He loved seeing her this happy. He did. So he just smiled, not wanting to burst her joy. He still wasn’t convinced that buying this place—with absolutelynoexperience running a resort—could ever be called a well-thought-out,greatdecision. But then Vi was known for her snap decisions. Maybe, just maybe, this one might work out okay for her.
Chapter 15
Patricia stared into her closet late Sunday morning. Brunch with the girls. She’d normally pull on one of her well-tailored pairs of slacks and possibly a silk blouse. But the girls would dress more casually, and they’d all be sitting out on Donna’s lanai. It would be hot and humid, but she vowed not to complain about the heat. Or at least try not to.
She frowned as she scanned her outfits, looking for something more casual. She didn’tdocasual very often. Finally settling on a pair of navy slacks and a crisp white shirt, she slipped the outfit on. That was the best she could do. Her meager attempt to fit in.
She added some jewelry and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Not a gray hair was showing, and as far as she was concerned there never would be one.
It was ridiculous to be nervous about going to a family brunch, but she was. Just the girls. The Parker women. She knew they all met often, but she’d turned them down so many times, they’d quit asking her to their Parker women brunch. But this time they’d asked her and she’d accepted the invitation.
She was trying—really she was—to be more social with her family. It was hard to change from years of habit, though. Her husband had rarely had time for family functions. He was all about business dinners and events. It was easier to go along with his decisions than try to change his mind. Now that he was gone, it was hard to grasp the concept that she got to make her own decisions about where she wanted to go and who she wanted to see.
She’d never been very close to her daughters or her granddaughter. Maybe she didn’t have the proper mother gene in her. But she was trying to make things better.
It was still hard to bite her tongue around them, though. They made so many choices that she disagreed with. But as Ted had pointed out when they talked about it, the girls had just as much right to be making their own decisions as she did now. Practical advice, but still hard to live with.
The receptionist called up and said her driver had arrived. She took one last look, grabbed her purse, and headed downstairs.
Evelyn helped Donna in the kitchen, getting everything ready for the brunch. Livy and Heather came in laughing and laden with the makings for mimosas.
“So, Mother really said she was coming?” Evelyn asked for like the fourth time. It still shocked her that their motherwantedto come.
“Hey, she’s really changed since she started going out with Ted. I saw her actually strolling through the park with him the other day.” Heather set the Champagne on the counter. “Since when does Grandmother go on walks?”
“I’m not sure when it started, but it has to be Ted’s influence. She’s not much of an outdoors person.” Livy plunked the orange juice next to the Champagne. “You did tell her that we’ll be outside today for brunch, right?”
“I did.” Donna nodded.
“She seems different these days. Less stuffy. More… relaxed? It couldn’t have been easy living with Father all those years. He was… hard. Critical.” Evelyn shook her head. “It’s strange to think that she’s datingyourfather now, Donna. What a twist of fate.”
“I’m still not over the shock of finding out that Ted is my father. But I’ve enjoyed getting to know him better. We had dinner a few times. Barry and I had drinks out on the porch at The Cabot Hotel one evening with him and Mother. It’s all kinds of new and strange. I’ve seen more of Mother in the last six weeks than I have in the last sixyears.”
The doorbell rang, and Donna hurried off to answer it, returning with Patricia.
“Hi, Grandmother. I’m making mimosas. Want one?” Heather offered.
“That sounds lovely.”
“I thought we’d have drinks on the lanai, then I’ll take up brunch. The casserole still needs another fifteen minutes or so.” Donna snatched a tea towel from her shoulder, folded it carefully, and placed it on the counter. Then glanced at their mother as if waiting for her to correct her towel folding or complain about moving outside.
But their mother just carried her drink and followed Heather and Livy out the door. Evelyn couldn’t help but notice that she sat rather rigidly in her chair, though. She was dressed more casually than usual, which was nice. Donna, Livy, and Heather were dressed in a mixture of shorts, a sundress, and capris with a t-shirt. Her motheralmostfit in. She certainly was trying. Evelyn would give her that much credit.
“So, Mother. Livy said she saw you at the park with Ted.” Evelyn tried to pull her mother into their conversation.
“Yes. Ted and I take walks almost every day. It’s nice to get out and get some fresh air.”
Who was this woman and what had she done with her mother?“Uh… every day?”
“Almost. Unless it’s raining, of course. Ted loves to take nice long walks. We started taking short ones, but…” She gave a graceful shrug of her shoulders. “I seem to be getting to where I can take longer ones with him. I even bought something called walking shoes. Not very chic, but practical.”
She couldn’t picture her mother in anything but the stylish pumps she usually wore. She stole a glance at her mother’s footwear. Still pumps, even for a casual brunch. At least that much hadn’t changed.
“Ted seems like a nice guy,” Livy chimed in.
“He’s a very nice man.” A delicate blush crept over her face.
Evelyn had never seen her mother like this. Never seen her—she stared at her mother as a wave of shock swept over her—her mother washappy. There was no other way to describe it. Happy. She was certain she had never, ever seen her mother happy.
