With the new shipment finally sorted, tagged, and hung up, Evie decided they’d worked enough for one day. At least, Jonah had. He was curled up on the oversized chair she kept by the change rooms and was flipping through a comic book. Evie knew her son’s limits and she was pretty sure she wouldn’t be able to get much more work out of him that afternoon.

Besides, April, her part-time employee, had finally shown up and it likely wasn’t going to be busy enough for both of them. Maybe it would be the perfect day to have a little mother-son time after all.

“Come on, kiddo.” She ruffled Jonah’s hair as she walked by his chair.

“Aw, Mom.” She knew he hated it when she did that, but she couldn’t seem to help it. Sometimes it felt as if he was growing up so fast, every once in a while she still needed to treat him like a little kid, just because she could.

“Never mind,” she said. “You’re my baby. And sometimes I just need to be reminded of that.” She bent to kiss him on the cheek, and he didn’t object. “It’s time to go. Let’s go grab some lunch.”

“Really?” At the mention of food, Jonah jumped up. Especially if it included eating out. Something they rarely got to do.

Evie nodded. “Let’s go see if we can get a table at the cafe instead of grabbing takeout. I don’t think I’ve ever actually sat down in there. It looks nice.”

The cafe had been open for a little over two weeks, and although Evie had immediately started ordering sandwiches and salads from their menu to grab on her way back to work, she’d never had a chance to eat in.

“Let’s do it.” Jonah was already at the door. No doubt he was afraid she’d change her mind and find something else that needed doing. And there was no end of things she could find. But it could wait. Evie grabbed her purse, gave April a few last instructions and they slipped outside into the sunshine.

“Mom, did you mean it when you said we could go jet skiing? You’ll really let me go?”

“Of course I’ll let you go.”

“You mean it?” Jonah grabbed her hand and squeezed.

“Of course I mean it.” Evie smiled, and squeezed back. There was no greater gift in her life than her son. The fact that, at eight, he still wanted to hang out with his mom made her heart ridiculously happy. She knew it wouldn’t last forever so she would gladly take it while she could. “We’ll go soon. But today, we’re having lunch.”

They’d walked into the already crowded cafe and Evie scanned the room. There were only a few tables left. “I’ll tell you what,” she said to Jonah. “Go look at the menu board and tell me what you want. I’ll go order and you can grab a table before they’re all gone.”

Jonah nodded, flush with the responsibility. “I don’t need to look,” he announced. “I want a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. With fries, of course.”

She shook her head. “Of course.”

“And a fruit punch?”

“You’re pushing your luck,” she said. “You can have water.”

He look disappointed, but only for a minute before he ran off to grab a table.

“Hi, Evie.” Scott Harding greeted her with a grin. “The usual? A garden salad to go? Or is today the day I can convince you to try one of my paninis? I’m telling you, they’re fantastic. They’re going to be what makes this place famous one day. You’ll wish you would have known me when.”

She couldn’t help but laugh. Scott’s food wasn’t the only reason Scott’s Stop was doing so well, so quickly. It also had a lot to do with the fact that he was genuinely friendly and despite the fact that he was new to town, he’d immediately fit in just like one of the locals.

“Okay,” she said and Scott took a dramatic step back. Evie laughed again.

“Did you just say yes?” He slapped his hand to his chest. “I feel like I should mark the occasion. Did I hear you right? You want one of my soon-to-be world-famous paninis?”

She laughed. “I do.” Evie scanned the menu board quickly. “Maybe a turkey with goat cheese and pesto?”

“Such a good choice.”

“And a grilled ham and cheese for Jonah.”

“That’s my favorite.” Scott laughed. “He’s a smart boy.”

“He is.” Evie turned to scan the restaurant and see where he was sitting, but he was nowhere to be found. She turned around farther and looked again.

“He went into the bathroom,” Scott said, picking up on what was happening. “I saw him go in a few minutes ago.”

Relieved, Evie turned her attention back to Scott, ordered some drinks and paid for their lunch. She got caught up in conversation with Scott while he filled their order and just as he handed her the tray with their lunch, Jonah appeared at her side again.

“I thought you were getting a table.” She nodded her thanks to Scott and turned to her son, who shrugged.

“I had to go to the bathroom and when I got back there were no tables left.”

Sure enough, Evie scanned the restaurant and all the tables were now occupied. Including the one she’d assumed Jonah was going to save for them. Seated there now was Maureen McCormick, whom she’d only met a few times before, and, with his back to her, one of the McCormick brothers.

Declan.

Despite the fact that all the brothers shared similarities, and from the back they could be difficult to tell apart, she had no doubt it was Declan because of the way her stomach flipped the moment her eyes landed on him.

“Maybe we should just go eat lunch in the park by the beach?” Jonah looked disappointed, but they didn’t have a lot of options. “I’ll go get this in a bag.” She took the tray back to the counter and tried to get Scott’s attention again.

“Evie? Hi.”

Her heart stuttered a moment at the sound of Declan’s voice behind her.

“Hi, Declan.” That was all she could manage because at that moment Scott appeared. “I’ll have to get these to go after all, Scott. You have a busy place in here. There are no more tables.”

“You can sit with us,” Declan said. “It’s a table for four.”

“Oh no,” she said. “I couldn’t impose like that.”

“It’s no imposition.” Before she could object again, Declan took the tray from her.

She glanced over to Scott, who only winked at her. “See?” he said. “There’s always room at Scott’s Stop. What can I get you and your mom, Declan?”

Evie waited a moment while Declan placed a quick order and then, with her tray still in hand, he led her over to their table.

---

When Declan had asked his mom for lunch, it was a twofold plan. He was happy to spend as much time with his mom as possible, especially because it was so nice to have her back at the lake, but after his conversation with Chelsea earlier that morning, he wanted to get her out and maybe have a chat with her about his half-sisters.

He certainly hadn’t planned to have Evie and her son join them, eliminating the possibility for a serious chat, but it was a nice distraction.

A very nice distraction.

Something about Evie Rose made Declan want to smile every time he saw her. She just had a way about her that radiated happiness, and it was catchy. Dec had never been so content before as he was in her presence. But there was something else, too.

An intense attraction.

She was incredibly beautiful, smart, sexy, funny and…a great mom.

Which was exactly why Dec was going to keep his distance. He had nothing against kids. In fact, he quite liked them. And Jonah was an awesome kid. But Declan had no intention of ever getting involved in a serious relationship, and when it came to a single mom, the rules were different. They had to be.

Which was why, as far as Evie went, no matter how attracted he was to her, nothing could ever happen between them. It wouldn’t be fair.

But it sure was nice to sit across from her at the table.

“I’m really glad you joined us today, Evie,” Maureen said. “I’ve been meaning to get to your store. I keep hearing so many good things about it.”

“It’s awesome,” Jonah piped up between bites of sandwich. “You should see the dresses that just came in.”

Declan’s eyes widened and Evie laughed. “I’m afraid poor Jonah here knows way more about women’s fashion than an eight-year-old boy should. He’s been doing an excellent job helping me out at the store this summer.”

“I imagine it’s quite a lot of work to get a store up and running all on your own.” The more he learned about her, the more his admiration for the woman grew. “Especially so quickly.”

“Oh, it’s been okay.” She waved her hand, dismissing the idea. “And everyone in town has been so welcoming and supportive. I don’t think I could have had such a promising opening if it hadn’t been for such an awesome clientele. And, of course, my right-hand man.” She nudged Jonah, who glowed with his mom’s praise.

“It’s pretty good of you to be so helpful to your mom, buddy.” Declan raised his glass of water in a toast to Jonah.

“It is great,” Evie agreed. “But I wish he could have a bit more summer fun, too.” Her face fell, but only for a moment before she smiled again and Declan was struck with exactly how hard it would be for her to balance all of the demands that were on her.

“But we’re going jet skiing.” Jonah sat up in his chair. “Mom promised we could try it out.”

He looked over to Evie, who nodded.

“That sounds pretty fun,” his mom said. “Are you going to get Ian to help you out at the Dockside?”

“Of course.”

“Well, I’m sure my oldest would be more than happy to give a great deal to a fellow business owner in town and her hardworking assistant,” Maureen said. “Don’t you think, Declan?”

“Of course. I’ll talk to him and arrange something for us.”

Us? The word slipped out naturally, but as strange as it was, it also felt natural. Declan would like nothing more than to go jet skiing with Jonah and his mother.

Evie shot him a strange look, but before she could say anything, her cell phone rang. “Excuse me for a moment.” She glanced down at the screen in a slight frown. “I really should take this. Do you mind?” She nodded her head toward Jonah, and Declan smiled.

“Not at all. We’re good here.”

He watched Evie as she walked through the crowded cafe and out to the sidewalk before accepting the call. She smiled as she took the call, but her face quickly fell into a frown.

What kind of phone call would make her upset? He got instantly and unreasonably defensive.

Declan hadn’t realized he’d been staring at her until his mother spoke, distracting him. “Jonah, I heard that they have really good desserts here and a pretty incredible selection of ice cream.”

The boy’s eyes grew wide.

“Why don’t you go pick something out?” Jonah looked to where his mother had disappeared to. “It’s okay,” Maureen said. “It’s my treat. I’ll make sure it’s okay with your mom.”

Jonah didn’t need any more convincing than that. Maureen handed the boy some cash and he was off to make his choice.

The minute Jonah left the table, his mother turned to him. “You like her.”

“What?” Declan almost choked on his sandwich.

His mom laughed. “I know you, son. But even if I didn’t, I would still be able to see it. You like her.”

There was no point denying it. “I do like her. She’s a really nice woman. She’s a friend.” As he spoke, he looked out the window. Whoever Evie was talking to, it was clearly upsetting her. Her face was screwed up in worry and she continually ran her hands through her hair. Declan’s instinct was to go to her and see how he could help.

His mother demanded his attention. “I think you like her more than that, Dec. I can see it on your face.”

“Mom, you’re being—”

“I’m not being anything except a concerned mother, Declan. You’re a good man. A very good man and you’ve done great things with your life at such a young age. But there’s more to life than working.”

He sighed and shook his head but his mom wasn’t done.

“Your brothers are settling down now,” she continued. “Doesn’t it make you want to find someone you can love? Someone you could build a family with?”

Declan knew that all his mom wanted for him was to be happy. And the thing was, he was happy.

Mostly.

He’d never needed a relationship to complete him. He was satisfied with his work, his friends, his foundation. He was more than satisfied. He didn’t need to try to play house with someone. After all, it wouldn’t work.

It never did.

Why bother going through all of that? It was better just to be friends. Sure, along the way, some of those female friends had become more. But it had never been romantic and it was always a mutually agreed upon situation. He’d made it very clear to anyone he dated that he wasn’t looking for anything serious.

But he couldn’t explain that to his mother.

“I don’t need a family of my own, Mom. I have all you guys. I’m good.”

“No.” She shook her head. “I worry about you.”

“Don’t.” He reached out and put his hand over hers. “Mom, I’m just fine the way I am.”

She narrowed her eyes, assessing him. His mother always did have a way of seeing through his bullshit. But if she was going to call him on it, it wouldn’t be today. She opened her mouth and closed it again with a nod of her head. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay,” she said again. “But if you ever did decide to have a—”

“Mom.”

She laughed. “Evie is a very nice woman.”

Declan looked down at the table top and shook his head with a laugh. He should have known she’d need to get in the last word. “Yes,” he agreed. “She is—”

“Jonah!” Evie called from the door to her son, who had just been handed an ice cream cone. “We need to go.”

Declan immediately jumped to his feet and met her at the door. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes.” Evie nodded, but it was clear that whomever had been on the phone had upset her. “It’s all—”

“Aw, Mom.” Jonah held his ice cream. “I just got this.”

Evie looked at Declan, who explained. “My mom.”

She nodded, but didn’t look any less stressed. “You can bring it with you, Jonah. Go thank Mrs. McCormick and let’s go. I’m sorry.”

The boy’s face fell, but he did as he was told.

“I’m really sorry to rush out like this,” Evie said to him. “Something has come up and I need to take care of it right away. Thank you so much for letting us sit with you today. It was really nice of you.”

“My pleasure, of course.” He wanted to say something reassuring and alleviate whatever stress she was feeling, because clearly something was wrong. But he couldn’t find the words. “Evie, are you sure that everything is okay? If you need to talk or…well…anything….”

“Thank you, Declan.” Her sweet smile was back momentarily. “I really appreciate it. Everything is fine. Really. Or, it will be. I just need to look after a few things. But thank you for your concern.”

“Okay.”

Jonah reappeared, and the moment to say anything of substance was gone.

“Thank you again.” She turned to go.

“Evie?”

She turned, a question on her face.

“If there’s anything I can help you with…anything—please don’t hesitate to ask.”

She smiled again. This time it reached her eyes, but only for a moment and then she was gone.

He waited a second before he returned to his seat and his mother, who no doubt had questions for him. It wasn’t an empty offer. Declan knew without any hesitation that if Evie ever needed help, he would do anything in his power to lend aid. As he made his way back to his table, he tried to tell himself that it was just who he was: a giving person who would help anyone.

But he couldn’t lie to himself.

His offer to Evie had less to do with who he was and way more with how he felt about her.

And that scared the hell out of him.

---

Evie managed to hold it together until they got home. Fortunately, Jonah prattled on all the way home about how nice Mrs. McCormick was to buy him a treat and how much he liked hanging out with all the McCormicks. It was a good distraction to listen to Jonah list off all the reasons he liked the McCormick brothers.

“Cal is a super cool television star,” Jonah said. “Do you think I could get on set one day? That would be cool.”

“I’m not sure.”

“And Ian has boats. A lot of boats. Don’t you think it would be cool to have so many boats?”

“I hadn’t thought about it.”

“Declan kind of hangs around a lot,” Jonah said. “I like him. He’s not smart like Mitch. Mitch is smart because he’s a teacher,” Jonah declared, making Evie laugh.

She was thankful for his distraction because if he noticed his mother was off or edgy, he didn’t say anything. Not that she would have had a good answer for him anyway.

How could she explain that she’d just received a phone call out of the blue that she’d feared she might one day get?

She couldn’t.

And she wouldn’t say anything until she got more information.

As soon as they got home, Evie handed her son the remote for his video game system that she only let him use occasionally, and almost never when it was sunny and nice outside. He was a smart kid and didn’t question it, choosing instead to head into the living room before his mother changed her mind.

The moment she heard the music from the game, Evie grabbed her phone and went outside to her deck. But she didn’t make a call right away.

Instead, she stared out at the garden she’d worked hard to build for the last few years. Just like their life. Hers and Jonah’s. She’d worked incredibly hard over the last eight years to save money, to buy the modest little house, and to more importantly, make it a home. She’d worked every day to make sure Jonah didn’t want for anything.

Even a father.

She knew it was futile. And he did occasionally ask her questions about him. She was always honest. As honest as was appropriate and showed him pictures of his dad and told her the little she knew: he lived in the city, he sold cars, and he cared about him. She’d always made the last part up. Truthfully, she didn’t know whether he cared or not because he never called or sent birthday or Christmas cards. But at the bare minimum, Tony did send money. Child support payments had appeared regularly for the last eight years.

Evie had been fine with their arrangement. Jonah wasn’t left wanting for anything and they were doing quite well on their own.

Until now.

Her hand shook just holding the phone that less than an hour ago had delivered the news that Tony Clarke was back in town.

It had been Milena Hill who’d called to let her know. Despite growing up in the same town, they were still fairly new friends, although closer than ever after Evie had aided in Cal McCormick’s romantic gesture toward his new girlfriend recently. So when she saw Milena’s number show up on the call display, she’d expected an offer for a coffee date or maybe a glass of wine. She had most definitely not expected the news Milena had delivered.

“I had a very interesting visitor in the office this morning,” Milena said when Evie took the call. As the local real estate agent in a booming town, Milena got a lot of interesting visitors looking for houses. That wasn’t unusual. “He said he knew you.” That was unusual.

“Oh?”

“I wish I didn’t have to be the one to tell you this, Evie.” Milena paused and in that moment, Evie knew what her friend was going to say. Her stomach fell and knotted in an angry twist all at once. “Tony Clarke came in looking to buy a house.”

Evie nodded and when she remembered Milena couldn’t see her, she said, “Oh. A house?”

“Yes. He wants me to find him a house,” Milena said. “For him and his new wife.” Milena delivered the last bit of news with care. No doubt her friend was worried for her feelings.

The truth was Evie didn’t care whether Tony was married or not. She had no romantic feelings for him at all. She never really had. Not really. He was a teenage mistake. One that had resulted in the best thing in her life. But a mistake nonetheless.

The only thing she cared about was why he was in town.

Why Cedar Springs?

“For a vacation home?”

“No,” Milena said. She could hear the hesitation in her friend’s voice. “A permanent house. They want to move to Cedar Springs.”

The knot in her stomach pulled tighter. If she hadn’t been standing in front of Scott’s Stop, she might have crumpled to the ground. But Evie was aware that Jonah could be watching. Anyone could. She had to keep it together.

And that’s exactly what she’d done until she’d gotten home.

Now, sitting on her back deck, reliving the conversation, she thought she might be sick.

Of all the places to live, why was Tony in Cedar Springs?

What did he want?

Did he want Jonah?

That was her biggest concern. No. It was her only concern.

Evie took a deep breath and dialed the number for Russ Vince, old family friend, and the lawyer who’d helped her sort out the child support and custody details with Tony when Jonah was born.

The phone rang three times and finally his message played.

“Russ. It’s Evelyn Rose. Please call me back as soon as you can. I just learned that Tony is back in town and I need to know why and what it means for Jonah. Call me back,” she said again. “Please.”

She disconnected the call and dropped her head, letting her hands fall heavy in her lap.

She wouldn’t cry. She couldn’t. Besides, there was nothing to worry about. Not yet. And until there was something to worry about, she was going to stay calm and carry on as if everything was normal.

Whatever that was.