“Okay.” He looked up at me hopefully. “Should I come to Cloverleigh to get help? We moved into our new house so we don’t live there anymore, but I could ask my mom to bring me.”

“Sure. Any time you see my truck in the lot, I’m there,” I told him, wondering if Sylvia was going to be upset that he’d asked me for help. I couldn’t resist one last question. “How is your mom?”

“She’s good,” Keaton said, pulling open the door. “Bye.”

“Bye.” I watched them both exit and hurry toward a white SUV that waited outside. I could barely make out Sylvia’s silhouette in the driver’s seat, but I knew it was her, and my body’s reaction was swift and fierce. My chest tightened. My hands clenched. My skin was hot under my clothes. The weeks apart hadn’t done anything to ease the longing in my heart—I still wanted her.

As the kids climbed into the car, she looked over at me. For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. Were they telling her they’d seen me? What was she doing tonight? Had she been as lonely as I had the last couple weeks? Maybe she’d wave. But within seconds, she looked straight ahead again, and the SUV pulled away.

* * *

The next day, one of her kids came to see me at work—but not the one I was expecting.

I was avoiding the tasting room, which was crowded with guests staying at the inn for Valentine’s Day weekend. April was helping Chloe out today, and they’d assured me they didn’t need my help, so I was hiding out in my office. At the knock on my open door, I looked up and blinked.

“Whitney?”

“Hi,” she said, shoving her hands in her coat pockets.

“Hi.” I stood up and looked over her shoulder. “What can I do for you? Is Keaton looking for me?”

She shook her head. “No. I’m here by myself.”

“Oh.” I was totally baffled. “Is everything okay?”

“I’m not sure. Could I talk to you?”

“Of course. Come in.” I gestured to one of the chairs across from my desk.

She entered the office and perched uneasily on the edge of one seat. Her face was makeup-free, and it struck me how much she resembled her mom. “Aunt Chloe said you were down here. I walked over from the house.”

“Does your mother know you’re here?”

She shook her head. “I just told her I was going outside.”

“Oh.” I was even more confused. Clearing my throat, I sat down and closed my laptop. “What can I do for you?”

“I want to talk to you about my mom.”

My heart beat an erratic rhythm. “Okay.”