Evan looked at Hope because she still hadn’t answered his question. His sister looked unusually disconcerted. He cocked an eyebrow at her and she looked at him carefully, as though she was contemplating how to answer.
Finally, she said carefully, “No. She wasn’t born here. Randi moved from California to Amesport when she was fourteen.”
“With her parents?” Evan didn’t think it was that unusual to change locations. People did it all the time for various reasons.
“With her new parents,” Hope admitted. “Randi was sort of a foster child to the Tylers.”
“Sort of?” How could somebody be “sort of” a foster child? They either were fostered or they weren’t, no matter how long of a time they remained with their foster parents.
Hope shrugged and gave Evan a pleading glance. “It’s Randi’s story to tell. I’ve told you what I’m comfortable revealing. The Tylers were elderly, but they gave her a good home.”
Her name is really Miranda.
Her foster parents were elderly, now most likely deceased.
She loves junk food.
Evan stopped walking abruptly, alarm bells screeching loudly in his mind. It couldn’t possibly be . . .
“Did she lose her foster mother recently?” Evan held his breath, his jaw clenched tightly. What were the chances?
Coincidence. Highly unlikely. There was no way that Randi was . . .
“Yes.” Hope looked at Evan suspiciously. “How did you know? Joan passed away over a month ago. Randi was completely devastated.”
“Fuck!” The expletive shot out of his mouth like a cannonball. “There’s no damn way!”
Hope reached out and grasped his arm, smiling at the people staring at Evan, as though she was trying to tell them everything was fine. “I think you’re scaring the other customers. What’s the matter?”
“Nothing,” he replied in a husky voice, looking down into Hope’s concerned expression. “Everything,” he admitted reluctantly.
He felt like he’d just taken a forceful punch in the gut by a heavyweight.
He had no doubt in his mind that Randi Tyler and his mysterious M. were the same woman. It was no coincidence. The chances of two women in Amesport losing an elderly foster mother just a short time ago were just too far of a stretch. “Let’s finish,” he told Hope in a milder voice, edging the cart forward.
Hope gave him a dubious look, but she continued putting items in the cart while Evan tried to process the information he’d just discovered. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Randi did a lot of volunteer work at the Center, and she was good friends with Emily.
“So is Randi seeing anyone?” Evan asked curiously as he watched Hope carefully place a sugar-filled cake into the basket. The entire cart was loaded now. Randi could probably survive a very long siege if she had to, even if the majority of the items weren’t all that nutritious.
Hope shot him a sideways glance and shook her head. “No serious relationship. Tessa has been trying to get her to go out with her brother, Liam. The two of them own Sullivan’s Steak and Seafood. They have the best lobster rolls in town.”
“Never heard of the place,” Evan muttered.
“Liam’s quite successful with the restaurant. He’s also a nice guy. He’d be perfect for Randi when they finally get to meet for a real date. I hope she finds someone. She deserves a nice guy in her life.”
Over his dead body. He might not be the nice guy Hope had wished for, but it didn’t matter. “He’s not perfect for her,” Evan told his sister hurriedly, his voice sounding slightly raspy. “She needs somebody who understands her.”
“And that would be . . . ?” Hope left Evan to fill in the blank.
“Me,” he growled in a low voice only Hope would hear.
“You two hate each other,” his sister answered, her tone confused.
“I don’t hate her. I never have,” Evan admitted, following Hope as she pulled the shopping cart around the corner and went down the pet-food aisle. “I just don’t know what to say to her.”
Hope motioned to a bag of dog food that looked big enough to feed a horse. “Can you get one of those and put it on the bottom?”
Evan hefted up the bag and slid it onto the bottom rack. “Does she own a damn kennel full of dogs?” he grumbled as he pulled himself up to his full height again.
Hope snickered. “No . . . just Lily, her golden retriever. But her dog runs with her, and Lily is very active. The bag isn’t that big.” She hesitated before she added, “That’s another thing . . . You don’t like dogs.” Letting out an exasperated sigh, Hope turned to face him. “You’re going to tell me what’s going on the minute we leave this store.”