She glanced over at Donna, who gave her a knowing smile. Donna had noticed it, too. Evelyn looked around at all of them, and love swirled through her. She was so lucky to have this family. And so much the better if her mother was softening toward all of them.
As if reading her mind, Donna raised her glass in their traditional toast. “To the Parker women.”
“Oh,” her mother said, a smile widening as she raised her glass, as if surprised to be included.
“Oh, let me get a photo of this.” Evelyn propped her phone across from them.
“To the Parker women,” they all toasted as the photo captured the moment.
After brunch, the driver dropped Patricia off back at Sunrise Village. It rather annoyed her that she needed a driver now, but she’d had a couple of fender benders, and she was trying to convince herself that a driver was a luxury she could afford, not some no-driving-allowed sentence.
She walked into the lobby, thinking about what a good time she’d had today. And she was slightly taken aback at the realization. She’d enjoyed the company. Enjoyed the conversation. Though, she’d been right in thinking that it would be hot and humid. It had been beastly hot.
The girls had talked about Parker’s, and Heather had shown some new sketches she was working on. They talked about Barry, and Austin, and Jesse. And she even talked a little bit about Ted. What a surprise he’d been coming into her life again.
“Hi, there.” Ted smiled at her from his seat in the lobby as if summoned up by her thoughts.
Her heart quickened at the sight of him. “I thought you were out fishing today?”
“Got back a bit ago. I got cleaned up and thought I’d come wait for you and see how your first official Parker women brunch went.”
She sank onto the chair beside him. “It went just fine. I was nervous at first. That’s silly, isn’t it? I mean they are my family.”
“It’s not silly if that’s how you felt. And as you’ve told me, you haven’t been very close to them in recent years.”
“I haven’t. I don’t know how I let Nelson keep me so distant from their lives. And then I got used to it being that way. I can’t blame the girls for pulling away from me, either. I was rather… judgmental.”
“But things are better now.”
She let out a long sigh. “Oh, but how I wanted to tell Livy that her shorts were really too short for a woman her age. A woman of any age.”
Ted laughed. “But you didn’t.”
“I didn’t. And I didn’t tell Donna that she really needs a haircut. Maybe even a new style.”
He laughed again. “You are the most charming mix of correctness and… candor.”
She’d take that as a compliment. Probably.
“And for the first time… I really felt included. Like I was really one of the Parker women.”
He reached out and squeezed her hand. “And I’m very,veryhappy for you.”
Chapter 16
Jesse stood on the top deck of The Destiny, enjoying the breeze. They’d had a morning breakfast cruise out to the gulf and were just about to head back in, though that would take them a couple of hours. As much as he loved the dinner cruises, the breakfast ones were fun, too. And today was a perfect day out on the water. Light breeze. Minimal waves. Sunshine. He stood by the railing and enjoyed watching the boat cut through the sea.
His cell rang, and he grabbed it from his pocket, frowning when he didn’t recognize the number. “Hello?”
“Is this Jesse Brown?”
“It is.”
“This is Mrs. Grimshaw.” He frowned. The principal from the school.
“Is something wrong?”
“I’m afraid there is. You need to come in and talk to us. There’s been… a problem.”
