Instantly, Ivy was concerned about the youngster. “Anything serious?”
Poppy laughed. “No, Daisy tried to send a little stuffed animal for a swim out to sea, so Shelly had to stop and unplug the toilet. At least she’s good at that.”
“Not her favorite little seal, I hope?” Most kids liked bears or giraffes, but Daisy had latched onto a seal after she’d seen them on the beach in La Jolla with their baby seal pups.
“Sarah the seal survived, but she might have to take a trip through the washing machine.”
Ivy recalled how many times she’d had to rescue stuffed animals or dolls when her daughters were young. “Thank goodness we don’t have the plumbing emergencies here like we used to.”
Sighing happily, Poppy opened the door to Bertie, one of the vintage twin turquoise refrigerators they’d decided to keep. She reached for the cream. “While I still love this pair of beauties, I never realized I could love modern plumbing so much.” Poppy looked back at her and grinned. “Now we can do other things, like digging up vacant lots. Shelly is dying to do that.”
“I’ll talk to her,” Ivy said, smiling as she folded the bags she would take. “I almost miss this old house’s quirks. They brought us all together. Remember the first painting party we had?”
The rear screen door slammed, and Bennett stepped inside, wearing his running shorts. He paused to kiss Ivy on the cheek. “That was one party I missed. Tell me again, why I wasn’t invited?”
“Because I was trying to put as much distance as I could between me and my old summer crush.”
“Best failure ever, sweetheart.”
Ivy gave him a playful nudge and kissed him back. “How do you know that wasn’t part of my grand plan?”
“Another marriage was the last thing on your mind back then.” His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled. “Especially to me. I had to work hard on that.”
Watching them, Poppy swept her hair to one side and twisted it in thought. “So, how long does it take for the honeymoon to wear off?”
Bennett hugged his wife. “Never, I hope.”
“The key is learning to work through our problems while they’re small,” Ivy said, sensing something behind her niece’s question.
Listening, Bennett poured a glass of water and drank it down. “Still in the honeymoon phase with Andrew?”
“I wouldn’t put it like that, but he asked me out for dinner this weekend,” Poppy replied, her cheeks coloring slightly. “He’s visiting and staying with a friend from school who lives here.”
“This sounds serious,” Bennett said. “Do you think it is?”
Poppy’s blush deepened. “I think we’re a long way from that phase.”
Ivy tucked her arm through her husband’s arm. For all his diplomacy in city business, Bennett could be a little clueless about relationships. “Will you walk with me toward the farmers market before your run?”
Now grasping the message, he glanced at Poppy. “Andrew seems like a good guy, that’s all.”
Ivy steered him toward the door. “Thanks for looking after the inn, Poppy. The coffee is ready, and Room 202 should be checking out soon. See you later.”
After they got outside, Bennett spread his hands. “I was just making conversation. What did I say that was so wrong?”
“You know how sensitive Poppy is about dating. Especially after that last fiasco she and Sunny got into with those guys from L.A. She wants to take her relationships slowly now. Asking if every guy she dates is the one only puts pressure on her.”
“If she’s thinking about it, I don’t see the problem. There’s slow, and then there’s glacial. What I mean is, maybe Mitch and I can help vet guys for her.”
“I know you’re trying to be helpful, but I wouldn’t mention that to her. Women have their ways.”
“But the last guy was trouble.”
“We should let her forget about that. We’ve all mademistakes when we were young. I once met this guitar-playing surfer dude on the beach before I left for university.” Ivy slid a side-eyed glance his way. “You know, he never called me like he promised.”
Bennett drew a hand over his stubbly jawline. “Okay, point taken. I’ll be making up for that for the rest of our lives, won’t I?”
“You’re off to a good start. I’ll let you know how it goes.”
