Romance Warfare: a Tigress' Guide to NOT Secure a Mate(21)

“I…”

“Hear me out. Take some time off. Two weeks. Paid, of course. Think things over, clear your head, then get back to me. When was the last time you saw your parents?”

Eva chewed on her bottom lip, considering Dean’s offer. It was hard to turn down. It was the best paying job she’d ever had. Maybe when she came back she could ask for a transfer to a different department. Maybe she could be Dean’s executive assistant. Even if she had to move into the administrative office pool and took a pay cut, it would probably still pay better than anything else she’d find. She made up her mind.

“Okay. Sounds like a great offer.”

Dean stood up and clapped his hands once, rubbing them together briskly. “Excellent! Why don’t you go ahead and go on home, get your things together. I’ll let Adam know and arrange for a temp. Have a good trip, Eva.”

“Thanks, I will.”

Eva hurried back to her office and collected her bag and coat and headed for the elevator. She stepped in and punched the button for the lobby. As the elevator descended, an odd feeling settled over her. She thought she’d feel relieved, getting away from Adam was what she thought she wanted to do. But she couldn’t shake the sense of loneliness that settled over her, even as she walked toward the subway entrance with thousands of other people on the sidewalk around her.

***

The train rocked on the tracks, lulling Eva into a light sleep, her bag tucked up underneath her feet as buildings and bridges flashed by outside the window. Before she realized, her train had pulled into her hometown station. She hadn’t told her parents she was coming home so she ordered up an Uber and waited outside the station for her car to arrive and whisk her away to her childhood home.

In no time, she was standing on the front porch of her parent’s two-story, red brick home just on the outside of Trenton. She was immediately transported into an easier time, a time without all the worries of adulthood. Her tension slipped away as she slid her spare key into the lock and twisted the knob, pushing the door open. A light smell of coffee and muffins wafted toward her from the back of the house and she heard a soft murmuring. She smiled to herself, her parents were home.

“Mom, Dad,” she called out, “it’s Eva.”

She headed toward the kitchen, hearing chairs scrap across tile and slippers shuffling toward her. She met her parents at the kitchen door, laughing when they enveloped her in surprised hugs. Her mom, light blonde hair stylishly short, hustled into the kitchen and urged her to sit at the table, immediately handing her a cup of coffee and plate of fresh-baked muffins.

Her dad planted a kiss on the top of her head and refilled his own coffee mug before settling at the table across from her.

“Evie, honey, what are you doing here?” her mom asked.

She shrugged and blew across the top of her coffee before taking a small sip. “Nothing, I mean, I’ve got some time off work. Thought I’d come home and visit for a bit. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you guys.”

“You’re more than welcome anytime, sweetie. We just weren’t expecting you is all.” Her mom opened the dishwasher and started piling plates inside. “Didn’t you just start your new job. With Frost Industries?”

“Yes. Dad, feel like going for a run later?” Eva tried to change the subject.

“Maybe,” said her dad.

“And you’re getting time off already?” Her mom was briskly running a kitchen towel across the counter now.

She ignored the question. “Mm. Hey, would you two like to go to dinner tonight? Least I can do since I surprised you.”

“Eva, your mother asked you a question,” said her dad.

“That’s all right,” her mother waved off. “I think I know what’s going on. It’s a boyfriend problem. Otherwise she wouldn’t come unannounced like this.”

“I don’t have a boyfriend,” said Eva petulantly.

“Uh-huh. Says you. Did you meet the Frost boys there?”

Eva looked away. “Yeah.”

“How are they? It’s been a while since we saw them.”

“They’re good and everything is fine.”

Her mom dropped into the chair beside her and reached over, brushing a curl off of Eva’s forehead. She looked into her mom’s gentle, loving eyes and felt her bottom lip quiver slightly. Her mom patted her cheek softly and nodded. “It’s okay if you don’t want to tell us, sweetheart. We’ll go to dinner tonight. Your bedroom is always ready for you. I just changed the sheets two days ago.”

Eva laughed at her mom’s always immaculate housekeeping routine. Even without kids in the house anymore, she stuck to the same cleaning schedule she’d had for years. It was really rather sweet, Eva thought.

Sensing that her parents were going to let her be and come to them if she needed them, she relaxed. She had another muffin and shared pieces of the paper with her dad. He’d never give up his daily paper for the convenience of online newspapers. He liked to rattle the pages around whenever something was particularly aggravating.

“How is Bella?” asked her dad.

“She’s doing good. Didn’t she call you the other day?”

Her dad’s brows knitted. “Was it yesterday? Damn. My memory isn’t as good as it used to. You keep your sister out of trouble?”