Page 27 of Found in Wild Sage

CHAPTER TWELVE

Declan

When I’ve seen the last of Monday’s patients, I go searching for Evie. She had lunch with my mom earlier and I haven’t talked to her. I need to.

I couldn’t read the expression she wore when I saw her between patients a few hours ago, so I’m crawling out of my skin to get her alone.

Janet and Kyle take off, and Dr. Martinez is staying late to catch up on dictation. Maggie left at the stroke of four-thirty, so this leaves me some breathing room. We haven’t announced our engagement, and my family, miraculously, hasn’t spread it around town. Not to suggest they’re gossips, but my parents, Finn, and May are the least discreet people on the planet.

I find Evie packing up her water bottle and travel coffee mug. “Can I walk you to Sunny Days?”

The preschool’s cheery name fits the atmosphere and every person who works there. I’m glad it’s where Charlie spends his time when Evie is here.

“Sure.”

Her response does nothing to quell the curiosity and anxiety in me. I swallow down the desire to rush out and pepper her with questions, hoping my mother didn’t do anything to upset her. I cannot read her mood, and she’s so focused on shutting down her computer and tidying up her space before she goes, I have no guesses.

A second after the employee entrance closes behind us, I start talking. “So, how was it?”

She halts, head down. I take in every detail, the tension in my chest quadrupling by the second. Her hair has come loose from the ponytail she wore it in and little wisps frame her face in a charming way. I want to brush them out of her eyes and feel the strands against my fingertips—I want to see her face.

Her shoulders slump, and when she finally looks up, tears are swimming in her eyes.

“I’m sorry. I really thought I could hold it together. I didn’t get much sleep this weekend, and I’m a little overwhelmed.”

“What happened? What did she say? What can I do?” I’m frantic, and I’m a hairsbreadth from pulling her into my arms while simultaneously calling my mother to demand she come apologize for whatever is making Evie cry.

She swipes at her eyes and presses her lips together.

“Evie, please.” My voice breaks on the words. Have I ever felt this desperate for someone to speak?

“I’m sorry. I’m fine. It was actually…” She shakes her head, gaze casting around as though the brick walls of our building or Carl and his be-hatted goat moseying down the road fifty feet away might give her the answer.

I will myself, with every fiber of control I have, not to interrupt her. To let her process her thoughts and express them as she wants.

“It was so lovely, Declan.”

Her blue eyes find mine and she’s crying, but sort of smiling, too.

“Lovely?” I can’t make sense of this.

“It really was.” She grins, laughs at herself, and then wraps her arms around herself like she needs the comfort.

I’ll be having none of that. She need not do that for herself. I want to do it.

But I hold back. I don’t want to do anything she doesn’t want, and we haven’t discussed physical contact. I don’t think she’d reject it, but I can’t bear the thought that she’d be even remotely uncomfortable. So I don’t do it.

She heaves a big sigh, then slowly begins walking. There are only a few blocks until we reach the preschool, so I’m glad she’s taking her time.

“Your mom wants to throw us a wedding. She’s going to do all the legwork but wants my opinion, and yours I assume. She said she wants to celebrate everything because life is short. That after your dad…” Her face flashes with empathy.

I nod. I shouldn’t be surprised, though foolishly, I am. I’ve been so blinded by the need to help Evie and Charlie, to get her through this custody battle and see her to the other side of it, I haven’t been thinking about what it would mean to my family to essentially be excluded from the process.

“I’m sorry. I know this is more than you wanted. You wanted simple and quiet, but she was so convincing.”

With a reluctant chuckle, I set her straight. “There is no one in this world more convincing than Mary Ryan, with the possible exception of her two daughters.”

She grins.