Page 55 of Coming Home

“Clayton and Evan didn’t care for him either,” she said.

“Yup.” Mom’s jaw clenched, and her gray eyes lifted to the fluorescent ceiling lights.

Nat fiddled with the hem of her skirt. “Ev…” she stopped.

Her stare zeroed in on the fingers of Mom’s right hand pulling at the cuticles of her left. An image of nails bitten past the quick and ragged red cuticles flashed in her vision. They never talked about Evan, especially with Mom. Why had she mentioned him?

“Everything at Zambito’s is good. Dad and you should go on a date night.” She reached for a distraction from the ghost of Evan swirling between them.

Mom’s gaze flicked to the picture frames on Nat’s desk. That gaze narrowed in on the one from Nat’s eighteenth birthday, the last “Complete Owens Family” picture with Evan.

“Mrs. Owens.” LeAnne appeared at the door, her dark brows linked in frustration. “I’m having issues with one of the insurance companies. Can you come work your magic?”

“Of course,” Mom said, tearing her gaze from the photo and shifting away with LeAnne.

Nat picked up the picture and stared at it. The last captured moment of all of them. The last time when mentioning Evan’s name didn’t send Mom into a tailspin. Opening her top drawer, she slid the picture inside and with a sigh shut the drawer.

CHAPTER TWENTY

“I don’t pretend to be wise, but I am observing, and I see a great deal more than you’d imagine.”~Louisa May Alcott,Little Women

“This sex lasagna is pretty tasty,” Summer teased, pitching her voice in a low, seductive tone.

“There aremultiplelayers.” Nat winked, not being the least bit embarrassed by the teasing from her friend, with whom she’d shared the entire story the moment she walked into the Little Red Barn.

Both were too tired from long workdays to venture far for their dinner date. Nat reheated the leftover lasagna, while Summer brought a salad and a piece of chocolate peanut butter pie to share from the café.

“God, I missmultiplelayers,” Summer whined with the fury of a five-year-old forced to eat spinach.

“I’m sure Todd would offer to assist you with that.”

Summer kicked Nat’s calf. The two sat on the couch, bare feet up on the coffee table and plates balanced on their laps.

“He’ssointo you.” Nat pointed her fork at Summer. “He’s got that whole sexy Prince Harry thing going on. Is it because he’s a ginger? Are you a gingeriest?”

“The only man in my life is Liam.” She waved her off. “So, will Stud Muffin be coming over tonight?”

“We didn’t plan on it.” Nat sat up, placing the plate on the coffee table before her and shifting her legs underneath her.

“You mean you’renottaking full advantage of this little love nest for the next five and a half days before Clayton and Elle come home?”

Face scrunched, Nat’s head tilted to the right. “Fair point.”

“So, I know this is a secret, but why? Clayton doesn’t seem the unreasonable type.” She forked her last bite of pasta.

“You’ve not experienced him when I have a boyfriend. He’s never liked any of them.”

“Well, after meeting Duncan, I can understand.”

It was beneath a very mature doctor, but Nat pinched her side.

“Asshole,” Summer giggled.

“They weren’talllike Duncan. I only had two other boyfriends. One in college for two years and one in the first year of medical school. They were nice guys, just not…”

“Noah,” Summer finished the sentence, her expression smug.

“Fuck,” Nat gasped. “Duncan said I never gave him a chance.”

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