“It’s because he’s fluffy and sweet like a peony flower. Isn’t that right, my angel? Yes, it is. Yes itis.”
I grunted. “He looks like the byproduct of a sheep getting a little too friendly with a stuffed teddy bear.”
“Hush. Don’t listen to him, Peony. You’re perfection.”
The dog scurried away, probably to mount an attack on some unsuspecting throw pillows in the living room.
“What has you in a bad mood?” my mom asked idly as she turned back to the laptop she’d set up on the kitchen island. It may have seemed like she was only listening with one ear, but I knew better.
“Bad mood?Pssht. I’m in a fine mood.”
“Okay.” She clicked a few keys on the keyboard.
“Business is going okay, right? Revenues are pretty comparable with last year. We’re fully staffed for the first time in months. If things keep up, Imightbe able to put aside a little savings to update the kitchen, if my bookkeeper agrees.”
“Mmhmm. I do.”
“My house has a solid roof, finally. Oh, and the addition I was telling you about is almost done—the fireplace is in, and Remy Fortnum’s making me some shelves that’ll be perfect for the space. Exactly as I pictured.”
“How nice.”
“There was even a sale on socks at the Save-a-Ton,and I got a whole bunch of those wool ones I like,” I said a little desperately. “So.” I set my jaw. “There’s no reason at all for me to be in a bad mood or even a less-than-wonderful mood. Obviously.”
She nodded without looking up. “You sure you don’t wanna use my blender for that, honey? It has an excellent puree function.”
I looked down at the carrots I’d been chopping and discovered they’d been diced into a fine pulp. “Dammit.” I walked over to scrape the mess into the sink before starting again.
“So… how’s Hawk?” she asked, deliberately, carefully casual.
I nearly sliced my finger with the sharp blade before slapping the knife down on the counter and holding up my hand in surrender. “Can we not do this thing? This thing where you speak in code and act all nonchalant?”
Her eyes finally came up to meet mine, sparkling with amusement. “Oh, I’m chalant. I’mverychalant. And I’m pretty darned sure something happened between the two of you. First clue was that you’ve been irritable and distracted this whole week. Second clue—” She pursed her lips. “—is that Hawk isn’t here with you when henevermisses a chance to visit Peony, which leads me to deduce that the problem is with him…”
“Deduce,” I scoffed. “Okay, Sherlock Holmes.”
“And third—” She shifted so her elbows were propped on the island, and the scuffed gold band she still wore after thirty years of widowhood glinted dully in the overhead light. “—I was at the library the other day and overheard Hawk asking Lars Yetzer if they have any copies ofMars and Venus in the Workplace.” She sniffed. “I almost intervened to tell him Venus and Mars are irrelevant if he’s having a problem withyou,and outdated in any case, but I didn’t. Because I’m not the kind of parent who tries to interfere in her son’s life…” She lifted her chin a notch. “Much.”
The revelation that Hawk was frustrated enough with me to seek out a book about workplace relations made my stomach hurt. “Wait, he asked for that book? Are you sure?”
She hesitated. “Well, yes. I don’t know why, of course. Could be that he’s trying to improve his relationship with Katey… though I thought she was pretty easygoing now that she’s put away her obsession with Hawk’s brother.”
“She kinda had to since Webb and Luke are married now,” I muttered. “But there were a few moments last spring that were a little hairy, so it could be that. Or maybe it’s Crys. She can be… direct.”
I wasn’t sure yet about my newest employee. Crystal Hardin had moved to Little Pippin Hollow a few months ago, just when our business was picking up for the summer season. She’d already accepted a part-time job as a bartender at the Bugle when she’d come to me asking to pick up a few shifts a week at Panini Jack’s. It had seemed serendipitous at the time, but then she and Hawk started getting closer to the point where I felt a little… left out.
“Nah, those two are thick as thieves,” Mom corrected, reading my mind as usual. “I doubt it’s anything to do with her.”
“Well, it’s nothing to do with me either,” I said firmly, despite my fears to the contrary. “Hawk and I arefriends. As usual. Asalways. In fact, we’re going for another hike tomorrow.”
“Oh, good.” She gave me a soft smile, then set her laptop aside and moved around the island to grab place mats and salad bowls. “You know, at first, I wondered why you and Hawk kept going for your hikes together even when Webb and his other siblings got busy and started begging off. He’s so much younger than you, sodifferentfrom you, I wondered what you could possibly have in common.” She laughed lightly.
I snipped some herbs from the pot on her windowsill and pointedly didn’t look at her. “You don’t wonder about that anymore?” My mom wasn’t the only one who could bechalantas hell.
“God, no. Not for a long while. Hawk’s good for you, baby. You were always so serious, even as a kid. Taking the world on your little shoulders. Part of that was my fault?—”
“It was not.” I whirled to face her. “You’re a great mother. You always have been.”
“Thank you, sweetie. I tried my best after your dad was gone, but it wasn’t an easy life for either of us back in Portland, was it? Never enough hours in the day, never enough money in the bank, never enough food on the table.” She set down the dishes and snuck a carrot chunk out of the salad to pop in her mouth.
