Chapter Two
Georgia sat at the kitchen table and helped herself to another serving of mint chocolate chip ice cream. If there was such a thing as drowning your sorrows in ice cream, Georgia was doing a brilliant job of it. All of a sudden, her sister’s hand reached out and took the bowl of ice cream away from her.
“Hey! I was eating that!” she protested in an annoyed tone.
“I know. I’m saving you from yourself,” Eden said, placing a large spoonful of the ice cream in her mouth. “I know how you get,” she said, speaking with a mouth full of mint chocolate chip. “Before you know it, you’ll be breaking out the Rocky Road.”
“But I need ice cream right now,” she wailed. “It will make me feel better.”
“Tomorrow you’ll be moaning and groaning about eating past your limit and blaming me for letting you do it. You know too much ice cream gives you stomach aches.” Eden grinned at her. “I’m saving both of us the hassle.”
“Thanks for taking the bullet for me,” she grumbled, watching as her sister devoured the ice cream. “You know I have a bad habit of eating when I’m upset,” Georgia said, sticking out her mouth in a pout. “And at the moment I’m past caring about the day after regrets.”
“Georgia, you have to snap out of this. I know it was upsetting to find out about Riley’s child, but the truth is, he’s out of your life. He’s back in town just for the funeral, I imagine. Don’t let it consume you.”
“I just feel foolish.” She let out a beleaguered sigh. “I’ll be honest. Ever since Riley left I’ve imagined the two of us getting back together one day in the future. So all this time I’ve been daydreaming about a possible future with him while he’s been…raising a child he conceived with another woman.”
Eden hit her spoon on the side of the bowl, then made a face. “It’s really shocking, if I’m being truthful. Riley has always been such a stand-up guy. And I imagine his family kept quiet because the baby was out of wedlock. You know how traditional his family is. It’s always been about protecting the Somers’s family name. Blah blah blah.”
“It’s odd Aunt Libby never mentioned it. After all, a baby is a blessing in a family no matter how it comes into being.”
Eden frowned. “Georgia, that’s true, but plenty of people in this town would view it as a scandal. You know how Hope Valley can be. Maybe Riley wanted to protect his son from all the whispers.”
“Maybe.” Georgia shrugged. “Aunt Libby was a sweetheart. I think I know why she never mentioned it. I’m sure she figured it would be upsetting for me to find out.”
Georgia had visited Aunt Libby throughout her illness. She had regularly brought her books from the library and treats from the candy shop in town. She had always appreciated how their relationship hadn’t been gutted by her breakup with Riley. They’d maintained their friendship.
“So, where is the mother? Do you know for sure he’s not married?”
“He wasn’t wearing a ring and he said he’s raising the child by himself. He said Aidan wasn’t planned.”
Eden let out a low whistle. “That can’t be easy.”
All of a sudden the kitchen’s back door opened up to reveal their mother, Rosalie Ballou, standing there with an armful of flowers. She let out an annoyed sound. “Imagine my surprise when neither of you showed up at the reception for Libby. What happened to the two of you?”
“Come on in, Mom,” Georgia said, biting her tongue rather than reminding her mother she hadn’t knocked. It was Rosalie’s way to barge into the home she and Eden shared. She did it every single time she came over and it was terribly difficult for Georgia to call her out on it. Mama had been through so much in her life. Georgia hated to come down on her, particularly since her mother cried at the drop of a hat. She was an extremely emotional woman who didn’t hesitate to turn on the waterworks on every occasion.
“Don’t mind if I do,” her mother said, making the way inside with the use of her cane. For the last two years her mother had been struggling with multiple sclerosis, an auto-immune disease that affected her balance and coordination. Even though Georgia had invited her mother to come live with her and Eden, Rosalie Ballou refused. She wanted to maintain her independence for as long as possible.
“I’m sick, Georgia. I’m not dying.” It was Mama’s favorite phrase.
So Georgia and Eden had stopped inviting her. Not that it stopped Rosalie from treating their house like her own.
Rosalie walked inside and Georgia jumped up to take the flowers from her arms. “I brought these flowers for the two of you. They had them in droves at the reception. Seems like everyone in town sent flowers for Libby.” Georgia saw tears pool in her mother’s eyes as she sat down at the kitchen table.
Georgia watched as Eden patted her on the back. She went and reached for a vase under the kitchen sink, then filled it with water and placed the vibrant bouquets in. She placed the vase on the counter and stood for a moment to admire them. They were gorgeous.
“So what happened to the two of you?” Mama asked. “I looked for you everywhere. Kit said you never showed up.”
“I wasn’t in the mood after running into Riley.” Georgia paused dramatically. “And his child.”
Her mother didn’t bat an eyelash. She stared blankly at Georgia. “Oh,” she said in a soft voice. “You met him?”
“Yes, I did,” she snapped. “Clearly you knew all about Aidan. Your expression is very telling.”
Her mother hung her head. “Libby told me a few years ago. She didn’t mean to tell me. It just slipped out when the child was sick with pneumonia and everyone was worried. She swore me to secrecy.”
“A secret? From your own daughter?” Georgia ask, her voice resembling a roar.
“What good would it have done to tell you? You’ve been heartsick over Riley. It would have only given you more pain.” Mama made a tutting sound. “And if you ask me, there was something funny about the whole thing.”
“Funny? What do you mean by that?” Georgia asked. She nervously ran her fingers through her shoulder-length locks. Her heart began to thunder like crazy.
Rosalie shook her head. “It was a secret, which is so unnatural when it comes to a child being brought into the world. Especially for a family like the Somers. They’ve always been so proud of their family achievements. And it was a little bit strange that Riley didn’t come back to town to have Aidan baptized.” She crinkled her nose. “It was all a bit hush-hush. And I don’t think Riley married the mother either.”
Georgia bit her lip. “You’re right about it being a bit odd.” Mama had hit upon something that didn’t quite make sense. Aunt Libby, as well as Riley’s own mother, had always been so particular about family matters. As far back as Georgia could remember there had been major hoopla around family events—birthdays, Baptisms, weddings, funerals.
“Maybe he just wanted to do everything away from here. It’s not as if Riley lives in Hope Valley anymore.” Eden gave her two cents’ worth.
“It’s neither here nor there. You missed a lovely reception.” Mama turned her gaze to Eden. “And you really should have made an appearance. A certain someone was looking for you.”
Eden frowned. “Who are you talking about?”
“Max Stone. The most eligible bachelor in town,” her mother said, wagging her eyebrows.
Georgia couldn’t help but laugh at the expression on her mother’s face. Rosalie Ballou was such a matchmaker. And she loved the idea of Eden falling in love with the mysterious vineyard owner. He was handsome and wealthy, and above all else, single. In Rosalie’s eyes, he was a perfect catch for Eden.
“Max is eye candy, that’s for sure. But he and I are not going to fall in love and walk off into the sunset together,” Eden said.
“Why not?” Rosalie asked in an annoyed tone. “He’s sheer perfection. If I was twenty years younger, I’d be in the running.”
Eden rolled her eyes. “Because he’s rich and conceited. Plus, all the single ladies in Hope Valley are running around after him. It’s pretty nauseating to watch.” Eden frowned.
“Then stop watching,” Georgia teased. Her sister reached over and playfully swatted at her.
“It’s none of my business, but something was off between Kit and Jayden today,” their mother said with a sniff. “There seemed to be some serious tension crackling around them.”
“Mama! Stop gossiping!” Georgia exclaimed. Sometimes her mother could be impossible.
“I love Kit like she’s my own daughter,” Rosalie said. “I’m worried about her. And you should be too. She’s your best friend in the world.” Rosalie wagged her eyebrows at them.
Eden and Georgia exchanged a furtive glance. Kit London was one of their closest friends. She had gotten married shortly after they’d graduated from high school to their other friend and classmate, Jayden London. Jayden had been recruited right out of high school by the NFL. He now played with the Colorado Cougars. Jayden was a superstar athlete, with endorsements and hosting gigs that had made him a household name.
In recent years, their marriage had been a bit troubled. Jayden’s time on the road, his sports injuries and the constant groupies who chased him had placed stress on the marriage. The fact that Kit had been struggling with infertility had heightened the entire situation. Both Eden and Georgia knew that Kit was thinking about a formal separation from Jayden. Their marriage troubles were a closely guarded secret. There was the constant threat of the media picking up the story and running with it. Media scrutiny could serve as the death knell for their union.
The fact that her mother had picked up on some troubling vibes at the reception concerned Georgia. She made a mental note to call Kit later on this evening. Even when you walked down the aisle with your high school sweetheart, Georgia realized, there were no guarantees. Riley’s handsome face flashed before her eyes. Having him back in Hope Valley was uncomfortable. She had tried for the last few years to get him out of her head and her heart. His return to town had knocked her off-kilter and proved the point that she wasn’t over Riley Somers. Not by a long shot.