They parted ways behind the stables as Violet and Loopy followed Ezra, and Paddy went back toward his place.

His house was quiet but it had started to smell really good from the dinner he’d put in the oven before he headed out to the fields.

“You guys are on notice,” he said as Violet trotted happily back into her pen. She went over to be sure Big Hoss, the first rescue pig Ezra had adopted, was all right. Assured of this, Violet got herself a snack.

“I’ll bring her out here to meet you, but only if you can behave and not try to take up all her attention, which I am not willing to share.”

She just stared at him. She’d do whatever she wanted; the damned creature was as headstrong as everything else female in his life. He tossed her some apples and she grunted before crunching into them.

Loopy followed him inside and headed to her bed. Ezra pointed her way. “You, too. I know she’s pretty and she smells good but she’s mine so back off.”

The cats pushed through the cat flap on the back door and he repeated his warning, which they ignored while cleaning their paws.

He needed to shower quickly so he checked the chicken and mushrooms, which were coming along nicely and then he jogged to the bathroom.

CHAPTER TEN

SHE LOOKED AT the screen of the phone in her hand. HEYWOOD flashed in capital letters. Tuesday’s heart sank.

Tuesday considered letting it go to voice mail. It was best, when it came to her former mother-in-law, to not give her a chance to engage.

But she’d discovered a way to manipulate Tuesday even more was to call her family to see where she might be.

Rather than risk exposing her loved ones to the horror that was Tina Heywood, she answered.

“Hello?”

“You haven’t let us know when you’ll be arriving next weekend.”

The Heywoods held a luncheon once a year and called it a memorial for Eric. But they held it on Tina’s birthday. Which was a pretty standard mood for a narcissist like her.

It was really about getting more attention for a woman who could scarcely be bothered to acknowledge the existence of her two oldest children from her first marriage once she’d got remarried and had children with her new husband.

At six and eight, Eric and his brother had their names changed when their biological father died and their stepfather officially adopted them. But over time Eric and his brother were treated more like lodgers than members of the family.

Sammy, Eric’s older brother, joined the Navy right after he graduated from high school and was a pilot living in San Diego and then Eric had run to college.

Tina was cutting and could be cruel, even though Eric wanted so much for his mom to love him and accept him. There were times she’d be unbelievably kind and then she’d turn right back around and hurt Eric. It made Tuesday come to hate her over the time she’d been with Eric.

She wore Eric’s death around her neck like a fucking trophy and it made Tuesday’s skin crawl.

“I’m not going to be there.” She’d hoped after Eric died that at least they could have understood what they were missing. That once and for all his mom would admit her son was a better man than she ever gave him credit for.

But they’d been just as horrible as ever. Worse in some ways, badgering her about money and insurance policies. She hadn’t returned since.

“What could you possibly be doing that is more important than spending a day dedicated to Eric?”

She held her tongue until the urge to shout superbad stuff at her dead husband’s mother wore off a little.

But that didn’t mean she was playing games. “I told you after the first time that I wasn’t coming back. You ask me every year—I say no every year.”

“You never loved my precious boy. You’re spoiled and selfish.”

“What is this about? Do you want me to send you a present? Is that it? You don’t like me. You’ve never liked me. I tried for many years until I got to know you and realized it would never happen. So, you have a happy birthday, but I’ll be remembering Eric in other ways besides eating cake and watching you open presents.”

“Raised wrong. Those parents of yours. Trash. That’s why Eric sniffed after you and not a respectable girl.”

She knew her buttons were being pushed, but Tuesday sat straight up, nearly honking the horn. Raised wrong? Oh. No. “Shall I have my mother give you a call? I know how much you love chatting with her.”

Something had happened between Tina and Tuesday’s mother at a holiday dinner. Diana wouldn’t ever say what it was, but it was bad enough that Di threw a drink in Tina’s face and there was a scuffle. Tina tried to punch Tuesday’s mom, who stepped to one side, reached out to grab Tina by the hair to shove her out of the way and avoid getting punched. But she’d been wearing a wig and it came free, along with patches of her real hair, too.

And her mom got a free-from-Tina-for-life card and clearly, given the way Tina sputtered at that threat, she was still afraid of Diana.

“I’m not coming. Happy birthday.” She hung up and tried to get her breath back and her heart rate to a normal place.

She looked up at Ezra’s house, glad she hadn’t actually honked when the call came in.

Time to get her shit in order. She had a date for dinner with a handsome man. That was way better than being upset by a woman she didn’t even like.

Slipping her phone into a pocket of her bag, she got out and headed to his door. Ready to be happy for a while.