AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You called!” she whispered. “I’m so sorry. I’m at the boat with Alphé and all his kids.”
“What happened? Did you expect the kids to be there? And I talked to Annie. You sure found out a lot in a one-hour car ride.”
“Tell me about it. Anyway, the kids were alone because the mother was in the apartment with the old guy, so Alphé brought them back here. We’re probably having thewill you live with me and my kidstalk tonight. He was hinting earlier.”
“Yikes, men sure move fast around here,” Maggie said. “What will your answer be?”
“I’ll have to tell him I’ll let him know. I already found a cute house. But he might think I’m going to be a nanny, and that isn’t happening.”
“You’ll clear that up. Are you coming back here? Annie asked if she could stay with me.”
“Oh god, I guess I’d better make up my mind, then,” Katrina said, laughing. “Sure, if she needs a place to go to right away, let her stay. If this boat living gets to be too much, I can go to a hotel if I have to.”
“Katrina, that would be awful.”
“It’s fine. I feel so bad for our friend, pregnant with this guy’s baby. What a predicament.”
“You can stay with us if you have to. I have a very comfortable couch. I fall asleep on it all the time. And Annie can also stay at the rescue. We’ve already talked about it.”
“Okay, I’d better say goodnight,” Katrina said. “It appears we’re going to bed before nine here.”
They laughed before they hung up.
When Alphé was done saying goodnight to his kids, he joined her. Everything they said to each other was in a whisper.
“Thank you so much. This whole thing was completely unexpected. She’s leaving the kids alone more now that she can get away with it. I just couldn’t leave them, and I didn’t want to stay there because you were here, and I wanted to be with you.”
“Alphé, it’s fine,” she said, laughing. “Right now, I feel like this is my life. I’ll get to know your kids while I get to know you.”
“And vice versa,” he said, climbing into the bed. “I’m exhausted.”
“I bet you are. I have to tell you something, though. It might have a bearing on how this plays out.”
“What is it?”
“I saw Lola going into the apartment above the hardware store with Alfonso Casson this afternoon. I was with my friend Annie, looking for her wayward husband, and we saw Lola with the older man. Annie used to live in the apartment, that’s how I knew where they were going.”
“Interesting. So why do I have the kids here on the boat and the house is empty because she’s out with her lover?”
“Do you have a lawyer?” she asked.
“I do.”
“It’s time to start documenting all of this, Alphé. You should be in the house with the children.”
He leaned over and gathered her in his arms, kissing her. “If it comes to that, will you live with me?”
“Can I let you know?” she asked, giggling. “I like to know a guy at least a week before I move in with him.”
“You can let me know. Listen.”
She sat up a little bit and heard the lapping of water against the side of the boat and nothing else. Lying back down, she closed her eyes. Waves of exhaustion washed over her, and in seconds, when she heard Alphé snoring, she smiled. It wasn’t nine yet, but being the girlfriend of a fisherman meant getting up before sunrise, so she’d go to sleep when he did.
***
In town, north on Main Street, Lola Beaumont left the apartment above Casson’s Hardware to return to an empty house. She read Alphé’s note and bristled. She was so comfortable in Al’s cozy apartment. Why in the hell hadn’t Alphé just sent her a text? She quickly called Alfonso.
“I’m alone if you want to stop by. We can make a night of it.”
