Page 92 of Holding on to Chaos
“Who’s trying to ruin it?”
“Parents ruin everything…” Eva’s voice trailed off as she fell asleep wrapped in the safety of Donovan’s arms.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
To: Beautification Committee
From: Bruce Oakleigh
Subject: Banquet
Hello, fellow B.C. members,
Bruce Oakleigh, president, here. As you are aware, one of our founding members, Hazel Cardona, has returned to town. Some of you have expressed an interest in hosting a Beautification Committee Past and Present banquet. I feel such an occasion would call for an exciting interactive presentation on every match in our history.
Personally, I feel that if we are to do justice to all of our happy matches, we should spend a minimum of five minutes on each couple. Who in our little group is adept at PowerPoint and available to conduct interviews by say next Tuesday?
Yours in matching success,
Bruce Oakleigh
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Eva kissed Donovan good-bye after a naked breakfast of cold cereal while the world was still dark. It was barely five a.m., but he wanted to sneak home before his parents got up, and she had plotting to do. She’d slept without dreams, which was unusual for her. Even in sleep, her imagination usually worked in overdrive.
But in the cold dark of morning, her mind was clear. Today was the day she was getting rid of Agnes for good. She channeled her nervous energy into two hours of writing, and by the time the sun came up, she was stalling out. She got up to pace, mindful of the coffee table this time. The picture on the mantel caught her eye.
It was her graduation day. She and her father were grinning like fools at Emma who was behind the camera. Gia stood next to her, wielding the dozen roses they’d chipped in to buy her. She remembered that day vividly. Eva had always wanted them to be proud of her like she was of them. And that was the first time she’d felt like she’d really caught a glimpse of that pride.
She traced a finger over the frame. She’d do anything for her family. Eva guessed that made them her Achilles’ heel.
Her lips curved in a slow, fierce smile as an idea formed. It was more satisfying than figuring out the perfect plot twist. She was clearing the path to her own happily ever after.
Eva dressed quickly and applied make-up as if it were war paint. Satisfied, she gave her reflection a final nod and then marched out the door.
“You’re leaving today,mother. And you’re never coming back,” she rehearsed in the car. “No. Too personal. You’re leaving today, Agnes. Yeah. A little disinterested like she’s an annoying gnat.”
The B&B was just minutes from Donovan’s house, she noted, turning down the tree-lined drive. At the Y in the road, she followed the signs left toward the Blue Moon B&B. The right appeared to lead to the neighboring winery and the mysterious Davis Gates that the Beautification Committee was so enthusiastic about.
Interesting.
Eva’s Mini cruised up the paved path, and she brought it to a stop to gawk at the oddball splendor. The structure rose three-stories and sprawled over half the manicured lawn. Turrets, adorned with jewel-toned shingles squatted on the peaked roof. The porch, a wide avenue of stained wood, wrapped around both sides of the house. Stained glass, ivy, and a comical crescent moon weather vane were the icing on the sugary sweet cake.
She refused to be distracted by the whimsy of the place. Nope. Not even the fluffy dogs romping in the side yard were going to dull her temper. Her mother was inside this hippie fantasy, and one of them was leaving today and never coming back.
Eva strode onto the porch and pushed open the front door. A fairy bell tinkled above her head.
A door on the far side of the front desk swung open. “Oh, hey, Eva!” Eden’s bright greeting came from behind a mound of steaming biscuits. She wore a ruby red apron over slim black pants and a white button down.What kind of woman baked in a white shirt?Eva wondered.
Eva’s stomach growled, distracted by the heavenly scent of fresh baked carbs. She’d burned off the cereal hours ago thanks to her writing sprint and furious plotting.
“Hi, Eden. Is Agnes around?” she asked, staring at the platter of cloud-like biscuits.
“Sure. Follow me. She’s in the dining room. You can join us for breakfast.”
Eva, a sneaky observer of human behavior, detected the slight edge in Eden’s tone. Agnes had that effect on people.
“Okay. Sure,” Eva decided. She’d have to postpone the smack down until she could get Agnes somewhere more private. But at least she could eat one of those gorgeous biscuits.
