“I do.” Planning the meal, shopping for the ingredients and creating such beautiful and delicious pastas, polentas and chicken and seafood dishes for the group made Lilly feel as if she was contributing something special—something they all looked forward to and enjoyed. It was a way to show how grateful she was for her sister and Julian without having to say it. Words were too hard, especially since she was afraid to crackopen the safe inside her that contained all the feelings she’d been storing up.
There was so much stuffed in there, she couldn’t even guess what would come out.
“What sounds good for tonight?” Sloane asked.
“I haven’t decided. But I thought it might be fun to make croissants today. We could do chocolate and lemon. See how they compare to the pastry shops around here.”
“Now you’re really looking for a challenge,” she said with an impressed and slightly overwhelmed chuckle.
“You think it would be too hard?”
Sloane turned the book so she could look at the recipe. “I’m willing to try it,” she said at length. “I bet there aren’t many people who can say they’ve made croissants. We’re really doing this Italy thing right.”
“They offer cooking classes here in town.”
“I’ve had my eye on those, too. I’m just waiting until Charlotte can take one with us.”
“That’ll be fun.” She was coming to enjoy Charlotte and Sloane so much she was growing more and more afraid of when their stay in Italy would end.
“Where is Charlotte, anyway?” Sloane asked. “She’s not at the dining table, pecking away at her computer.”
“No. She already turned in her sample chapters. Now she’s just waiting to hear how her editor likes them.”
“I bet she’s nervous.”
“Has to be. So am I,” Lilly confessed. There was a lot hanging on those pages.
“She’s an excellent writer. I have no doubt her publisher will love them.” Sloane peered out onto the deck but apparently didn’t see Charlotte. “Did she go somewhere with Julian?”
The knot in the pit of Lilly’s stomach grew even bigger. “No, she’s going through Sabrina’s things.” It felt odd to call her motherby her first name, but Sabrina was technically Charlotte’s mother, too, so “our mother’s things” felt just as strange. “You just can’t see her from there.”
“She’s doing that today? And you’re not out there with her?”
The guilt reared up again. Dropping her eyes, Lilly shook her head.
“Are you sure you don’t want to help?” Sloane said. “I’m not trying to put any pressure on you. I’m just afraid you might regret your decision later. Charlotte won’t know what’s most meaningful to you.”
Lilly understood that. The thought of Charlotte or anyone else examining that stuff and throwing away this or that made it difficult to breathe. She wished they could just leave everything where it was until she was ready to deal with the challenge. But that could take years, and they were getting toward the end of their stay in Italy. They had to dosomethingwith Sabrina’s stuff. It didn’t make sense to drag all those boxes, most of which were filled with makeup and toiletries, back to the States.
Closing the cookbook, Lilly got to her feet. “I guess I’ll go help.” The words tasted like gravel in her mouth, but she squared her shoulders.
A compassionate expression claimed Sloane’s face. “Ithink it would be for the best. But you’re the only one who can determine that. I just... I wanted to give you another chance. That’s all.”
“I know,” she murmured and started across the kitchen. As difficult as it was to acknowledge, Sloane was right—Lilly probably would regret it if she didn’t take this final opportunity.
She told herself she’d get through it somehow. Life was about making choices—the right choices. If she’d learned anything, she’d learned that. But when she got outside, she found Charlotte so absorbed in what she was looking at that she didn’t even hear Lilly’s approach.
When Lilly said her name, she twisted around, obviously startled. Then Lilly’s heart sank because she could see what Charlotte had been reading.
Charlotte watched the blood drain from Lilly’s face. She knew what had upset her. Charlotte was holding printed screenshots and email printouts—ink a little smeared, corners paper-clipped—and other correspondence between Sabrina and a previous boyfriend, something that had probably been turned into hard copy because of the admissions it contained.
This had to be what Steve was referring to when they’d talked on the phone. Walter, the guy Sabrina had been with in Colorado, had put a hidden camera in the bathroom Lilly used. What he’d done was so disgusting Charlotte could hardly believe it, but it was almost worse that Sabrina hadn’t gone to the police. Instead, she’d threatened to turn him in whenever she needed money, and he’d paid up to avoid that—until the last time she’d gone to him, after she’d left Steve. Then he’d refused. Charlotte had read an exchange where Sabrina claimed she was finally going to the authorities, and he told her she’d get into as much trouble as he would for blackmailing him.
It didn’t look like she’d gotten another payment. She’d told Walter that at least they’d received some compensation to help them on their way. Making him register as a sex offender or putting him in jail certainly wouldn’t improve things for Lilly. But Sabrina seemed to have realized that she’d milked the situation as much as she could, or she’d just been distracted by her new relationship with Luca and going to Italy, because she’d seemingly moved on.
How deeply had this incident impacted Lilly? Lilly had to know about the camera or Steve wouldn’t have said he’d let her tell Charlotte the story when she was ready.
Lilly immediately pivoted and started toward the house.
