“From what I’ve heard, Positano isn’t far.”
“It’s not. But it’s a different town. You have to take a taxi, which costs money,” she pointed out. That had always been her mother’s reason for saying no whenever Lilly wanted to go there, but her mother had never had any money. She’d had to depend on the men in her life to provide a lot of what they needed, and after a while those men got tired of it. Some resented Lilly even more than Sabrina because she had nothing to offer.
“Sounds like it’s worth the trip. Should we go there tonight? Do you know if we need a reservation?”
She shook her head, but for the first time since her mother died, she was tempted to smile. Dinner at a fancy restaurant would feel like a celebration, and it’d been a long time since she’d had anything to celebrate.
“I’ll google it after we get out.” Her sister sat up on the edge of the Jacuzzi. “I understand that you’re in a frightening and difficult situation, Lilly, and I hope to make that easier on you—in whatever way I can.”
Lilly felt her smile falter. Those words sounded good, but she didn’t know what they meant—not exactly. Maybe Charlotte didn’t know what they meant yet, either. “Thank you.”
chapter 12
Julian stood at the window of his sister’s room, looking down at the deck below where he could see Charlotte and Lilly sitting in the hot tub.
“Did you just say Char’s out there with Lilly?” Sloane stirred on the bed. As soon as he’d gotten up from his own nap, he’d knocked and awakened her because he wanted to go out and get something to eat. But when he’d raised the blind to let in the sun, thinking that would finally rouse her, he’d realized Lilly and Charlotte were still in the midst of getting to know each other, and he felt he and Sloane probably shouldn’t interrupt.
“Yeah. I guess you can go back to sleep.” He sent her a sheepish look for barging in too soon. “Sorry.”
She sat up. “It’s okay. I need to get going. If I nap too long, I won’t be able to sleep tonight.” She covered a yawn before continuing, “Does it look like they’re doing okay?”
“It does. If I’m not mistaken, Lilly’s smiling.”
“No kidding? She was so jittery when we first met her, I was afraid she’d bolt and we’d never see her again.”
“Do you think Charlotte should take guardianship?” he asked as he continued to watch the scene below him.
“Hard to say,” she replied. “It’s such a gamble.”
“You’re afraid raising Lilly might be too difficult?”
“It has nothing to do with Lilly specifically. At this point, taking on any child would change Charlotte’s whole life. She should be healing from her divorce and trying to meet someone new. She wants a family of her own. But if she takes Lilly, she’ll have to worry about what’s happening with her whenever she’s out, spend a lot of money to care for her and make sure she’s in a good place emotionally, which could require a therapist. Who knows how taking on a twelve-year-old girl will alter her future, or what opportunities might come her way if Charlotte remains on her own? Lilly’s old enough that it’ll be weird for any guy Char gets serious with—I know that.”
“Weird?”
“Most thirty-year-old men wouldn’t want the responsibility of a twelve-year-old sister.”
“I think you’re wrong. I’m thirty, and I wouldn’t mind.”
“Not all guys are like you, Jules. What if she meets the love of her life, but he resents having a minor—someone who costs so much time and money—living with them? What if he doesn’t want to compete with Lilly for priority?”
“A lot of people have unconventional, blended families and make it work just fine.”
“And that’s a wonderful thing. What I’m saying is we have no way of knowing whether that’s best for Charlotte. I’d hate to see her give up so much of her time and resources to make someone else happy when it could mean she’ll miss what she should be enjoying at this age.”
“What about Lilly’s happiness?” he asked. “Doesn’t she deserve to be happy, too?”
“Yes, of course. I feel sorry for her. But my loyalty lies with Charlotte. We don’t know how Lilly was raised, what issuesCharlotte might encounter with her. There’s a lot to consider, especially for someone who hasn’t had a child of her own yet. Charlotte doesn’t know how to be a parent.”
“Someone’s got to step up,” he said, the thought stirring something deep in him. “Maybe I could help.”
“From Alaska or wherever you go next?”
She had him there. He had to work while he could. He didn’t know how long he’d be able to earn the money he needed to support himself.
On the other hand, maybe he’d never become a parent any other way...
“We can’t just…ignore her need,” he said.
