Christmas Evie by Karen Naylor

Author:Karen Naylor
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Champagne Book Group
Published: 2023-11-20T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Six

After Eveline and Georgia went, the late lunch rush arrived. Nathaniel was glad. It meant he didn’t have time to rehash what he’d learned. Part of him wanted to shout from the rooftops.

Eveline had kissed him without caring that they weren’t alone and with such passion, he couldn’t doubt she wanted him. But then she’d gone on another date. Maybe one she’d organized before they agreed she wouldn’t date other people. Not that she’d agreed exactly, yet he assumed they’d come to an understanding.

“Earth to Doctor Romano.”

“What?” He turned to Sasha, tuned her back in.

“I asked if you were okay because you looked kind of out of it.”

“I was just thinking…” How did he end that sentence?

“About the way she kissed you. I’ll just bet you are.” Sasha smiled, bent her head toward their solitary customers, an old couple who were discussing garden centers. “Don’t worry, the Thomas’s are a bit deaf. We can talk without any danger of them overhearing. More likely we’d have to shout to hear each other.”

He smiled, yet it felt false on his face. All he wanted to do was ask about what he’d just overhead before Eveline came in, about this mysterious Stephen, but he’d have to admit to spying on her and Georgia if he did.

“She’s something, right? Trust me, if you’d have met her at Uni like I did, you’d have—” Sasha snapped her mouth shut, put her back to him, wiped the spotless display case.

“I’d have what?” He needed the rest of that sentence.

“Never mind.”

“I thought you said we could talk. I didn’t know you knew Eveline that well.”

Sasha studied him with a deep pucker to the side of her mouth, like she was deciding whether she could trust him or not. She shrugged, put the cloth on the counter, then rested against the doorframe. “I’ve known her longer than Rosalie, way more time than Georgia too. We went to the same college, though I wasn’t her friend then, knew about her but not close, you know?”

He didn’t but dipped his head, not daring to say a word in case she changed her mind about telling him.

“The first year at Uni she was like this vibrant painting or something. Everyone knew who she was. It seemed as if she’d walk into a lecture and everyone would know she was there, would gravitate toward her because you wanted to talk to her. Listen to her ideas, plans for anything, everything.”

“What were you studying?” The words were out before he could stop them. He wanted to know everything, not only about Evie’s past with some ex who didn’t deserve her.

“Art. I mean different courses. Doesn’t matter what discipline to be fair, you just get on, you know.”

He nodded. It’d been similar at medical school.

“She was popular, outgoing. Everybody tried to be her friend. Life and soul of the party, all those clichés. Not like those girls.” Her eyes widened until he understood. His Evie would never be described as a party girl. “Eve wasn’t like that, merely confident.

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