“Hello, sweetheart.” Annalee smiled at her as she came into the room holding a tray with tea on it. Elise followed with another tray of cookies. “You know, I think it’s high time I got to meet your mother, don’t you?”

“Hello, Mrs. Copeland. It’s lovely to see you.” Ella knew she blushed, but it was still weird. She wanted Andrew’s mother to like her and think she was good enough for her son. “I’m sure my mom would love that. I’ll speak with her and get some dates and get back to you on it.”

“Oh that would be just fine. And I’m Annalee, please.”

Rennie bounded into the room and into Ella’s arms for a hug. “You’re here! Ella’s here, Momma!”

“I know, noodle. I told you she’d get here soon.” Elise winked at her daughter and then leaned in to kiss Ella’s cheek.

They sat and had tea. Rennie had some juice as she painted Erin’s toenails a pretty shade of red.

“I think Andrew will have the wainscoting ready in time for Thanksgiving. I truly don’t know where all his endless talent comes from. You must be so proud of how creative he is.”

The others looked to her, surprised. “Wainscoting?”

“In his house. Speaking of that, I know he was hoping on having the night before Thanksgiving dinner there, but since Erin’s going to need to stay closer to home, perhaps we can have a birthday party for him there? We can set Erin up on the chaise so she’s not up and around. It can be quieter than Thanksgiving, but I know he really wants to show all his work off. Now that he’s living there, it’s like he’s gone into overdrive. So much is getting done. It blows me away.”

“He’s living in the house in Ballard? Full-time?”

Ella looked at them and saw they did not know much about what Cope had been doing in his house. At first she’d been horrified, as if she’d told a secret, no matter how unintentionally. But as she sat there, the embarrassment faded into mild agitation that not a single one of these people knew a damned thing about Cope’s inner life.

“None of you knew? Really? He’s been living in the house full-time for weeks now. He’s an artist. Did you know that? He does these amazing sketches. The woodwork he does is beautiful but strong, like he is. He’s put his heart and soul into that house. He’s been doing it for two years.” She didn’t mention poetry. That felt intimate, a sensual secret she carried in her heart, a side of him no one else saw.

Ben sat down heavily. “I’ve picked him up there a few times in the last few weeks when we’ve had some consults first thing. I never went inside. I feel like an ass**le.”

“No. Please don’t.” She swallowed hard; this was really far out of her comfort zone. But he was worth it, damn it. “I mentioned it because I thought you all knew. He knows you’re busy and preoccupied with Erin and the baby.” And other stuff, but she wasn’t going to bring that into the conversation. “He’s so talented with his hands.” She blushed furiously, nearly choking on the cookie she’d bitten nervously. “I didn’t mean it that way.”

Annalee patted her knee. “Ella, I do like you. Of all the girls Andrew has been around, not a one has seen that other side of him. Remind me to show you all the scrollwork he did for me in my sewing room. Put in chair railing and all sorts of things. He’s a sweet boy.”

Oh. She smiled at the other woman. The woman who understood that hidden part of Andrew too. Warmth flooded her. It meant more than she could really think about just then. Knowing that this woman appreciated the whole of Andrew Copeland.

“It’s been lonely for him.” Annalee stirred her tea absently. “He’s a very complicated boy. Wrote me poetry when he was growing up. Always a sunny day when you’re with Andrew. I suppose you saw right through that. The two of you are a lot alike. Which cheers me.” She looked back to Ben, who listened to the talk of his brother with avid interest. “I worry, you see. I assumed things all my life, all my life as a wife and mother. I assumed my family was strong enough to weather even the fiercest of storms.”

Annalee sighed, and Ella recognized the sound, the weight of duty, responsibility, pain and fear so very clearly.

“I definitely think a birthday party is a great idea,” Ben said.

“Good. I think it should be fun, though if he hates it, I’m blaming it all on Erin.” Ella grinned at her friend, who rolled her eyes.

“By the way, Ella. Our new part-timer has been working out great. I upped her hours. Which means you can now work more at your other job. Or maybe sleep more.”

Spend time with Andrew.

“Spend time with Cope.” Elise smiled serenely.

“He’s so handsome, Ella.” Rennie sipped her juice. “I never seen no boy looking cuter than he does. He gots that dimple that comes out when he smiles. His hair is so pretty.”

Elise sighed. “Lazy grammar girl. You haven’t seen any boy and he has a dimple. In other words, I totally agree that our Cope is cute.”

“You told Dad that Cope and Ella would make adorable babies. Are you making one now?” Rennie looked to Ella, who was quite sure she was beet red by that point.

“Nope.” She cleared her throat and caught sight of Annalee struggling not to laugh. “Making babies is serious business. I’ve known Andrew for many years now, but we haven’t been dating long enough for us to get that far in our thinking.”