a bit more emotional than Eva had ever seen her. But unhappy? The thought hit her hard. She'd been so caught up in her own drama with Jeff that she hadn't been paying proper attention to her friend. What kind of best friend was she?
"I'll go see her right now," Eva promised. "And I know Andi would appreciate your concern. Honestly, we both do. You are a good friend, Carmen."
For a moment, Eva thought Carmen herself might break into tears, so she pulled her into an impromptu hug. When she released her, Eva took a long look at her friend, and said, "How about you, Carmen? When was the last time you had a break?"
Carmen waved away Eva's concern. "I don't need a break," she said. "All I have to do to recharge is look at the windows. Besides, this place would fall apart without me."
True enough, Eva thought as she left Carmen at the front desk. And Andi was going to fall apart if Eva didn't figure out what was going on with her.
~ ~
Grateful for the distraction of the horses, Jeff pulled himself out of bed early and headed for the stables. It's not like he'd slept much anyway. After Marianne had kept him out all night, trying every trick she could think of to get him in bed, he'd managed to fake a headache and get away from her.
It was a good thing he’d stuck to only a few beers or he'd be feeling a whole lot worse than he already was.
And he was feeling like crap. But not because of what little alcohol he may have drunk. No matter what he might try to tell himself, he knew exactly what had his stomach churning and his chest aching. Eva.
For a split second the night before, he'd let himself get his hopes up and think that she wasn't with Troy, that maybe whatever they'd shared together was real. It sure as hell felt real to him. But Marianne had screwed up whatever chance he might have had to tell Eva how he really felt, and even if he'd had the chance, Eva had a boyfriend. It was a little detail he couldn't ignore. No matter how much he wanted to.
The horses greeted him with a chorus of whinnies and snorts, indicating their pleasure.
"Well, at least you're happy to see me," he said and patted Clover on the nose.
"I'm happy, too." He turned at the tiny voice, but he already knew who it belonged to.
"Ella!" He opened his arms just as the little girl crashed into him. "What are you doing here so early?"
"She insisted," Bo said.
Jeff looked up to see his best friend watching them with a smile on his face. Jeff unwound the little girl’s arms, took her hand and walked towards Bo.
"And what brings you here so early?"
"I promised Andi's father I'd take his family for a trail ride." He held up his hands, warding off Jeff's protests. "Don't worry, you don't have to come. I know you're busy with other things. Including…" Bo wiggled his eyebrows.
Jeff handed Ella a carrot and said, "Why don't you give this to Clover? I think she deserves a little treat."
Ella grabbed the carrot and skipped through the stable to find Clover's stall. When she was out of hearing range, Bo tried again. "What have you been busy with, Jeff? I heard you took Eva out into the woods yesterday. What was that all about?"
Jeff shot him a look, grabbed a pitchfork propped up against the wall and started shoveling fresh hay into a nearby stall. "I was doing her a favor," he said. "You weren’t around."
“Yeah, I was leading a snowshoe expedition with the kids," Bo said. He grabbed a piece of hay and started chewing on the end.
Jeff didn’t like the way Bo was staring at him, like he knew exactly what he was thinking, which was probably pretty true, since Bo knew Jeff better than anyone. But it didn’t mean he liked it. Jeff jammed the pitchfork deeper into the pile of hay and doubled his efforts. "Well, it doesn’t matter. I was just doing her a favor. She needed something for the wedding and there’s no way I was going to let her go out into the woods alone."
"Especially not when you were handy to keep
"I'll go see her right now," Eva promised. "And I know Andi would appreciate your concern. Honestly, we both do. You are a good friend, Carmen."
For a moment, Eva thought Carmen herself might break into tears, so she pulled her into an impromptu hug. When she released her, Eva took a long look at her friend, and said, "How about you, Carmen? When was the last time you had a break?"
Carmen waved away Eva's concern. "I don't need a break," she said. "All I have to do to recharge is look at the windows. Besides, this place would fall apart without me."
True enough, Eva thought as she left Carmen at the front desk. And Andi was going to fall apart if Eva didn't figure out what was going on with her.
~ ~
Grateful for the distraction of the horses, Jeff pulled himself out of bed early and headed for the stables. It's not like he'd slept much anyway. After Marianne had kept him out all night, trying every trick she could think of to get him in bed, he'd managed to fake a headache and get away from her.
It was a good thing he’d stuck to only a few beers or he'd be feeling a whole lot worse than he already was.
And he was feeling like crap. But not because of what little alcohol he may have drunk. No matter what he might try to tell himself, he knew exactly what had his stomach churning and his chest aching. Eva.
For a split second the night before, he'd let himself get his hopes up and think that she wasn't with Troy, that maybe whatever they'd shared together was real. It sure as hell felt real to him. But Marianne had screwed up whatever chance he might have had to tell Eva how he really felt, and even if he'd had the chance, Eva had a boyfriend. It was a little detail he couldn't ignore. No matter how much he wanted to.
The horses greeted him with a chorus of whinnies and snorts, indicating their pleasure.
"Well, at least you're happy to see me," he said and patted Clover on the nose.
"I'm happy, too." He turned at the tiny voice, but he already knew who it belonged to.
"Ella!" He opened his arms just as the little girl crashed into him. "What are you doing here so early?"
"She insisted," Bo said.
Jeff looked up to see his best friend watching them with a smile on his face. Jeff unwound the little girl’s arms, took her hand and walked towards Bo.
"And what brings you here so early?"
"I promised Andi's father I'd take his family for a trail ride." He held up his hands, warding off Jeff's protests. "Don't worry, you don't have to come. I know you're busy with other things. Including…" Bo wiggled his eyebrows.
Jeff handed Ella a carrot and said, "Why don't you give this to Clover? I think she deserves a little treat."
Ella grabbed the carrot and skipped through the stable to find Clover's stall. When she was out of hearing range, Bo tried again. "What have you been busy with, Jeff? I heard you took Eva out into the woods yesterday. What was that all about?"
Jeff shot him a look, grabbed a pitchfork propped up against the wall and started shoveling fresh hay into a nearby stall. "I was doing her a favor," he said. "You weren’t around."
“Yeah, I was leading a snowshoe expedition with the kids," Bo said. He grabbed a piece of hay and started chewing on the end.
Jeff didn’t like the way Bo was staring at him, like he knew exactly what he was thinking, which was probably pretty true, since Bo knew Jeff better than anyone. But it didn’t mean he liked it. Jeff jammed the pitchfork deeper into the pile of hay and doubled his efforts. "Well, it doesn’t matter. I was just doing her a favor. She needed something for the wedding and there’s no way I was going to let her go out into the woods alone."
"Especially not when you were handy to keep
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