Lydia straightened. “I bring enthusiasm.”
“Enthusiasm doesn’t get things done.” Great Aunt Cathy sniffed. She turned back to me. “And the music?”
“Yes,” I said, grateful for the pivot. “We have sound support.”
“Who?” she asked.
I hesitated. “Caleb Green.”
Recognition flickered across her face instantly.
“Ah,” she said. “That Caleb Green?”
My stomach tightened. “You know him?”
“Anne listened to his music nonstop for a year.” She tilted her head, studying me with new interest. “And he agreed to help?”
“With sound,” I clarified quickly.
“Mmm,” she said, noncommittal. “Interesting.”
The weight of her scrutiny made it difficult to breathe. She didn’t say anything outright, but I could feel the comparison between us sisters humming beneath her silence.
“Grandmama, it’s getting late,” Anne said as she grabbed another piece of luggage to take upstairs.
“You shouldn’t be carrying that. You’re too delicate,” Great Aunt Cathy ordered. “You three can bring up the luggage while Kitty tells us more about Caleb Green.”
Lucy, Jane, and Lydia all exchanged looks before going to the pile of luggage to help.
“Can I take your coat?” Mom ventured to ask.
“I don’t know why you haven’t done so already.” Great Aunt Cathy rolled her eyes, finally shedding the heavy fur.
Later, after Great Aunt Cathy and her granddaughter Anne had been shown to their rooms, and Lydia had bounced off to find snacks, I retreated to the quiet of my bedroom. My hands were shaking slightly, the adrenaline finally catching up with me.
I had been interrogated and Great Aunt Cathy wasn’t entirely satisfied with my answers.
The thought startled me.
She was a bit of a horrid old woman, but we all behaved around her because she had money. Great Aunt Cathy might be a tightwad, but she could spend when it suited her.
That night, as I lay in bed listening to the inn settle around me, my thoughts returned to Caleb. The regret I thought I had seen in his eyes before I left. The way his voice had softened when he realized I hadn’t meant what he heard.
Misunderstandings happened. Silence happened too.
The difference was whether you let them calcify.
I turned onto my side and stared at the wall, heart steadying around a decision I had not fully formed yet. I wouldn’t avoid him. I couldn’t since he was going to help with the talent show.
I just didn’t know what to say.
Chapter Eight: Clearing The Air
Caleb
I brought Abby to the rink because she had been asking for days and because saying yes to her felt like the easiest kind of promise. There was no hidden expectation in it, no performance, no old ghosts waiting in the corners. It was just ice and loud kids with the familiar smell of damp mittens and hot chocolate.
Eva met us in the parking lot with Abby already bouncing at her side, her skates slung over her shoulder like she was headedinto battle. Abby’s cheeks were pink from the cold, her eyes bright, and she grabbed my hand the second she saw me.
