Cassie dropped back as Beth showed them out. “I’m looking for a place too,” she said. “A condo or a small house.” In spite of everything, she felt a breeze of excitement. Something appealed about the idea of a house. Nothing grand, but more room to stretch out. A kitchen with actual cabinet space. Honest to goodness closets. She didn’t need much, an extra bedroom for Andrew when he came home. A bit of a yard. She might even rescue her mother’s peonies.
“I’d be happy to help. Is it just you?”
“Just me.” Here she was, almost fifty, venturing out like a twenty-something. She wouldn’t lie—after all those years of marriage and motherhood, it did feel a little lonely, starting out with no one else to consult. Did she need central air, and what did you look for in a furnace? But she could start fresh. Paint the walls pink if she wanted too. Navigate life without a doorman. Maybe she would even break down and get a cat.
Beth’s handshake was firm and not the least bit sticky. “We’ll find you just the thing.”
Cassie caught up with her dad and Shelly half a block away looking at a poster for the new Brad Pitt movie. The same family-owned theater that had been there forever, with an old-fashioned marquee, the neon letters stacked jauntily one on top of the other. One of the things she liked about Laurelton was the way the town had resisted chain stores and multiplexes. She couldn’t help thinking of her first date with Glenn, how he’d worried she found Laurelton too dull. For a moment her mood flagged, missing him.
“Where have you been?” her dad said. “It’s almost time for lunch.”
“Lunch?” Shelly consulted her watch. “It’s only eleven-fifteen.”
“I’m hungry.”
“I have an idea,” Cassie said.
They made their way down the street, past the women’s clothing store where the styles never changed, past the shop that sold delicate enamel dishware. And the bakery, which gave off the tantalizing aroma of fresh bread.
“Want me to get the car?” Cassie said, “or can you walk a couple of blocks?”
“I can walk,” her dad said, moving capably with the cane. “Where are we going?”
Cassie smiled as Bobby’s, with its bright blue awning, hove into view. “Where do you think?”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Glenn tapped on Lilah’s door, which was slightly ajar. The girl, cross-legged on the bed, looked up warily from her phone.
“Can I sit?” he asked.
She pulled out her earbuds, which he took for a yes. “A lot of times my first reaction is no,” he said. “That’s not a good way to be, and I’m working on it. Even adults can be a work in progress.” He smiled ruefully. “If it were up to me, peanut, I’d never let you out of the house, but I don’t think that’s going to work long term.”
She started to protest, but he held up a hand. “Wait. I’m getting there. I love you, and I will always love you no matter if you live close by or across the country. Or across the world, although I hope you don’t. But anyway, you’re old enough to start making some of your own decisions. So what I’m trying to say in my long-winded, boring way is that you can go.”
Her eyes flew open. “To Colorado? For the summer?”
“A month. Your mom and I talked about it. I know she’s trying and wants more time with you. And I’m okay with it.” At least it wasn’t the whole summer; they’d compromised on a month. And Sophie did seem to be making an effort. She’d been better about returning Lilah’s calls and sometimes even called herself.
“For real?” Lilah’s smile was huge.
He nodded, not trusting his voice. Then, “I’ll miss you like crazy. I’m not going to lie. It’s going to be real quiet around here for a whole month. But I think you should go. Iwantyou to go.”
“Thank you!” Lilah threw herself into his arms. Her hair smelled like strawberry shampoo, and part of him wished she were still four and he could keep her this way, but another part loved the young woman she was becoming. Strong and resourceful and too goddamn opinionated.
It had been a tough couple of weeks coming to this decision. Back and forth a dozen times. He’d wanted more than anything to talk to Cassie about it, but every time he went to call her, he had so much else he needed to say.Like, I’ve been a jerk. He thought of her a million times a day. What she was doing, if she missed him. But all the old alarm bells about honesty and trust kept going off, and he couldn’t go down that road again.
Not after Sophie.
But Cassie wasn’t Sophie. She was just trying to hold it all together, doing the best she could for her dad. It had taken him a long time to see that through his haze of hurt and anger. He’d finally worked up the nerve to call, but she hadn’t called back. He could hardly blame her.
He kissed the top of Lilah’s head. “You’ll have a great time with your mom. Just promise you’ll come back, okay? Charlie won’t know what to do without you.”
“I promise. You and Charlie are my number one, you know that.”
“Who, me or Charlie?”
“Oh Dad.” She rolled her eyes. “Hey look.” She opened her phone. “Mom’s been feeding this feral cat. It waits on the deck for food.” She showed him a picture of a mangy gray cat peering in the sliding door. “Mom thinks it might have babies somewhere.”
