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“No! Don’t be ridiculous,” Rob says. “Leave that to me.”
He cleans too?
Rob picks Matty up on his shoulders, and then saunters around the house pretending he’s a camel. “You’ll sleep well tonight, huh?”
“I will,” Matty drawls.
“And tomorrow you’re going to school.”
“Meeeehh… do I have to?”
“Yes.”
“Oookaay.”
“Promise me you’ll be a good boy tomorrow.”
“I’m happy, so yeah, I’ll be good.”
I can’t just leave the mess behind, despite Rob saying he’d clean up. So I take the empty plates and bowls to the kitchen. My Mama would drool seeing the double sinks, wide benches, and endless rows of drawers and cupboards!
Table cleared, the yellow rose that Matty and Rob gave me lies by itself, looking as if it’s been covered in golden dust. It smells divine, too. Henry Fonda rose, Rob said. It’s a majestic rose. I’m glad Matty chose yellow for me—that boy observes well. Being in that garden abated my harrowing thoughts about the lone red rose that was sent to me. Rob must be taking care of those flowers meticulously, because that patch of his massive outdoor space is truly heaven on earth.
I grasp the rose in my hand, and then take myself on a tour around the Hartley mansion. It’s a modern two-story house with a wide façade, so naturally there are a lot of long hallways. With generous windows on each side, and skylights above, I can imagine this house is baked in sunlight during the day. In line with his business, there’s a subtle nautical theme throughout the space—navy colors, ocean memorabilia and seashells.
When Rob took me to the rose garden earlier, I caught a glimpse of the outdoors—rolling lawns, tennis courts, and luxurious swimming pools. Aidan was rich, his house in Geneva was jaw-dropping, but Rob’s property is beyond my wildest imagination. The type of place I thought only existed in films.
Passing the many libraries and living rooms, and a formal dining room that looks more like a ballroom, my feet take me back to the place where I spotted Rob’s family photo. I spend a moment looking at his parents. Rob’s mother exudes wisdom and radiance. His father, on the other hand, sits up straight in his chair—tight and serious. Rob looks a lot like him, while Clay takes after their mother, and Matty is in between. The Hartley trio definitely sits in a continuum.
After circling back to where I started, I make my way up to the second floor. This is where the bedrooms are, and I soon arrive at Matty’s…
Where I find Rob reading to his brother. From the cover, the book seems to be about the adventures of two bears—one big, one small.
His voice stretches across the room. “‘What if I’m lost?’ little Foster says. ‘I will find you,’ Big Brother Eddie replies.”
By this time, Matty is already asleep.
“‘And if you’re tired, I will carry you,’ Big Eddie says. ‘If you’re scared, I will protect you.’”
Rob puts the book away and turns the light off. He rubs his little brother’s hair, whispering something, probablysweet dreamsorgood night.
While I manage not to make any noise, I fail to stop my tears from falling. I turn around, trying to get away, but I’m not fast enough.
Rob strides alongside me as he steals glances at my eyes, probably trying to decide whether the tears are tiredness or emotions.
“I’d better go,” I say as we make our way to the front door. A normal house would simply have a main hallway, but here, it’s an atrium with a marble floor, surrounded by exotic indoor gardens and a dome above. “It’s late. Thank you for the lovely dinner.”
“I’ll get Joe to drive you home. I can’t leave Matty. Sorry.”
“That’s okay. Who’s Joe?”
“Oh, my other driver. Night driver. He’s another member of L.A.’s nice guy league.” His lips stretch to form a small smile.
“Are you sure?”
“He loves night driving. Ask him if you don’t believe me.”
I hide my face, but I accept the offer.
