Finding Eva (Highland Creek Series) (16 page)

“We can, and I will tell you all the details, but give me a minute to get showered and changed. I had an eventful night.” Gwen threw her head back and laughed, something Eva hadn’t heard her do for a while despite the fact that she used to do so all the time.

“Braggart!” And just like that, Eva knew that Gwen would be ok. Regardless of what happened with Nick, although Eva really wanted her to leave him, she knew Gwen would somehow be alright. She didn’t know what it was, maybe it was the glint in her eye, maybe it was the way she laughed full out, but Eva saw a shade of the old Gwen that she hadn’t seen in years, the fierce warrior that would move beyond what happened.

“So tell me all,” Gwen said as she flipped the pancake she was making for breakfast, “I am going to have to vicariously live through you because we know the current state of my love life.”

“OMG, Gwen, he was amazing.” Eva barely resisted the urge to squeal like a girl, knowing that the only thing stopping her was the little bit of dignity she seemed to gain in the shower. No one wanted to do the walk of shame in their own house, but if it meant reliving the night she’d had, she’d gladly do it. “He was really attentive, and he took time to make sure that I was taken care of.”

“Don’t mind me, I am going to have a mental orgasm.” That was always her thing whenever someone said something really sexy; Gwen always claimed to have a mental orgasm, whatever the hell that meant.

“Orgasm away, I know I did.”

“My friend the slut.”

“Seems that way. I really like him, Gwen.” Eva stared into her coffee as though it held the keys to the universe, but all she saw was the sludgy brown liquid that told her nothing.

“Like him how?” Gwen turned from the pancakes, sensing that this was a serious conversation and that she needed to give her undivided attention.

“He is … great. I mean, I feel like he could really be it for me. And I know that sounds weird,” Eva said as she saw Gwen’s eyes widen, “but after he apologized for being an asshole to me when we first met he has been nothing but loving and supportive toward me. I have talked to him about my mom and he really listens. You can tell in the way he responds and asks questions. I have never had anyone like it. He is funny and doesn’t take life too seriously.” She laughed as she thought about their date at the Redneck Rendezvous. Eva looked up with a troubled expression in the depths of her green eyes. “But I am really scared about the end of summer. What am I going to do? My job is two hours away.”

“I couldn’t imagine meeting a great guy that I was interested in, knowing it had an end date. But you can make it work if you want to. If this guy is someone worth having, which it seems like he is, you will find some way to make it work.”

“I guess,” she said, but chewed her lip in worry. “I just can’t seem to turn my brain off.”

“You will.” Gwen plopped a plate of pancakes down in front of her. “You will do what you always do: drive everyone crazy thinking about it and talking it out. Make a list, and then make a decision and stick with it. That is what you do, and what I love about you. Now eat. You are the only person I know that can go from elation to depression in less than sixty seconds. You have been an emotional pendulum that I can’t keep up with. I mean, damn girl, I am the one whose husband cheated on her and you are the one that is a bag of waterworks.”

Eva ducked her head to grab some pancakes, immediately embarrassed. Although Gwen would never say anything, Eva couldn’t help but think that she had been a shitty friend the last couple of days. First she goes off to have hot sex with a walking wet dream, and now she was being whiny. Eva hated whiny. She was never whiny. Except for recently with all the shit with her mother, and she made it a point to stop being that girl.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t ask how you are doing.”

Gwen made a face that said she clearly didn’t want to talk about it. “I talked to Nick last night, despite my resolve not to.” Eva sat silent, not wanting to interrupt her, but she had her own misgivings about Gwen talking to Nick again. Eva knew Nick was her husband, but he was nothing more than a snake oil salesman, something Gwen always failed to see … probably because she had known him for years and didn’t want to think that about him.

“He apologized again about cheating on me, and I don’t know how to take him. He said it just started happening. He had been stressed with all the baby talk.”

“Baby?” This was news to Eva, who usually talked to Gwen about everything.

Gwen smiled sadly. “Yeah, I wanted a baby. Remember how I kept talking about children? Well, I had decided to start trying with Nick last December but I couldn’t seem to get pregnant.”

She grabbed Gwen’s hand and squeezed, offering silent support. “Have you asked the doctor?”

“Yeah, and he checked me over and said everything looks good but they won’t try any extensive treatments, like they would with an infertile couple, until we’ve been trying for a year. I am young and healthy and so is Nick. I made him get all his equipment checked, so why the hell can’t we get pregnant?” She threw her hands up in frustration.

Eva rubbed her hand over mouth, in shock over the whole situation. “Wow, I had no idea.”

Gwen squirmed in her seat, uncomfortable with Eva’s pity over her infertile status. “I didn’t want you to know. Nick started staying at work later and later, and I became fanatical at watching my ovulation cycle and periods. He told me last night that sex with me wasn’t fun anymore, unlike sex at the office with a person that expects nothing from you but an orgasm.”

“What are you going to do?”

Gwen propped her head in her hand, rubbing her hand over her forehead. “I don’t know. Last week when I went to the doctor he told me I may just be stressed, which is why I am not able to get pregnant. So while I am pissed that he cheated on me, I can’t help but think I may be partially to blame.”

Eva leaned back, hands up saying back off. “Whoa, whoa, that is bullshit! He should not have cheated, regardless of what he thought about you guys trying for a baby, and the fact that you think that really pisses me off.”

“I know.” Gwen put her head in her hands. “I just can’t seem to stop thinking about what if I wasn’t so obsessed about having a baby. I talked to Nick last night and told him that if I go back, and that is still a very strong if, then we should not be trying for a baby for a while. I don’t want to bring a baby into an unstable relationship, and I don’t know if I will even want to try and make it work with him.”

“Well you have to do whatever you feel is best, but don’t ever feel like you are to blame for his cheating. He is an asshole and shouldn’t make you feel bad for being you. If you wanted a baby, then that’s what you wanted. And it is going to suck if you go back to him and have to put off your dream because your marriage is not on stable ground.”

“But I am not going to find someone to have a baby with now,” Gwen argued. “I just wish …”

She didn’t get to finish her statement before there was a knock on the back door. And as much as Eva wanted to finish that conversation, she knew that it was Conner coming to work on the bathroom. He was telling her the other day that he only had about a week’s worth of work left to do on the bathroom, and she was really starting to see a difference. Conner walked in, taking off his hat as was his manner before he looked up. She knew the minute that he noticed Gwen because his eyes lit up, not necessarily in lust but definitely in that recognition of a gorgeous girl.

“Hello,” he said, leaning in as though pulled by a magnet toward Gwen. Conner was hot, with sandy blond hair a little long and shaggy in the front, tawny green eyes, and a boyish face that lit up as the smile slowly crossed his face.
He never smiled at her like that
, Eva thought as she turned to Gwen to see her reaction.
Oh shit
, she thought, as Gwen gave him her signature sex kitten smile. Normally Eva wouldn’t be concerned, but with all the shit going on with Nick she didn’t know where Gwen’s head was.

“Pleasure to meet you,” Gwen said, shaking his hand. He gripped it and looked like he didn’t want to let it go.

“The pleasure is
all
mine.” Conner emphasized
all
.

Gwen smirked, going in for the kill. “Well I don’t know where Eva has been hiding you, but I wish I had known she had such a gorgeous …”

“Contractor,” he filled in. “I am doing the bathroom.”

“Is that all you’re doing.” What the fuck?! Eva had to stop this while they were just eye fucking, because as much as Gwen was hurting, Eva knew that she would never forgive herself if she slept with someone else while she was still married. She cleared her throat, but it was very clear they were still doing that eye fuck thing, the temperature raised to the point where she felt like she needed a cold shower.

“Conner.” No response. Okay, this was a bit ridiculous. “CONNER!” she shouted and he finally seemed to figure out she was there.

“Eva! I didn’t see you there.”

“Mmmm-hmmm,” she murmured. Gwen laughed because she got it, while Conner just looked back and forth like he missed the joke. “Are you here to work on the bathroom?”

“The bathroom?” He furrowed his brow, staring at Gwen, and Eva wanted to snap her fingers in front of his face like she would an errant student that wasn’t paying attention.

“Yeah, the bathroom, that thing you have been working on for the past week or so.”

“Right, yeah, yeah.” He nodded, seeming to catch on and finally get it together. He looked uncomfortably at Gwen, who was smiling with laughter in her eyes.

“Let me just go get on that,” he said before running out like his pants were on fire.

“Ok.” Eva nodded before glaring at Gwen.

“What?” Gwen put her hands up in confusion.

“Did you forget you’re married?” Gwen’s eyes narrowed, and Eva knew she had fucked up.

Blue eyes flashed as Gwen leaned toward her. “No, Eva, I haven’t forgotten that I am married. I also didn’t forget that the bastard cheated on me, that I am currently waiting on my blood test that I had to get for potential STDs, and I have not forgotten that I currently have no children despite desperately wanting them. I also haven’t forgotten that my husband has never looked at me or given me an inkling of the attention that I got from Conner, so I apologize if I decided to have a little fun because it felt damn good to be wanted. I met Nick as a gawky teenager, and he always said he fell in love with my mind, because my body was nothing to scream about.

But let me know if you are willing to forget that stick up your ass that you have had for the past month with all your poor pitiful me shit. People have to deal with shit every day; it’s called life. Get over yourself and at least be thankful that your mother reached out to you, regardless of how late. At least you know that you are still loved by your family, which is more than some of us can say, no matter how many times my asshole of a husband apologizes.” She stormed out, having said her piece, leaving Eva just staring in her wake. Well damn.

“How’s the bathroom going?” Conner looked up at Eva’s question and smiled. He was so friendly Eva thought he would be perfect for Gwen, and so much better than Nick.

“I’m good. What do you think?” She looked around and saw the difference, the new sink, and tiled walk-in shower making her excited for the finished product. Slow and steady really did win the race, and she had to admit that her mother had amazing taste.

“It looks great. You have surpassed my greatest estimation.”

“Thanks. Your mom did a good job of picking everything. She really knew what she wanted, and I just wanted to make sure that I did it exactly to her specifications.” Eva smiled, thankful that her mother had inspired such loyalty. Two days ago—hell, two hours ago—she probably would have thought of it with bitterness, but with Gwen’s latest outburst she couldn’t bring herself to hate her mother anymore. She was too damn tired of hurting, and she could finally feel herself start to let go of some of the resentment.

“Thank you. I am sure she would have loved it.” Conner scratched his head and looked unsure for the first time since she had met him. He always seemed so confident, and she had a feeling a certain redhead had to do with this new look.