer she wanted all the pictures from here up.” Jack tapped his chest. “But Cody said, ‘There’s a baby in the picture so there’s going to be a baby in the picture.’ He told Raine he didn’t want their child to think they were ashamed when he or she was old enough to do the math. And I remember thinking someone raised that boy right.”
“I wasn’t so sure of that the night Cody announced he was going to be a father. I was devastated.” Evie replayed the conversation in her mind. “I blamed Raine for ruining Cody’s future. I was convinced she’d messed up God’s plan for my son . . . but I was the one who almost got in the way. I suggested they consider putting the baby up for adoption. I wasn’t always kind to Raine or Gin, and there were nights I cried out to God and asked Him to give Cody the courage to make the right decision. And He did.
“I know they’re going to face some difficult things . . . but if Cody had listened to me, I wouldn’t have this.”
Evie handed Jack the other photograph, and he pulled in a quiet, almost reverent, breath as he studied the ultrasound.
“The baby is a she. Her name is Ella. Ella Joy Bennett.”
“Your granddaughter.”
Evie smiled. “The good stuff.”