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“Sure.”
Charlotte was suddenly alone with Bastien. “She seems to be handling all of this okay.”
He rubbed the scruff on his face and cocked his head to the right. “My sister did a wonderful job of preparing her. While I know she’s sad and feels the loss, Chloe told her that even though she wasn’t here to talk to and touch that she was everywhere, like in the seashells and the wind. Ivy likes that thought.”
“I believe the same. We’re energy, and energy never goes away; it just goes somewhere else.” She finished the last of her pizza and pushed the plate aside. “You want to talk about what happened with your mom?”
He chuckled. “That would take a lifetime.”
“I’ve got an hour or so.” She didn’t mind being an ear to Bastien. It was almost like recompense for not being a friend to his sister. “You don’t seem like a man who’d go all the way to Galveston to pick up his mom, only to abandon her there.”
“She plans to send Ivy to boarding school.”
Charlotte frowned. “I thought Chloe wanted you to take care of her.” She realized she shouldn’t have known that information, so she shrugged. “Small town news travels fast.”
“That is what Chloe wanted, but am I the right choice? I feel like right now, I’m the lesser of two evils.”
She reached across the table and touched his arm. “That makes you the right choice, then.”
“I live in New York City, and Ivy has informed me she’s not moving.”
Charlotte’s heart raced. “You’re leaving? Too much change can be damaging. She’s already lost her mother. Do you think a big move is wise?”
He sighed. “But New York is where I work. It’s what I do.”
She thought about that for a moment. “It’s what you used to do. You are no longer what you thought you were if you decide to raise Ivy. Children have a way of redefining you.”
“Do you have children?”
She shook her head. “No kids. No husband.” She immediately recalled his statement about not looking for a wife. “And I’m not looking.” Realizing that might have sounded as abrupt as his declaration, she added, “A wise columnist once wrote—anyone looking for a husband hasn’t had one.”
He chuckled. “Duly noted.” He closed the pizza box and gathered the plates. “Will you come to the service tomorrow?”
She shook her head. “I didn’t know your sister.”
He dumped the trash in the can and put the plates in the sink. “She would have liked you.”
“You think?”
“I know, and it would mean so much to Ivy to have a friendly face.” He stared at her for a moment. “And to me.”
“Then I’ll be there.” She was the boss and could make her own hours. Closing for a funeral was a legitimate reason to be absent for a brief spell.
“Shall we check on the girls?” he asked.
“That seems sensible. Rachel doesn't seem focused, and even though Ivy appears to be quite mature for her five years, it's better to be safe than sorry.”
They easily found the two girls picking up shells at the shoreline.
“They look unharmed, so I'll let you get back to managing them. Thanks for the pizza.”
“It was my pleasure,” he said, shocking her with an unexpected hug and making her heart skip a beat. She left feeling warmth in her soul and a spring in her step.
CHAPTEREIGHT
As the sun crested the horizon, Bastien rose from his unsettled slumber and peeked in on Ivy, who was cozied up against her beloved teddy bear.
Today was Chloe's funeral, and with a heavy heart, he took a morning jog down the beach. While he was hopeful the fresh salty air would help him clear his head, he passed by house after house, noticing that his emotions were becoming more tangled with every step.
