“Moving can be tough,” Jan said to me kindly. “I understand.”
Once she’d handed over the keys, I signed a few papers and the agent was off, leaving the four of us alone on the front stoopof the giant house. I swallowed, looking up at the somewhat imposing facade. Maybe I had overdone it a little bit.
Filling my voice with all the false confidence I could muster, I patted my daughter’s shoulder. “Well, let’s see how we like it.”
The house seemed even bigger on the inside. The entry hall featured a grand, curving staircase and a sparkling chandelier high above. Most of the first floor had an open concept design so from there we could see back to the great room and kitchen.
“Where’d this furniture come from?” Josie asked, staring at a massive ten-person table in the formal dining room to our left.
“This house came furnished,” I explained.
“So does that mean…” she trailed off, rubbing at her eyes. Shit. I knew what it meant when she rubbed her eyes like that. She was trying to keep from crying.
I knelt down in front of her. “What’s wrong, baby girl?”
“All of our things in New York,” she mumbled, not meeting my gaze with her now-red eyes. “What’s going to happen to them?”
“We left some of it there,” I told her. “In storage, until things feel more settled at least. But I did have them ship a few things to Texas. Why don’t you run upstairs to your room and see?”
She rubbed her eyes again, still looking on the verge of a breakdown, then walked slowly to the stairs, her shoulders hunched. “Will you come with me Granny?” she whispered, her voice shaking.
“Of course, honey.” Evelyn took her hand and led her to the staircase. I watched them go, feeling that familiar tightening in my chest. God, I hated how hard this was on her.
“She’s gonna be just fine,” Peter assured me, squeezing my shoulder. “She’s a tough cookie.”
“I know.” I ran a hand roughly over my face. “Just wish it was easier on her.”
“This will be good for her,” he said. “A little distance from her mom might be just what she needs.” There was a brittle hardness to his voice that was impossible to miss, and I winced. It was difficult for them, knowing how much their own daughter had hurt Josie. Chloe had always been flighty but I don’t think any of us could have imagined how things would turn out.
“Come on, old man,” I told him, slapping him on the back. “My agent said she arranged for a grocery delivery. With any luck there’s a couple cold beers in the fridge.”
No sooner had we reached the kitchen did we hear footsteps pounding down the stairs. “They brought my bed!” Josie called. “My white one, from home! They even brought my purple quilt Nana made me! And all my stuffies and my posters, too!”
She appeared in the doorway and my heart clenched at the sight of her happy face. It had been a while since I’d seen her smile so big. As I watched, her eyes widened, something catching her attention outside the sliding glass doors off the kitchen. “Is that apool?”
“Sure thing, chicken wing,” I said, brushing my hand over her soft blonde hair and smiling when she didn’t shrink away. “You think I was going to move you down to Texas without a pool? Your little northern girl heart would melt like a popsicle in this heat.”
She grinned up at me, showing off her two missing teeth, and I grinned right back. “There’s a play set out there too.”
“Awesome!” She took off for the sliding doors and I followed her, feeling much lighter than I had when we’d arrived. Maybe I’d finally done something right for my daughter after all.
CHAPTER 4
As was our Saturday tradition, my brother came barreling into my house at nine.
“I feel like beignets today,” he said by way of a greeting. “I was thinking we could hit the food trucks on South First.”
“Hello, Andrew,” I said. “I missed you too. My trip was lovely, thanks so much for asking.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I talked to you almost every day while you were gone, drama queen.” But he still walked over and wrapped me in a hug.
“I did miss you, little brother,” I murmured against his shoulder. I could practically feel him roll his eyes, the way he always did when I made mention of the fact that I was older—by a whole seven minutes. And I made mention of it often, just because I knew it bugged him.
“You look good, Ace,” he said, pulling back to scan my bare arms. “You almost have a tan.”
“Miracle, isn’t it?” Andrew and I had the exact same coloring—dark red hair, green eyes, and pale freckled skin that burned easily. “I think I was there so long my skin forgot it was supposed to be pale and pasty.”
The intelligent eyes that I knew so well searched my face. I felt exposed, the way I usually did when he looked at me that way, like my brother knew all of my secrets at a glance. I didn’t even think it was a twin thing, at least not entirely. Andrew looked at most everyone that way. His big old genius brain was incredibly perceptive. I was sure his ability to read people had a lot to do with his success.
