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“And do you like him?”
“Mom!” Her eyes bulged to the point I was convinced they were about to pop out of their sockets, her fair skin turning an even brighter shade of red than it was mere seconds ago. She narrowed her gaze on me, jaw tight, lowering her voice. “He might hear you.”
That was all the confirmation I needed to know my baby girl had a crush. It probably wasn’t her first, but it was the first one I witnessed myself. I didn’t count her teenage infatuation with whatever boy band was all the rage these days. That was simply a phase all adolescent girls seemed to go through, much like I did with my love for Donnie Wahlberg when New Kids on the Block was the hottest band around. But this… This was a real crush.
I wasn’t ready.
Was any mother of a teenage girl ever ready for something like this, though?
“Just be careful, Imogene.”
“It’s not serious,” she replied flippantly, smoothing a few strands of her blonde curls behind her ear.
I arched a brow. “But it is something?”
“We’re just hanging out. Having some fun. That’s all.”
I had to resist the urge to tell her she was too young to hang out or have fun with any boy, especially one who was a grade ahead of her. But I knew from experience forbidding any type of behavior would only encourage her to do it. I couldn’t stop her from dating the rest of her life, although the idea sounded appealing. Especially considering they were at camp together. The only thing keeping me from hopping on the next flight home was the fact that Imogene had been going to this camp for the past six years and I was confident in the head counselor’s ability to keep teenage hormones in check.
“Just be smart. And remind Roman that if he so much as puts a hand on you that you don’t consent to, your uncle is a short drive away and has absolutely no problem teaching him a lesson.”
“Mom,” she groaned, trying to sound annoyed. But she knew it came from a place of love. “You don’t have to worry about him. He’s from a good family. His daddy’s a preacher.”
I simply smiled. I didn’t want to burst her bubble. Didn’t want to expose her to my jaded side. Didn’t want to tell her that the people who hurt you the most were typically the ones you least expected. The ones who put on an act to earn your trust, then used that trust to betray you in the worst way possible. Made you question reality. Made you question everything.
“Okay, sweetie. Be safe.”
“Always. Happy birthday. Love you, Mama.” She blew me a kiss.
“And I love you. So much. I’ll talk to you later.” I returned her kiss, then waited for her to end the call.
As she did, the doorbell chimed. I whipped my eyes toward the clock, seeing it was a little after eleven. When my brother told me I could stay in the beach house his architecture firm owned while I was on Oahu, he mentioned the cleaners, gardener, and pool guy would stop by. But for the life of me, I couldn’t remember when.
Expecting it to be one of them, I hurried out of the bedroom and down the winding staircase into the open living area, the wood floor cool against my bare feet.
As I opened the door, I furrowed my brow, surprised to see a man holding two boxes. But not normal shipping boxes. Instead, he held bakery boxes bearing the logo of the restaurant where Naomi and I had dinner last night.
“Are you Belle?”
“Belle?” I practically choked on my saliva. It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him he had the wrong house.
He nodded. “That you?”
“Yes.” I forced a smile. “I’m Belle.”
It felt strange to refer to myself as a name that wasn’t mine.
But also freeing.
“Great. Sign here.” He handed me a small clipboard and pen. I did as he requested, reminding myself to sign the correct name. Then he passed me the boxes and turned, making his way down the walkway and into a nondescript white van.
“What’s that?”
I looked to the left to see Naomi strolling up the stone path from the driveway.
“I have no idea.” It wasn’t a complete lie. I didn’t know what was in the boxes. But I had a damn good idea who had sent them.
Approaching, she noticed a card taped to the top box and snatched it, tearing open the envelope before I could stop her. As she read it, her lips curved into a smirk. Then she held it out for me to read.
“I could be wrong, but I think someone wants you to call them.”
