“What about Lilly’s father?”
“Lives in Mexico. It wouldn’t be worth the time, effort or money to track him down. Even if I could find him, I’d have to force him to pay child support. I don’t want to deal with all that negativity.” Apparently, Mr. Heidelman had done his job well and found the only viable relation—her.
“Do you think Lilly would want to move back to the farm?”
“Possibly. You know how she feels about Old Blue.”
“Then that might be the perfect solution.”
“Steve seems like a really good guy,” she agreed.
“You’re taking Lilly to visit him once we get back?”
“I think I should, don’t you?”
“Absolutely.”
Charlotte was about to set Sabrina’s phone aside when it pinged with a text message. Steve had sent the picture she’d requested—a selfie that included him, along with a message.
Old Blue and I miss you, Lill. Can’t wait for you to come see us.
“That’s him?” Sloane said, peering over her shoulder.
Charlotte lifted the phone so she could get a better look. “Apparently.”
“He has nice eyes, and a seems to have a steadiness that reads as trustworthy.”
She adjusted the phone to study the picture herself. Sloane was right. Tall and lanky, Steve was bald and a bit weathered with a full beard that was almost all gray but neatly trimmed, and he had a shy, sweet smile for a man of his size and age. Just looking at him made Charlotte feel he was the kind of person who would keep his word.
She reminded herself that looks could be deceiving, but Lilly’s comments and feelings about Steve backed up her opinion. “Would Lilly be better off with him?” She was mostly speaking to herself, but she thought Sloane would jump at the chance to offer an emphatic yes. Sloane was the one who’d been trying to convince Charlotte not to take on a twelve-year-old. But she was surprisingly reticent.
“I don’t know. We’ll have to see how things go from here.”
Charlotte hid a smile. Sloane’s tough talk hid a very soft heart. Maybe she didn’t know it yet, but this served as further proof that she was falling for Lilly.
As she walked along the shore in Positano next to Julian, who’d suggested they stay out of the house a little longer to give Charlotte more time to work, Lilly saw a man lift his little girl up so he could carry her on his shoulders and was mesmerized by the sight. She’d always wanted to experience that. It was why she’d called so many men “Dad.” Sabrina had encouraged it, of course. She’d pushed that sort of connection far too soon. But Lilly had done it, hoping it would make them a real family, which now made her feel like a desperate fool. Somewhere along the line, that sort of thing had become a joke. Other than maybe Steve, each new “dad” was far more interested in Sabrina than he was in her. Lilly was merely an annoyance they had to put up with if they wanted a relationship with Sabrina.
As she stooped to pick up a broken shell veined like lace,she remembered the fight she’d overheard the night before they left the farm. Steve had caught Sabrina cheating on him with some guy she’d connected with on a dating app and said he was done with her. At first, Sabrina had tried to convince him she wasn’t really interested in that other man. Then she’d promised she’d never contact him again. But Steve no longer seemed to care what changes she made. He’d insisted she move out right away, but Lilly remembered hearing him say thatshecould stay.
Her mother hadn’t even discussed the possibility with her. Lilly was the one person Sabrina had relied on to always be there, the one person whocouldn’tget upset and leave, no matter what. But what would’ve happened if her motherhadleft her at the farm? Would theybothhave been happier?
Considering what’d happened since, Lilly certainly believedshewould’ve been better off. Had Sabrina died while Lilly lived at the farm, Lilly would probably have gone on living there. With Old Blue. No change.
The thought of Steve’s beloved dog always hit her hard. But even if her mother had allowed it, she couldn’t have lived with a man who was no relation to her while Sabrina moved on without her, especially after what had happened with Walter. Walter was always there in the back of her mind, making her distrust all the “dads” who came after.
So what was going to happen now? As nice as her sister seemed to be, Lilly didn’t know if she could truly rely on Charlotte. With Charlotte’s marriage falling apart, there wasn’t currently a guy in her life. That was when her promises were most likely to be broken—if there was a chance her pro basketball, rich-as-fuck (something else Lilly had heard her mother say) husband ever came back around. How could anyone say no to a pro basketball player? Someone who wasn’t just rich but famous, handsome and athletic? If Sabrina were in Charlotte’s shoes,she’dgo back to him, and Lilly knew it. Sabrina had neverbeen able to pass the guy test, and she’d never been tempted by anyone as desirable as a pro athlete.
“Why do you think Charlotte’s husband is breaking up with her?” Lilly asked Jules.
He was too busy eyeing a seagull that was strutting confidently toward them to answer—and caught her arm so she’d stop walking.
“Is something wrong?” she asked, blinking up at him.
“I don’t like birds,” he said.
She laughed at the expression on his face. “You’rescaredof them?”
“I didn’t say that. I said I didn’tlikethem.”
