Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 88290 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88290 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
He scoffed. “It was a million years ago.”
And it had probably hurt at the time, but Sam wasn’t feeling that pain anymore. Also, I had to wonder how close they were if high school graduation had been the last time they saw each other before bumping into one another when Kola was eight. That was quite the span.
Back in the present, I wanted to make sure I had the facts correct. “So Evelyn’s mother is the one that died?”
“Yes,” Regina replied softly.
“What was she, a hundred and two?”
“A hundred and four,” Regina corrected her son before turning and whacking him on the arm. “And don’t be so fresh.”
He shot me a look.
“Stop it,” I warned him.
The house was a bit of a maze. It reminded me of what ours had been like when we first moved in a million years ago. It was older, so there were many small rooms. Because it had been Dane and Aja’s originally, Dane had plans to renovate it to make it an open floor plan. When he and Aja realized the house, its size and location, didn’t really work for them, before it went up on the market, Sam had spoken to Dane about us buying it. When it became ours, we went ahead with my brother’s ideas for the house because…architect, and he knew best. I was so glad we’d spent the money then so we didn’t have all the cookie-cutter rooms that came with houses built in the twenties.
“There she is,” Regina announced.
Sometimes I forgot that Sam’s mother, at seventy-nine, looked better than a lot of much younger women. She’d been an actress, that was true, and most of them aged better than the rest of us mere mortals, but really, it came down to genetics. I’d seen pictures of Sam’s grandmother, and she had been stunning. Sam’s sisters were both gorgeous, and his brother, Michael, though not nearly as handsome as the chief deputy, had never found himself alone in his life. But now, looking at a lot of older women, Regina was shining like the sun. She always reminded me of Sophia Loren, all class and regal beauty. She no longer dyed her hair red to match the color from her youth, but instead had let it go gray and now added silver highlights. It was very Helen Mirren
“Evie,” Regina announced and, still holding on to my hand, walked forward.
Evie Shapiro was in one of the smaller foyers, sitting on an overstuffed couch with a large floral print between two other women. She had trouble getting up, and Regina let go of me to help her friend stand so they could hug.
“Thank you so much for coming,” she said, hugging Regina.
“Of course,” Regina said kindly back.
“Who do you have with you?”
“Well, Thomas couldn’t come, as he’s at an event at school with one of my granddaughters. He’s speaking to her class this evening about the Korean War.”
“Oh, that’s why I’m here, ’cause my daughter’s the one who borrowed him,” Sam grumbled behind me. He had said it quietly, under his breath, but still. Rude. I looked over my shoulder so I could shoot death rays out of my eyes. “What?”
“Stop,” I mouthed the word before turning back to Evie.
“So I brought Sam, my oldest, who you know, and this is his husband, Jory.”
The two women flanking Evie looked shocked, which I got, the world was very changed from when they were young, but Evie herself smiled wide and reached for me. I took her hand quickly.
“My goodness, Regina, such a handsome man you have for a son-in-law.”
“I think so,” Regina agreed, beaming at me.
“And do you have grandchildren?”
“I do, so many,” she answered Evie, “and Sam and Jory gave me two of them.”
“Really?”
“Yes, a boy and a girl, just wonderful children. Their son is going to school to become a doctor, and their daughter will, at the moment, become the director of philanthropy at Sutter Limited.”
“Sutter as in Aaron Sutter? The billionaire?”
“Yes,” Regina said with a smile.
“Pleasure to meet you,” I said gently, returning Evie’s focus to me. “And I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“Oh, well, my mother lived a long and happy life. Not everyone is so blessed.”
I nodded and moved sideways so my annoying husband could step in and greet her.
“Oh my goodness, Sam,” she gasped. “Is that you?”
“It’s me, Mrs. Shapiro,” he said, leaning over to kiss her cheek. “So sorry for your loss.”
“And what do you do now, Sam, are you still a homicide detective?”
“No, Mom, I told you he was with the marshal service,” a man said from my right. He was there, closer than I anticipated, and Regina, not Sam, put her arm protectively around me.
“David,” Sam said with a scowl. “Sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you,” he said, offering Sam his hand.
They shook hands, but Sam didn’t introduce me.