From a Wrong Turn to Mr. Right novel Chapter 86

The first time, she didn’t say anything. And now, the longer she waited, the harder it felt to bring up.

All she could do was hope Ethan Carter would step up and say something for her.

She sighed. “If only I knew, you know?”

Delivering a bowl of soup shouldn’t be this dramatic.

Ethan looked at her, an eyebrow raised. “How many times have you been over there?”

“I went yesterday.” At that, Adelina Lane set her mug of coffee down a little too hard, her irritation bubbling up. “Good thing I did! Otherwise, one day some random kid would run up and call me ‘grandma’ and I’d be standing there like an idiot, clueless.”

Ethan didn’t look the least bit guilty. “I was gonna tell you when I got home.”

Adelina snorted. “Oh, so you were planning to surprise us?”

He shrugged. “She wasn’t feeling great. Didn’t want you guys to bother her.”

Adelina rolled her eyes. Yeah, right. Might as well just admit he wanted to spring it on them.

Did they really think she was some kind of boogeyman?

Was she really that overbearing?

“Whatever. I’m not gonna argue with you about this.” Now that she knew, she wasn’t going to dwell on it.

She frowned, glancing up at him, worry creasing her brow. “After you ran into your dad yesterday, Olivia didn’t take it the wrong way, did she?”

Ethan’s eyes flickered. “Take what the wrong way?”

“Oh, you know your dad. Sure, he’s a professor, but apart from his brains, he’s clueless—like, next-level clueless.” She huffed. “He told me Olivia called him ‘Dad,’ and he just stood there, thinking you two weren’t even married yet, so he ignored her.”

Adelina’s concern deepened. She asked again, “Olivia didn’t get the wrong idea, did she?”

Adelina was taken aback by his sudden fierceness—pleased he was standing up for Olivia, but a little exasperated too. “What, did you think I’d judge her for whatever happened before? You really think your own mother is that petty?”

“I’m not so old-fashioned. She didn’t do anything wrong—just had some bad luck with people. She’s a good kid. I only wish I could’ve helped her sooner.”

Ethan’s face softened. “She really is great.”

“I know.” Adelina’s eyes twinkled as she looked at her son. She used to think he was clueless about relationships, but now, married, he finally seemed to have figured it out—at least a little.

So maybe she’d misjudged him. He wasn’t a block of wood after all. Just needed the right person.

“That’s not what I wanted to talk about, anyway.” She pushed the other thoughts aside and got serious again. “When I stopped by the studio today, I saw some guy with Olivia. I think it was her ex-boyfriend, uh, Gill…”

She thought for a moment, trying to recall the name.

“Daniel Gill.”