garden to end my marriage. I had nothing but relief to not have those same problems any more. I stayed single for years because I was scared shitless of falling in love with another man like my ex. And several of the men I dated were exactly like that. I have never had your amazing luck with men.”
“ My amazing luck with men? ” Eve repeated, laughing at the strange comment.
Hilde nodded. “Yes, Evelyn. I wasn’t joking when I said it. David made you happy. He gave you a real family. Now you’ve got the perfect man next door lusting for you and willing to use his man tools for your benefit. That’s pretty damn lucky, if you ask me.”
“Man tools?” Eve laughed as she choked out the term.
“That’s what I call them. You know—shop vacs, screwdrivers, and anything else in the garage,” Hilde declared.
“Oh—right. Sam used his shop vac to clean up my kitchen,” Eve conceded, chuckling at the image in her head of Sam diligently making sure he got up all the water. “Those kinds of tools weren’t the first thing that came to my mind when you used that term, Professor Peppercorn.”
“Which is yet another damn reason to get over fretting and let yourself fall in love with Sam,” Hilde said. “Life is short, Evelyn. It’s obvious Sam makes you happy. Don’t let all the mind clutter of could-haves, would-haves, and should-haves keep you from grabbing this chance while you can.”
“Hilde, an hour with you is better than months with any therapist,” Eve declared.
“Damn skippy, it is. That’s what best friends are for—keeping the therapy bills down,” Hilde declared back.
“Thanks,” Eve said. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” Hilde said. “Now go home to the man. Quit hiding out in the coffee shop. And don’t forget to tell your children they need to start calling ahead before barging in from now on. That way you and Sam don’t get interrupted. Kids never think their parents are getting any. I had to change the locks to get my kids to respect my privacy.”
Eve chuckled as she stood. “Call you after New Year’s?”
“Definitely.”
They hugged goodbye and Eve headed home to face her children’s return.
***
“Ta-freaking-da. All fixed,” Rick declared, turning on the faucets with a flourish. “Sorry about the dead dishwasher, Mom. You needed a new one anyway.”
Eve beamed at her son. “I’m happy the sink is fixed. You really were worth those seventeen hours of labor, son. And you’re so good-looking too.”
Rick laughed at his mother’s teasing. “Don’t gush all over me. I’ll get embarrassed.”
“No worries. Gushing is ceasing as of now,” Eve said. “How about I fix you guys dinner? Better yet—let’s order pizza.”
“Jill and I thought we’d spend the night, if you don’t have other plans,” Rick said, wagging his eyebrows.
“What other plans would I have?” Eve asked, rapidly blinking her eyes in reply. “I’m not working again until next week. They’re running syndicated shows until then.”
“I don’t know. I thought maybe you might have a date—or a sleep over—or something,” Rick said, shrugging at his mother’s startled look.
The muffled laughter from the table had Eve fisting her hands on her hips. “Anybody want to tell me what this interrogation is all about?”
“Mom, we know you and Sam spent Christmas Day together. He sent Nathan a text,” Megan declared.
“We did spend the day together. We spent it at Nathan’s grandparents,” Eve said. “The pilot on their furnace stopped working. Joyce fed us a wonderful turkey dinner. It was a very nice day and I didn’t have to cook any of the meal.”
Four disappointed expressions made Eve snicker even though she fought hard to suppress her amusement. She just wasn’t ready to confess yet and saw no reason to.
“What in hell are those long faces for? You’re all acting very strangely, more than usual even,” Eve declared. She followed Rick around the counter
“ My amazing luck with men? ” Eve repeated, laughing at the strange comment.
Hilde nodded. “Yes, Evelyn. I wasn’t joking when I said it. David made you happy. He gave you a real family. Now you’ve got the perfect man next door lusting for you and willing to use his man tools for your benefit. That’s pretty damn lucky, if you ask me.”
“Man tools?” Eve laughed as she choked out the term.
“That’s what I call them. You know—shop vacs, screwdrivers, and anything else in the garage,” Hilde declared.
“Oh—right. Sam used his shop vac to clean up my kitchen,” Eve conceded, chuckling at the image in her head of Sam diligently making sure he got up all the water. “Those kinds of tools weren’t the first thing that came to my mind when you used that term, Professor Peppercorn.”
“Which is yet another damn reason to get over fretting and let yourself fall in love with Sam,” Hilde said. “Life is short, Evelyn. It’s obvious Sam makes you happy. Don’t let all the mind clutter of could-haves, would-haves, and should-haves keep you from grabbing this chance while you can.”
“Hilde, an hour with you is better than months with any therapist,” Eve declared.
“Damn skippy, it is. That’s what best friends are for—keeping the therapy bills down,” Hilde declared back.
“Thanks,” Eve said. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” Hilde said. “Now go home to the man. Quit hiding out in the coffee shop. And don’t forget to tell your children they need to start calling ahead before barging in from now on. That way you and Sam don’t get interrupted. Kids never think their parents are getting any. I had to change the locks to get my kids to respect my privacy.”
Eve chuckled as she stood. “Call you after New Year’s?”
“Definitely.”
They hugged goodbye and Eve headed home to face her children’s return.
***
“Ta-freaking-da. All fixed,” Rick declared, turning on the faucets with a flourish. “Sorry about the dead dishwasher, Mom. You needed a new one anyway.”
Eve beamed at her son. “I’m happy the sink is fixed. You really were worth those seventeen hours of labor, son. And you’re so good-looking too.”
Rick laughed at his mother’s teasing. “Don’t gush all over me. I’ll get embarrassed.”
“No worries. Gushing is ceasing as of now,” Eve said. “How about I fix you guys dinner? Better yet—let’s order pizza.”
“Jill and I thought we’d spend the night, if you don’t have other plans,” Rick said, wagging his eyebrows.
“What other plans would I have?” Eve asked, rapidly blinking her eyes in reply. “I’m not working again until next week. They’re running syndicated shows until then.”
“I don’t know. I thought maybe you might have a date—or a sleep over—or something,” Rick said, shrugging at his mother’s startled look.
The muffled laughter from the table had Eve fisting her hands on her hips. “Anybody want to tell me what this interrogation is all about?”
“Mom, we know you and Sam spent Christmas Day together. He sent Nathan a text,” Megan declared.
“We did spend the day together. We spent it at Nathan’s grandparents,” Eve said. “The pilot on their furnace stopped working. Joyce fed us a wonderful turkey dinner. It was a very nice day and I didn’t have to cook any of the meal.”
Four disappointed expressions made Eve snicker even though she fought hard to suppress her amusement. She just wasn’t ready to confess yet and saw no reason to.
“What in hell are those long faces for? You’re all acting very strangely, more than usual even,” Eve declared. She followed Rick around the counter
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