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Willow knew she wouldn’t move to a house down the street from the Eldridges and their newly expanded family, no matter how much she loved the home’s floor plan, but she wasn’t lying when she said she didn’t have the mental capacity to think the whole thing through at the moment. Plus, she’d need to take her mother’s wishes into consideration before she made any decision about where she, Drew, and Emma would make their permanent home. That meant she’d finally have to come clean with Mom.Ugh.“I’ll call you next week, Maggie. That’s the best I can do.”
Andy’s mother released an aggrieved sigh. “Well, I guess. All right.”
“And please, Maggie. Please don’t say anything about this to my mother while you’re here. The thought of the children and me moving to Texas will cause a shi—It will upset her. This is a special week for my brother and his bride; it wouldn’t be fair to them to disrupt that.”
“Very well.”
“I have your word?”
Maggie nodded. “Yes, Willow. I’m not unreasonable.”
That claim ended the conversation, and Maggie and Willow caught up with Tom and the children at Cabin 11, where the Eldridges were staying during their week in Lake in the Clouds. After saying their good nights, Willow escorted the children on toward Cabin 17.
She’d overseen bath time in a daze, her emotions a stew of shock, devastation, and anger. Then, needing a distraction and food for breakfast, Willow gathered up her children and escaped to the General Store.
Now, she still wasn’t ready to return to the ghosts of betrayals past that awaited her back at Raindrop Lodge. Neither did she want to think about houses and Texas. So what the heck? Forget about bedtime.Let’s go bowling!With a sexy, secretive stranger who was not Santa Claus.
Noah Tannehill. He’d been nice to her tonight.
A truck in the next row flashed its lights at her. Noah. She gave him a little wave, climbed into her vehicle, and started the engine. When he’d told her to follow him, she hadn’t argued. She’d been glad not to think about where she was going. She wanted to put her brain on cruise control.
She didn’t want to think about Maggie Eldridge or houses in Texas or toddlers named AJ. Andrew John.
I should have hired a nanny for the kids this week myself.
When Maggie and Tom Eldridge offered to come for the wedding a few days early in order to help with the children, Willow was pleased to accept. It was crunch time for the event. She had her hands full, as did her own mother. Having babysitters available should have made everything about this week more manageable. Instead, she had a crisis on her hands.
If Maggie spills these beans to Mom?Willow shuddered at the thought.
Drew tossed her a lifeline by interrupting her musings as she turned left out of the General Store parking lot. “Have I ever been bowling before, Mom? I don’t remember.”
“No. This will be your first time.”
“I can’t wait!”
Emma followed up with her most oft-used phrase. “Me, too!”
A sense of disembodiment gripped Willow as she followed Noah’s truck to State Street and turned right. She couldn’t believe she was doing this. It was so out of character for her.
Or was it really?
She was basically running away from a problem. That was right in her wheelhouse, wasn’t it? It’s what she’d been doing since Andy died, something she’d come to Lake in the Clouds having vowed to change.
“Yeah, well, change shmange. I’m not ready yet,” Willow muttered as she flipped on her signal and turned into the parking lot at Mountaineer Lanes.
Red, yellow, and white neon lights flashed, illuminating the angles and planes of Noah Tannehill’s face after he parked his truck and began to approach her vehicle. It gave him a devilish look. Willow also noted his limp and recalled how he’d struggled to stand at the grocery store. How in the world could he bowl?
The rumble of balls, crash of pins, and whir of a ball return greeted the foursome as they walked into Mountaineer Lanes. Drew’s eyes went round with wonder. Emma gasped with delight. Willow tried to recall the last time she’d gone bowling. Never with Andy. Too blue-collar of an activity for him. Maybe back in college on a girls’ night?Nevertheless, it had been a long time ago. Willow recalled enjoying the activity tremendously, but she’d seriously hated wearing rental bowling shoes.
“I wonder if they’d let the kids bowl in socks?” she mused.
Noah tipped his ear toward her, but she could tell he hadn’t heard her above the din. She pointed toward the children’s feet and raised her voice. “Shoes.”
“They can go in their socks. What size shall I get for you?”
“Could I wear my socks, too? I can’t tell you how much I despise wearing rental—” Willow broke off abruptly as Emma took off running.
“Auntie!” The girl exclaimed.
