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Chapter28
Lucius
San Diego wasthe opposite of Chicago. The sun shone most days, temperatures hovered around seventy degrees, and it barely rained.
Sofie loved the beach, and Everleigh never tired of wandering up and down the sand with her, looking for shells. We already had quite the collection at the house.
We were staying with Everleigh, and Santino got an apartment in the same complex.
But I wasn’t settled. I’d been working all my life, so sitting around, doing nothing was making me restless. Which in turn made me feel guilty because I should have been happy.
I needed something to do and had been diving headfirst into finding out why Maurizio sent money to a place I’d never heard of every month. It was bothering me. He was not the charitable type. If he sent money somewhere, it was for a reason.
And I needed to know why. Tie up the last loose end. I’d been trying to dig through a mountain of information Carter sent me, but the account statements and emails between Maurizio and Hills View Berries told me nothing. My last option was to google the name and see what came up.
Something I should have done as soon as I started digging for information. But sometimes the most obvious solution is also the hardest to find.
The first result was a farm selling produce straight from their shop. It was easy to find a phone number, as they had a website that listed both that and their email address.
I was by myself in the apartment, sitting on the small balcony that looked out over the wall of another apartment. We needed to find a bigger place to live, but real estate in San Diego was tight. And for now, this worked.
The girls had gone to the market. They went every week. It was their thing, and they loved it. They also cooked together most nights. It felt like we’d been a family for years, not just the two months we’d been in San Diego.
I dialed the number listed on the website, and a woman answered.
“Hills View Berries, this is Ava.”
“Yeah, uh, hi. My name is Lucius. I was, uh, wondering what kind of berries you sell?”
Well, that was a clumsy delivery if there ever was one, but I hadn’t thought about what I’d actually say. I didn’t think the place was legit. Which made this all even more confusing. Why would my dad get involved with berries?
Her voice was all business. “We have blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. Are you looking for anything in particular? We sell the berries on their own and also make jams, cakes, and sauces.”
“Where are you located?”
“We’re in Summer Lake, near Oregon. But if you’re not close enough to come out, we also deliver.”
“No, that’s okay. Thanks for the information.”
“No problem. Have a nice day.”
I hung up, having no more of an idea why my dad sent money there than I did before.
A hand snaked around my torso, and then Everleigh leaned over me, touching her lips to my cheek. “Hey. What are you doing out here?”
“Enjoying the view.” It was a standing joke between us ever since we moved in.
A flurry of movement appeared at the door, accompanied by loud footsteps. “Dad, look what Ever got me.”
A red-cheeked, bright-eyed Sofie climbed on my lap, holding up a small crown of flowers.
I took it, turning it every which way under my daughter’s watchful gaze. When I’d sufficiently admired it, I held it out to her. “You want me to put it on?”
She nodded, and I placed it on her head. “Mi princesa.”
Sofie threw her arms around me, then jumped off my lap and disappeared inside again.
Everleigh took her place, studying my face. “Did something happen? You look worried.”
