something with not quite so much caffeine in. Maybe decaffeinated coffee.”
“What’s the point in that?” Eva smiled. “And having two drinks to yourself is cheating.”
“Not if I’m paying,” he laughed. “Oh, and I’m turning the tree lights on in the precinct tomorrow, along with Miss Battle. I was hoping you’d come with me? It’s between shows.”
“I’ll try.”
“That’s all I ask,” he replied, as he began pushing her again. “So if you don’t like the rain, what weather do you prefer?”
This time, Eva kept her eyes open, concentrating on the sound of his voice and not the sound of the rain.
6
Eva was up, bathed, and dressed the following morning without help, and appeared for breakfast. It was far easier than she’d imagined it would be. The hardest part had been going from bath to floor to chair, but the handles her father had installed in the downstairs bathroom had helped her manage alone. Yes, she’d been terrified, but the panic attack she’d half been expecting hadn’t materialized. Perhaps because she was doing this herself and had been able to control the level of water in the bath and length of time she’d been in it.
She even allowed herself a small smile at the victory. She’d never need help in the bathroom again. And the grins on her family’s face when she told them, made her want to grin as well.
Her mother looked at her. “To what do we owe this honor?” she teased. “I haven’t had to come in and drag you out of bed yet.”
“I have plans,” she said quietly. The look between her parents and Felicity didn’t go unmissed. “What?”
“Nothing,” Felicity said quickly. “Just nice to see you up and almost happy. Whatever did Matthew say to you yesterday?”
Her cheeks burned. “What makes you think he said anything?”
“Just wondered. He said he’d seen you and you’d gone for coffee, that’s all. Gone out for coffee, in the rain , I might add.”
“I had an umbrella.” Eva tried to appear nonchalant. “Do you and he talk about me often?”
Felicity laughed. “Yeah, he’s always asking about you.” She nodded at Eva’s hands. “What are those?”
“He bought me gloves so I don’t get sore hands pushing the wheels on this thing.”
“Neat. Let me see.” Felicity leaned toward her.
Eva held out her hands as her sister grabbed them, turning them over. “What do you think?”
“These are way cool. Why didn’t we think of this?”
“Harry said his gran is in a chair so he knows this kind of stuff.”
“Harry?”
Eva grinned at the confusion crossing her sister’s face. “That’s Matthew’s real name. Says it’s what his friends call him.”
Felicity elbowed her. “Friends, is it? More than friends? Has he kissed you?”
Eva’s face burned, and she looked down.
“He has, hasn’t he?” Felicity lifted Eva’s head and gazed at her. “Tell me.”
“Just my hand, but…”
Felicity squealed. “Tell me more.”
Eva shrugged. “Nothing more to say. Except he’s taking me to the tree lighting this afternoon. And he did say he might be over this morning at some point.”
“You dark horse you.” She hugged Eva tightly and jumped up. “This calls for bacon. Anyone else want some?”
Dad grinned. “Why not? You do the bacon, and I’ll do the eggs.”
Eva sat back in her chair, watching the others.
Felicity tossed her the bread. “Don’t just sit there, make the toast.”
Eva pushed the chair over to the side. “It’s not going to make things hard for you at work, is it? Me seeing Harry?”
“Don’t see why it should. After all, I work with a Matthew, and you’re dating a Harry.”
“Not dating…” she objected. “We’re just friends and…”
“ Psst! ” Felicity grinned. “You’re up, dressed, and I can smell that fancy bubble bath I gave you for your birthday. You never use that just for us, so I reckon it must be for someone else.” She grabbed her phone as
“What’s the point in that?” Eva smiled. “And having two drinks to yourself is cheating.”
“Not if I’m paying,” he laughed. “Oh, and I’m turning the tree lights on in the precinct tomorrow, along with Miss Battle. I was hoping you’d come with me? It’s between shows.”
“I’ll try.”
“That’s all I ask,” he replied, as he began pushing her again. “So if you don’t like the rain, what weather do you prefer?”
This time, Eva kept her eyes open, concentrating on the sound of his voice and not the sound of the rain.
6
Eva was up, bathed, and dressed the following morning without help, and appeared for breakfast. It was far easier than she’d imagined it would be. The hardest part had been going from bath to floor to chair, but the handles her father had installed in the downstairs bathroom had helped her manage alone. Yes, she’d been terrified, but the panic attack she’d half been expecting hadn’t materialized. Perhaps because she was doing this herself and had been able to control the level of water in the bath and length of time she’d been in it.
She even allowed herself a small smile at the victory. She’d never need help in the bathroom again. And the grins on her family’s face when she told them, made her want to grin as well.
Her mother looked at her. “To what do we owe this honor?” she teased. “I haven’t had to come in and drag you out of bed yet.”
“I have plans,” she said quietly. The look between her parents and Felicity didn’t go unmissed. “What?”
“Nothing,” Felicity said quickly. “Just nice to see you up and almost happy. Whatever did Matthew say to you yesterday?”
Her cheeks burned. “What makes you think he said anything?”
“Just wondered. He said he’d seen you and you’d gone for coffee, that’s all. Gone out for coffee, in the rain , I might add.”
“I had an umbrella.” Eva tried to appear nonchalant. “Do you and he talk about me often?”
Felicity laughed. “Yeah, he’s always asking about you.” She nodded at Eva’s hands. “What are those?”
“He bought me gloves so I don’t get sore hands pushing the wheels on this thing.”
“Neat. Let me see.” Felicity leaned toward her.
Eva held out her hands as her sister grabbed them, turning them over. “What do you think?”
“These are way cool. Why didn’t we think of this?”
“Harry said his gran is in a chair so he knows this kind of stuff.”
“Harry?”
Eva grinned at the confusion crossing her sister’s face. “That’s Matthew’s real name. Says it’s what his friends call him.”
Felicity elbowed her. “Friends, is it? More than friends? Has he kissed you?”
Eva’s face burned, and she looked down.
“He has, hasn’t he?” Felicity lifted Eva’s head and gazed at her. “Tell me.”
“Just my hand, but…”
Felicity squealed. “Tell me more.”
Eva shrugged. “Nothing more to say. Except he’s taking me to the tree lighting this afternoon. And he did say he might be over this morning at some point.”
“You dark horse you.” She hugged Eva tightly and jumped up. “This calls for bacon. Anyone else want some?”
Dad grinned. “Why not? You do the bacon, and I’ll do the eggs.”
Eva sat back in her chair, watching the others.
Felicity tossed her the bread. “Don’t just sit there, make the toast.”
Eva pushed the chair over to the side. “It’s not going to make things hard for you at work, is it? Me seeing Harry?”
“Don’t see why it should. After all, I work with a Matthew, and you’re dating a Harry.”
“Not dating…” she objected. “We’re just friends and…”
“ Psst! ” Felicity grinned. “You’re up, dressed, and I can smell that fancy bubble bath I gave you for your birthday. You never use that just for us, so I reckon it must be for someone else.” She grabbed her phone as
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