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closed her eyes, loath to hurt her mother’s feelings by telling her the reality was exactly the opposite.
    She loved her mother, she did. Charlene was sweet and earnest and she loved nothing more than to fuss over her family. Wynona mostly found it exhausting.
    For two years, her mother had turned those energies to caring for her husband after his brain injury. Charlene visited him daily in the nursing home and had been a dedicated and selfless caregiver. Wyn admired her greatly for it. Since John’s death, though, her mother had tried to shift all those caregiving energies to her children—whether they needed it or not.
    She couldn’t deal with Charlene today. She couldn’t .
    â€œI’m actually on my way out,” she lied.
    Charlene paused. When her mother spoke again, Wyn couldn’t miss the eagerness in her voice. “A date?”
    Gah. She suspected her mother thought that the very day she would turn thirty—in four months, one week and two days—she would become a dried-up old maid.
    â€œAfraid not. I’ve, um, got some things to do for McKenzie’s wedding,” she improvised quickly. “A bridesmaid thing.”
    Yes. That’s right. She was nearly thirty years old and still lied to her mother.
    â€œWhat time will you be home? I’ll bring dinner. I’m making lasagna.”
    She did love her mother’s lasagna, flavored with fresh herbs and home-canned tomatoes and deliciousness. It was fantastic—but not quite worth everything that would come along with it.
    â€œThanks a million, Mom. That’s really sweet of you, but I’ll probably just grab something while I’m out.”
    â€œOkay. If you’re sure.”
    Wyn could clearly hear her mother’s wounded feelings in the words and she swallowed a heavy sigh.
    â€œAunt Jenny wants to have us all over for dinner,” she offered as a salve. “I’ll try to coordinate with Marsh and Kat and see when the whole gang can make it. How would that work?”
    â€œOh, that would be lovely. We live so close together, it’s a shame we can’t find more time for family dinners. Though, of course, it won’t feel the same without Elliot. Don’t forget Marshall’s birthday next Sunday.”
    â€œMaybe Jenny can join us for that.”
    â€œI already asked her. She’ll be there.”
    â€œGreat. I can’t wait. I’ve got to go, Mom. I need to jump in the shower and wash some of this smoke out. Love you.”
    She hung up before her mother could press her. After a quick shower and shampoo, she felt a million times better. She was throwing on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt when her phone rang again. To her relief, it wasn’t her mother’s customized ringtone but the one for her friend McKenzie.
    â€œHey, Kenz.”
    â€œWynona Jane Bailey!” McKenzie Shaw exclaimed. “If you didn’t want to be a bridesmaid for me, you could have just told me! You didn’t have to risk your life and nearly die to get out of it, a month before the wedding!”
    She made a face as she combed through her hair. “I didn’t risk anything. Good grief. Does everyone in town know?”
    â€œLG called me five minutes before Cade did.”
    Lindy-Grace worked for McKenzie at her gift shop and they were good friends, so it only made sense she would let her know what happened.
    â€œYou will be at the top of Lindy-Grace’s Christmas list for the rest of your life,” McKenzie went on. “You know that, don’t you?”
    â€œLucky me. She gives the best presents.”
    â€œAnd the top of ours as well. Ben and I have a very soft spot in our hearts for those boys. We would have been devastated if anything had happened to them. The whole town would have been devastated.”
    â€œEverything ended well and now we can all move on.”
    She was already tired of all the hullabaloo, especially for a decision that