Roo had propped his chin on one of Lilly’s pricey Kate Spade sandals, but Molly’s persistence seemed to bother her more. “I always have a box of scraps in my trunk,” she said brusquely. “I buy a lot of remnants, but this project needs fabrics with some history. I’ll probably try to find an antique store that sells vintage clothing.”

Molly gazed back at the herb garden. “Tell me what you see.”

She expected a rebuff, but, again, Lilly’s good manners won out. “I was drawn to the lavender first. It’s one of my favorite plants. And I love the silver of that sage behind it.” Lilly’s enthusiasm for her project began to overcome her personal dislike. “The spearmint needs to be weeded out. It’s greedy, and it’ll take over. That little tuft of thyme is fighting to survive against it.”

“Which one is the thyme?”

“Those tiny leaves. It’s vulnerable now, but it can be as aggressive as spearmint. It just goes about it more subtly.” Lilly lifted her eyes, and her gaze held Molly’s for a moment.

Molly got the message. “You think the thyme and I have something in common?”

“Do you?” she asked coolly.

“I have a lot of faults, but subtlety isn’t one of them.”

“I suppose that remains to be seen.”

Molly wandered to the edge of the garden. “I’m trying hard to dislike you as much as you seem to dislike me, but it’s tough. You were my heroine when I was a little girl.”

“How nice.” Icicles dripped.

“Besides, you like my dog. And I have a feeling that your attitude has less to do with my personality than it has to do with your concerns about my marriage.”

Lilly stiffened.

Molly decided she had nothing to lose by being blunt. “I know about your real relationship with Kevin.”

Lilly’s fingers stalled on her needle. “I’m surprised he told you. Maida said he never spoke about it.”

“He didn’t. I guessed.”

“You’re very astute.”

“You’ve taken a long time to come see him.”

“After abandoning him, you mean?” Her voice had a bitter edge.

“I didn’t say that.”

“You were thinking it. What kind of woman abandons her child then tries to worm her way back into his life?”

Molly spoke carefully. “I doubt that you abandoned him. You seem to have found him a good home.”

She gazed at the garden, but Molly suspected the peace she’d felt here earlier had vanished. “Maida and John had always wanted a child, and they loved him from the day he was born. But as torturous as it was to make my decision, I still gave him up too easily.”

“Hey, Molly!”