Mia looked at Ted and grinned.
Ted rolled his eyes and went with it. “The water is warm. There are floats in the boathouse. Cid’s on kitchen duty. Let’s all go out and enjoy ourselves because tomorrow we have to put on our big boy pants and be professionals.”
Mia walked over to Audrey and waited for her to secure her papers and laptop. “Let’s go and find where Glenda has taken my child.”
“She was rather breezy when she arrived,” Audrey said, worried.
“She has good instincts, even plowed. At the wedding, she won four hundred and fifty dollars, and I never saw her glass empty,” Mia reported.
“Ah, to live the life of Glenda,” Audrey sighed.
Mia opened the back door. “Come on, let’s get some distance from Super Ears and his buddy Eavesdropper,” Mia suggested. She looked at the ground and saw the grooves from the stroller. “I think Glenda went that way.”
“Matt and I had a fight. A big one,” Audrey said, opening up.
“It wasn’t about coming here? Because you don’t have to be here. I’ll cover…”
“No, it happened days before. This is a great opportunity to put space between us.”
“Oh dear.”
“First, before I lay this on you, how’s your bump in the road?”
“Thanks to all of you, the road hasn’t just been paved over, but excavated and rebuilt stronger than before. I really feel connected here,” Mia touched her heart, “to Ted. At the ski resort, I managed to break the Cooper curse and set myself and Murphy free of each other.”
“So you were joined by a curse? Of course, Murphy was your first love. How romantic.”
Mia raised an eyebrow. “Romantic? How would you like to be in love with a walking corpse?”
“I understand he’s very handsome and gallant and…”
“Murphy,” Mia finished. “He and I are better this way. Now, stop stalling. Tell me what happened to make you so sad?”
“He asked me to marry him.”
“Whoa, I’m a bit confused. I know I’m a bit of a social misfit, but I was over the moon when Ted asked me.”
“I was too, but then came the conditions.”
“Uh oh, tell me.”
“He’d like me to stop working. Mia, I built that business from nothing. I love my work. He wants me to only consult with PEEPs from the safety of his house, and I’m not sure I can let go of the chase.”
“The chase can get you killed. I’ve been dead a few times,” Mia said.
“So? What a way to go!”
Mia lifted an eyebrow. “And they call me an adrenalin-junkie.”
Audrey stopped walking and gripped Mia by the shoulders. “When I was brought into PEEPs, it was the best thing to ever happen to me. Through our work, I’ve been able to lose the fear that my abusive ex instilled in me. I found that I have a brain, and I can trust my instincts. We do good things. All my life, I’ve let myself be cowed. First by my education - those nuns can be fierce - and later by a man who wanted to control me. Matt’s doing the same thing.”
“He’s not hitting you?” Mia said, clenching her fists.
“No! Oh my, don’t get me wrong. Not with his fists, with his wishes. I get the feeling that I’m the end of a checklist.”
“Um, you’re going to have to explain that.”
“He has his career, his home, and a ghost. All he needs is someone who understands all of those things and a couple of children. List completed.”
“Men think of things differently, Audrey. He seems so taken with you.”
“But he’s not in love with me, and honestly, I’m not there yet either.”
“Maybe you two need more time,” Mia suggested.
“Mia, I don’t have time. I want children too. I’m not getting any younger and…”
“You can adopt, freeze your eggs, go to Judy for a refresh,” Mia said. “Don’t toss this relationship away before you’re sure. Of course, it’s backwards to what I did. I’m a horrible example and shouldn’t be giving you advice. There’s a woman with much more experience to talk to.”
“My mother wants a grandchild and a doctor in the family. She’s rather biased.”
“I was thinking of Glenda. She’s blunt. She’ll tell you how it is. All I can say is that you deserve someone who adores you. Someone who loves you, warts and all. He has to be brave and smart.”
“It all comes back to Alan, doesn’t it?” Audrey said suspiciously. “You always wanted us together, Mia. Don’t deny it.”
“Unfortunately, yes, but I wasn’t thinking of anyone in particular. All I know is that I have a husband who thinks that tattooed feathers moving on my skin is erotic. He put up with the Murphy thing, the Mike thing, the Burt thing, the Whitney thing… Oh my god, the man deserves a medal. What I’m trying to say is that you need to take the time to discover if Matt’s the man for you or if your man is somewhere out there. Don’t move too quickly. Get Matt to understand that you need time. Think about what is really important to you and what you can’t compromise.”
“Strangely, Mia, you’re making a lot of sense.”
“Surprised myself too,” Mia admitted. “I love you, Audrey. I want the best for you, but I also know you need to make that decision on your own. I’ll always be here to rejoice with you or pick up the pieces.”
“Thank you, Mia. I’ll give it some time, and I’ll consult with Madam Dupree later. Speak of the devil, there she is, and she’s got a friend.”
Mia nodded. “That’s Mark’s grandmother, Edie.”
They waited for the women on the side of the road.
“Look who we found,” Glenda said joyfully. “Mark’s grandma.”
Edie extended her hand to Audrey who introduced herself.
“Your grandson is a very articulate,
