Can't Hurry Love (Sunshine Valley #1) - Melinda Curtis Page 0,89

that. They’ve all moved away. The Widows Club couldn’t give me that. No one but Charlie understood.”

“I understand.” Lola tugged on her jacket. “I’m going through the same thing. The loneliness seems unbearable. It’s a deep hole in my chest that I can’t seem to fix.” The void had lessened after Drew kissed her but now she was hollow once more. “My chest aches so bad it keeps me awake at night. And I’ve been floundering, looking for the truth in the hopes it’ll make me feel better.”

Lola shouldered her purse, clinging to the strap the way she clung to the hope that she’d find peace when she discovered the names of the women who’d seen her husband naked.

* * *

On Thursday after his shift, Drew’s mother met him at her front door. She had flour on her cheek and something on her mind. “Drew, you need to help your sister.”

“Which one?” He’d had a long day at work and been out of the loop family-wise.

In addition to his regular rounds and continued reports that Jane was in town, there’d been an illegal burn at the Handelman Ranch and a drunk riding his horse through town, and Gary had pulled Iggy over for speeding. Iggy had called Drew, complaining he’d been going five miles over the legal limit and urging Drew to fire Gary.

Surprisingly, there’d been no calls or complaints on the Lola front.

“Which sister?” Drew repeated.

“Eileen. I’m talking about Eileen.” His mom cast a glance over her shoulder to make sure Becky wasn’t listening and then lowered her voice. “Why didn’t you tell me that pig has made a ruin of her house?”

“Eileen’s place was a wreck before Rosie got there.” Drew had meant to check on Eileen’s home after his initial cleaning but each day seemed to get away from him. Spring-thaw madness seemed like it’d never end. “Have you seen it lately?”

His mom nodded. “You know Tom Bodine owns that house. He gave Eileen a steep discount because I said she was such a good tenant. I said she’d be no trouble at all.”

Drew was too tired to cover common ground. He shifted his feet on the Victorian’s porch. “If you let me in, I can work on repairing everything.”

His mom was a tough negotiator. She made the gimme gesture with her hand.

Drew sighed. “And I can find someone to take Rosie if you’re worried Eileen wants to keep her.”

His mother gave a full-body shake, like a dog coming in from a rainstorm. “If you’re suggesting the pig goes to Tom Bodine and his butcher shop, I’m going to slam this door in your face.”

Drew reached for his most patient voice, the one that calmed hyperventilating moms when they parked in the fire lane when they were late for the Christmas pageant. “Tom has the largest working ranch in the valley. He’d have no problem—”

“Eating Rosie,” his mom finished for him firmly. “No way. That pig is a sweetheart.”

He agreed but the topic of conversation was Eileen and the condition of her rental. Drew closed his eyes. He and his mother approached problems from different angles. He always wanted to divest people of trouble. She and Eileen always wanted to redeem trouble. Heaven help him if they decided they wanted to redeem Lola.

He opened his eyes and tried for clarity. “Are you asking me to help Eileen fix her house or to help the pig?”

“Yes.” His mom frowned, meaning both. “Why do you have to ask?”

The weight of the town and his family and Jane suddenly seemed too much. Drew didn’t have time to date Wendy, much less get close enough to her to ask her to marry him. He sagged against the doorframe. “All right. I’ll work on Eileen’s house. I’ll try and find someone to adopt Rosie. And I’ll talk to Eileen about…whatever is bothering her. Can I see my daughter now? I was going to take her to the park.” To meet Jane. God help him.

His mother wasn’t done. She held to her blockade. “Becky said you wouldn’t let her wear her rain boots and tutu to school today.”

“I need Becky to look more like her friend Mia.” Drew couldn’t keep the desperation from his voice.

“But she’s not Mia. She’s Becky.” His mom was whispering now. “Don’t try to make her be like everyone else.”

“At the expense of custody?” His throat threatened to close. “To Jane?”

“Love and parenting is about finding the right balance.” His mother opened the door wider. “Think about it. You’ll