Minnie scoffed and gave a dismissive shrug. "Come on, Mr. Walter Gordon, we're both smart here. Why play these games with me? But hey, even if you try to hide it, I'm not buying it."As she spoke, Minnie tried to stay composed, but inside, a storm was raging. She could not stand the thought that while she was gone, Walter could actually fall for that wretched Evangeline.Even so, she had to ask. Walter's coldness made her fear she might never get another chance."Believe what you want. It's your head, your thoughts. I'm not here to control them, and I sure don't owe you any explanations," Walter replied, keeping it frustratingly vague.Admitting he liked Evangeline in front of Minnie was a no-win situation. Plus, he knew all about Minnie's conflict with Evangeline. With Evangeline carrying their child, the last thing he wanted was to turn Minnie into an enemy. If things went south, he would never forgive himself."If you're just here to grill me with pointless questions, then you
After his father passed away too soon, Walter's mother, a widow, had borne the burden of their lives within the Gordon family for years, always the target of others' mistreatment. That all changed when Walter took charge of the family business. The person who had made life difficult lost their resolve and left the estate, and at last, their lives took a turn for the better.So, looking out for herself and her son had become her survival instinct. How could anyone fault her for that? If she was ambitious, was it not all for him?He could not stop thinking about how wrong he had been.Aria shot Walter an irritated look. "Why am I here, you say? To pamper my ungrateful son, that's why! Here, I made your favorite Roasted Pear and Butternut Squash Soup."She scooped up a small bowl from the pot and handed it to Walter. "Be careful, it's fresh off the stove and still hot. Take it slow."Walter stared at the soup in his hands, his eyes brimming with tears that he fought to keep at bay.
"There's only room for Evangeline in my heart. Mom, if you want me to be happy, let's not bring up other women ever again."Walter's words were firm, his face more serious than she had ever seen.Aria looked on, her eyes brimming with concern. "However, Evie...""No 'buts.' No matter what, I'm not interested in anyone else but Evangeline."Seeing Walter's determination, Aria realized further discussion was pointless, and she sighed."It's such a shame. Ms. Kast seems to care about you so much that I even thought she might look after you better than Evangeline. Especially since the west-wing villa is so far away, she must be really worried about you, to make it here in just over ten minutes!"Walter's head snapped up as if he had been shocked by a bolt of lightning."Mom, what did you just say?"He had heard his mother's words, but he could not quite believe his ears.Aria's eyebrows shot up in surprise. She could not figure out what she had said to make Walter freak out like t
"Walter, I dashed off so fast that I forgot to tell you something. Grandpa Cole doesn't know the whole story about the fight, just that you're hurt and need to rest at home. So, when you're feeling up to it, swing by the Foster family's old place to see him. It'll keep him from worrying too much."Life was full of strange coincidences.Evangeline could not help but think how lucky Walter was to have kept the whole fiasco from Cole.Hiding the truth for Cole's well-being was not wrong. What was surprising was that Trey, too, kept silent about the whole thing. Then, it all hinged on Walter.As soon as Walter was feeling better, they would both go and check in with Cole. Then, they could put that whole mess behind them."When do you want to head back? I'm ready to go now."The mere thought of seeing Evangeline sent a thrill through Walter, and he moved too quickly, wincing as he aggravated his back injury.Evangeline caught his pained grunt loud and clear. "Let's hold off on that.
The cafe was a snug haven, and Alex's smile was just as warm, shining like he was soaking up the first rays of spring."Evie, it's been ages.""Yeah, it feels like forever since we last hung out."Evangeline had not been feeling herself lately, skipping university for quite a stretch."Hey Alex, is it okay if I keep missing school?""You're not exactly on the faculty roster, Evie. Just drop in and dazzle them with a guest lecture now and then. It's all good for the school's rep."Evangeline's worries melted away as Alex spoke with such an easygoing tone."I'm not too fussed, just as long as the school isn't giving you grief."The Foster family did not fuss over the teaching salary, but Evangeline could not forget that it was Alex who had pulled the strings to get her that job. If Alex's work suffered because of her, she would be wracked with guilt."No worries. You forgot, didn't you? I'm the school's golden boy, and they begged me to come back. They wouldn't dream of hassling
Evangeline set down her dessert spoon, her face taking on a grave expression.Alex had a point.Evangeline had never known the warmth of a full family, and the thought of her child facing the same struggles she did was unbearable.Then, like a jolt of lightning, Evangeline's resolve hardened, and her gaze turned fierce."Alex, are you telling me to stick it out with Walter?" she demanded.She had mustered all her courage to kick that jerk to the curb. Alex, the guy she thought of as her wise brother, was suggesting she should not get a divorce?"No way, no way," Alex backpedaled quickly. "I'm just talking about what's best for the kid. A kid needs a family, sure, needs a dad, but any dad who's there from day one will do. It doesn't have to be Mr. Right."Of course, 'Mr. Right' did not have to be Walter.That calmed Evangeline slightly."I'm not even thinking about that right now."Her thoughts were a tangled mess. How could she even consider finding a dad for her kid? She was
Evangeline felt rather full when Alex's conversation topic zapped her appetite. She decided to just relax and chat with him.Her thoughts drifted to the woman who was always tagging along with Alex."Alex, how come Ms. Kast isn't here?"The mention of Minnie's name took Alex off guard, and he blurted without thinking, "Why would she be?"Evangeline was stumped for a second.To everyone else, Alex had always said Minnie was just his student. Since they were not dating, it was normal for them not to hang out together.However, still…"I always see you two as joined at the hip, so I figured she'd be with you wherever you go."Alex laughed. "She stuck close when she was new here because everything was so foreign to her. Now that she's got her own friends, she doesn't need to shadow me anymore! Plus, it's not always ideal for a girl to be around me all the time."'Like right now.'Alex bit back the rest of his thoughts. When he faced Evangeline again, his heart was racing, though
Evangeline's attention, however, quickly switched to Alex sitting across from her."Isn't fate strange, Alex? We step out for coffee and bump into friends." She chuckled.Alex shifted his gaze from Minnie and agreed with a grin, "It's uncanny, really."Something seemed to click for him, and he added, "Think about it. Similar family stories, the same hobbies, and now we're practically family. Our connection's pretty deep!"Evangeline mulled over his words and nodded inwardly, but something did not sit right with her.Alex was not one for chummy talk, so why the change? She blamed her pregnancy for her sluggish thoughts and decided not to puzzle over it too much, just laughing it off instead."Should we go say hi?" Evangeline suggested, raising an eyebrow toward Walter, "You know, because of this crazy thing called fate?""Sure, go for it. I haven't caught up with Walter in ages, and a good chat sounds great."Little did they know, after Minnie let out a gasp of feigned shock, sh