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“Isn’t it kind of suspicious that he doesn’t want to talk on the phone?”Jade interrupted.“I know Mitch is concerned about—”
“Mitch doesn’t need to be concerned about anything.”Maureen stopped her daughter-in-law.“I’m an adult, and I can take care of myself.Besides, don’t the two of you have your hands full right now?”
She used her head to gesture to the newborn Jade was currently feeding.
Maureen’s first grandchild, Clara McCormick, had been born only a month earlier, at the end of February.After some initial worry during pregnancy that there might be complications with the baby, she was born totally healthy and absolutely perfect.Maureen was completely smitten with her and tried to spend as much time as she possibly could helping out at Mitch and Jade’s house while also respecting their space.She was finding it to be a delicate balance, which was why she was thrilled when Mitch arranged for all the ladies to come over for the afternoon.
She’d even put up with the younger women’s nosy questions if it meant she could sneak in some extra granddaughter cuddle time.
“We definitely do have our hands full,” Jade admitted.She readjusted the baby at her breast and sank back against the couch cushion.“I swear, all I do is sit right here and make milk.I feel like a—”
“Don’t say it.”Evie stopped her.“This phase will pass.”She offered Jade a reassuring smile.“They’re always like this at first.All they do for the first month or two is sleep and eat.”
“And poop.”Milena giggled.
“Does she ever poop.”Jade laughed.“Fortunately, Mitch handles a lot of the diapers.”
“I never thought I’d see the day.”Maureen shook her head.“He really is a good father.”
Jade’s face lit up.“I’m so lucky.”
“It has nothing to do with luck.”Gwen sat on the couch next to Jade.“Amazing attracts amazing.”She squeezed Jade’s arm lightly.“Besides, you’ve trained him well.”
The ladies laughed and for a moment, Maureen forgot they’d been interrogating her about Adam and the letter she’d received on New Year’s Eve.
Unfortunately, Gwen hadn’t.“You do have to admit that it’s a little unusual.”She shifted the topic of conversation easily back to Maureen.“Writing letters is very…”
“Romantic,” Evie filled in.
“I was going to say archaic.”
Maureen’s mouth dropped open.
“I think it’s very romantic, Maureen.”
“Thank you, Evie.”
“What’s romantic?”Amber appeared in the doorway, holding a tray with a tinfoil-wrapped plate.
“Maureen’s letters.”
“Ohh.”Amber set the plate on the table and took a seat across from her.“I agree.Soromantic.”
“But you have to admit,” Jade said.“It is unusual.”
“Of course it’s unusual,” Evie said in support.“But the whole situation is unusual.When was the last time you heard of two lovers reconnecting after almost forty years.”
“I don’t know if lover is…”
“Youwerelovers, weren’t you?”Amber stared at her, eagerly waiting for an answer.
The last thing she wanted to talk about with the girls was her sex life.Even if it had taken place so long ago.Yet, she also knew when she was outnumbered.They were not going to be satisfied until they got some details.Not that there were very many to give out.Even if she wanted to.Which she really didn’t.
Amber wiggled her eyebrows, and Maureen couldn’t help but laugh at the girl she’d come to love as her own daughter despite the fact that she and her sister Chelsea were both constant reminders of her husband’s long-running affair.There had been a time not too long ago when she wouldn’t have been able to be in the same room as either of the girls, but that was also when she couldn’t bear to return to Cedar Springs either.So much had changed.
Her sons had believed for years that the reason they’d left the lake house after learning of Harold’s affair and secret family was because the memory of learning about her husband’s betrayal in her favorite place was too much for Maureen to bear.But it couldn’t have been further from the truth.
It was true that Maureen had known of Harold’s affair for years.Just as she’d known about Chelsea and Amber’s existence.She’d never told anyone about what she knew because she’d secretly hoped she would never have to.Naively, she’d assumed that if she ignored the fact that her husband had a secret life, they could all go on existing as they always had.She’d keep looking the other way, Harold could have it all, and her boys would never need to know about their father’s betrayal.
