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Carrying a tray of biscuits, Beth came through. She gave me a friendly smile. “Wow, what are you all dolled up…” The smile faltered. She cleared her throat and laid the tray in the middle of the table. “You look very nice, dear.”

“Thank you.” The expression I gave her was just as awkward as that interaction. “Feels silly, doesn’t it? Getting dressed up for a funeral.”

She dusted her hands on her full hips. “Jewish people hold shiva after someone they love passes. They cover the mirrors, they don’t bathe, they don’t wear makeup. If anyone visits, they bring food, not flowers. Appearances don’t matter during shiva.” She paused. “I think that’s a nice tradition.”

“So do I.” I surveyed her expression a moment longer, noting the downturn of her lips and that soft, sad look in her deep brown gaze. “Did you know her? Allie?”

“I did, yeah.” A smile, just as sad as her eyes. She gestured around. “This place is mine and my husband’s retirement plan. He’s got a few more months to go before he can access his 401K, so I do most of the management here for now, but… Anyway, I was a teacher for forty-six years. Retired in 2022. Allie was a student of mine all through middle school. I coached her soccer team one year too. Such a sweet, bright girl. I’m gonna try to stop by the funeral home at lunch. Pay my respects.”

More than a superficial connection then. They may not have been the closest, but they were far from strangers.

“Did you guys stay in touch when she went to high school?”

Shoulder lifting with a deep breath, she shook her head. “I wish we would’ve, but not really. We just saw each other around town. A few months back, maybe closer to a year ago now, I went to one of the school football games. We spoke for a few minutes.” Jaw tight, she pressed her lips together. “Evan showed up in that monster of a truck. Started honking at her. Jumped out and came over when she didn’t move fast enough. We didn’t get to talk long.” She gritted her teeth, then forced another smile across her lips. “That boy, he sure didn’t like her sharing her time with anyone else. Even a little old lady like me.”

“You’re not that old,” I teased.

“Older than I look.” She chuckled and reached across the table to adjust some silverware. “Is there anything else I can get you? Did y’all sleep well last night?”

“I am all set, and we did. The room was very cozy.” I reached for the pitcher of orange juice in the middle of the table and poured my glass. “That’s what Allie told me too. About Evan. He was… overbearing at times.”

“More than overbearing. My niece—she’s still in school—and she heard that—” Tongue in her cheek, Beth shook her head. “I shouldn’t gossip. Especially at a time like this.”

“Gossip isn’t always a bad thing, you know.” Rhiannon had given me an entire lecture on the topic shortly after I’d arrived at the ranch. “Gossip used to be a noun, actually. It’s what women called their friends. Their gossips. And when women are together, we talk. We share information. If there was a creep in town, we’d tell the other girls to stay away from him. That’s when it went from a noun to a verb. It only became a bad thing when the creeps in town realized the women were calling them the town creep.”

She cocked her head to the side, propping a hand on her hip. “I never thought of it that way.”

That was by design. “I’m just saying. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with two women sharing information.”

“Well, when you put it like that.” She glanced behind me and pulled out the chair to my left. “Deanna, that’s my niece. She’s a junior. Same grade as Allie’s sister, Ava.”

I had the feeling I knew where this was headed, and I hated it already. “Yeah, I met Ava yesterday.”

“I guess Evan’s been picking her up from school each day.” She lowered her voice. “Which is inappropriate enough as it is. I know the families are friends and everything, but he’s a decade that girl’s senior.”

“You think something’s going on between them?”

“Deanna does.” Her nose curled up. “I heard they were all over each other at the funeral yesterday too. And Charlotte didn’t seem bothered.”

I wouldn’t have phrased it that way. Ava gave him a hug. He was the one feeling up her back end. As for the latter half of that statement, I couldn’t argue.

“Oh my,” I murmured.

“That poor girl. She has no idea what she’s getting herself into.” Beth leaned back in her seat, shaking her head. “I don’t even know if it’s legal. And what’re you gonna do anyway? If the parents don’t see an issue, how can we help Ava to?”

“It’s bizarre,” I said. “Not even getting into the age difference—that’s her dead sister’s ex-boyfriend.”

“No, let’s get into the age, because that’s half the problem.” Beth wagged a finger. “Have you seen Henry? Because he met Charlotte when she was eighteen. How’s Charlotte gonna see the issue with her girls and that boy if she can’t see the issue with her own marriage?”

“I thought the same thing. Still though, don’t parents want better for their kids than they’ve had themselves?”

“Oh, of course. But that’s just it, sweetie.” She leaned in, voice still low. “How can they want better if they don’t even know what better looks like?”

“That is a nice bathroom.” Sebastian’s voice sounded behind me. “I didn’t know if a bidet was for me, but now I know it is, and I think I’m buying one when we get home.” He’d pushed the door to the dining room open with his back. As he spun around, holding two coffees in paper cups, his face turned blood red. “Oh, hi, Beth. How’re you this morning?”

She choked on a laugh as she stood. “Can’t complain, honey. But I better get back to work. Enjoy your breakfast and just holler if you need anything. And thanks for the chat, Zoey.” She picked up a couple of the used plates on the other side of the table. “If you do get a bidet, make sure you go with a heated one. You might have to put a GFCI near the toilet, but trust me. It’s worth the hassle.”

After we finished our breakfast, Sebastian and I began our walk. The funeral home was on the west side of town. Evan’s was on the east.