“What happened to her?” she asked.
“She had a heart attack.”
Evie was quiet for a few long moments, just looking at the screen. Zach sat quietly, fighting the urge to break the silence with a joke or distraction.
“She’s not what I expected.”
“Oh yeah?”
“All the pictures I’ve seen of myself I’m so dolled up. I figured if she raised me, I got some of that from her.”
“Nah. You were a tomboy through and through. I think the glamour is just for the cameras.”
Zach half expected Evie to roll her eyes or suck her teeth, but she just kept staring at the phone.
“What about my parents?” she finally said.
“You lost them in a car accident.”
“You probably don’t have any pictures of them.”
“No. They passed away before the internet was really a thing. You did post a picture of them on your Facebook a long time ago, but after you started the show you deleted your personal account.” Not that Zach had gone to look her up a dozen or so times.
“Oh.”
“Hold up. You said I was in your dreams and then you asked if we’d been together in real life. Were wetogetherin your dreams?”
Evie stared at him for a minute and Zach saw it again, that trademark stubbornness. The Evie he knew was definitely in there. She drew herself up, straightening her shoulders and letting out a deep breath. “No, there was just—there were things I’d rather not discuss right now.”
Zach couldn’t hide his smile this time. “That’s cool.”
“Can you tell me about your family? What’s the ranch like?”
“Sure thing. Let’s see, there’s me, and you met Jesse, and we have a younger brother named Samuel. You and Sam got along great.”
“Do you have a picture of him? Sorry, I just have so many blanks. It’s all blank. Blaire keeps telling me about people and I keep hoping something will come to mind and there’s just nothing.”
“Nah, don’t apologize. Here.” Zach moved to the chair beside her bed and pulled up the private family Instagram account his baby cousin had put together. Lilah had done a great job as unofficial family historian even though things were a little tense between her and her parents at the moment. Zach hadn’t taken enough time to appreciate how much she’d done to keep track of their accomplishments and everyday moments. He showed Evie pictures of Sam and his horse, Majesty.
“He’s an actor. He hooked up with this girl on his last film and now he’s spending Christmas with her family.”
“Do you like her?”
“She seems alright. Here’s Lilah. She works at the ranch for me and Jesse.” He swiped through to more pictures of Lilah and a few of their other cousins, Penny, Wiley, and Sage. By the time he got to the pictures of Senior’s last birthday party at the ranch, Evie seemed more comfortable. Her tears had dried for real and she was actually smiling as Zach told her how pissed his mom had been when his dad ruined his own birthday surprise.
“Are you close with your parents?” she asked.
“Ah, yeah . . .” Zach said, trying to think of how to explain the relationship there. He knew how lucky he and his brothers were. They had two loving parents who only wanted the best for them. It didn’t change the sting of his father walking away from their family business. Zach and Jesse had proved themselves more than capable of running Big Rock. Still, it was something they thought they’d be doingwiththeir father. He only had himself to blame for the shattered expectations there, and that annoyed him even more.
“You don’t sound so sure.” Evie dipped her head a little, forcing him to look her in the eye.
“Nah, my dad’s great. I just—we—” Zach stopped himself as soon as he heard Jesse’s voice in the hall. “Actually, let’s maybe get into that another time.” Jesse and Nicole walked into the room, bringing the smell of hot food with them. Nicole held up the plastic bag in her hand.
“Grilled chicken salad and some coconut cake for you, and a grilled cheese for Blaire.”
“Here, let me.” Zach hopped up. He took the bag from Nicole and started setting up Evie’s lunch on her bedside table.
“Thanks. We saw Dr. Manzo on our way up,” Nicole said.