He stalks off of the boat, and I watch him walk down the beach, away from the resort.
Wow. What’s the story there? I’ve never seen my brother so rattled.
My last excursion of the day cancels, so I’m done with work early. It’s one of those perfect summer days. Warm breeze, calm water.
I walk into the cabin, and Dahlia looks up from the table where she’s helping Chloe color what appears to be a purple sheep. Or a monster. Or a monster-shaped sheep.
“Yay, you’re home,” I say.
“And you’re home early too,” Dahlia says, grinning.
“Let’s have a picnic,” I announce.
Dahlia lifts a brow, amused. “Right now?”
“Right now,” I say, leaning down to kiss her cheek. “I’m off early, the sun is perfect, and my two favorite girls look like they need some fun.”
Chloe gasps. “Picnic! I bring Bill.”
Bill, curled at her feet, gives a proud little tail wag.
Ten minutes later, we’re walking down to the beach on my property. Since moving back here, it’s become my favorite place. Chloe skips ahead, holding a bucket to gather rocks, her curls dancing around her face. Dahlia carries the picnic basket. I carry the blanket and have a hard time not staring at Dahlia. She’s got this soft smile today. Playful eyes. She looks relaxed and happy.
We lay everything out on the sand, and the three of us sit shoulder to shoulder, eating sandwiches and fruit while the waves lazily roll in.
Chloe feeds Bill a piece of melon. “Bill likes picnics,” she declares.
“I don’t doubt it.” Dahlia laughs.
I take a breath, glance at the lake, and then at them. “Can we talk about something?”
Dahlia wipes her hands on a napkin. “Of course.”
“So I kind of told you what I’d like out here. But what’syour dream house? Like…if you let yourself picture anything. What would it be?”
She pauses, surprised, then tucks a piece of hair behind her ear.
“Well…” she starts slowly, “I’d want something cozy but roomy. Not pretentious, just…warm. Lots of windows. I want to wake up and see the lake or the trees, not another building.”
I smile because that’s exactly the kind of answer I expected.
“And a big kitchen,” she adds, like it’s just occurred to her. “With enough space for people to gather. I want a pantry—like a real one, where you don’t have to play Tetris with the cereal boxes. And a mudroom for Chloe’s stuff so I’m not tripping over tiny shoes every five minutes.”
Chloe nods seriously.
I lean back on one hand. “What about bedrooms?”
“Four,” Dahlia says softly. “And a little reading nook,” she adds quickly. “Somewhere with a window seat for rainy days.”
“That’s perfect,” I say. “I can picture all of that.”
Chloe raises her hand like she’s in school. “My turn!”
“Go for it, Princess Chloe.”
She stands up on the blanket for dramatic effect. “A slide.”
“A slide?” I ask. “Like out here with a pool or swing set?”
