“Don’t you see? He’s doing what you always wanted to do with the company.”
“Yeah—he’s doing it instead of me.”
“I just rolled my eyes so hard I sprained a muscle. Kenzi—wake up! You were always looking in the past, wanting to preserve the family tradition.” She pounded her finger on the phone. “You couldn’t have done this.”
Kenzi wanted to cover her ears and hide behind the counter. She didn’t want to see her faults. She didn’t want to admit that Nash—a stranger—had a better grasp on the company than she’d grown up in. But then, maybe that was part of the problem. Whenever she walked into the Red Barn, she felt like she was coming home, and people didn’t want home to change—not when it had an ice cream bar in the basement and unlimited samples. And Charlie. And Ben. And the walls echoed with memories of when her family was whole and complete and no one had gone missing.
“I know it’s hard to hear, but you’ve got to see it.”
“You mean like you see your drinking?” Kenzi slapped her hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have lashed out at you like that.”
Lunette plucked her shirt away from her body. “I deserve that. I deserve a lot more.”
Kenzi was more than ready to turn the looking glass away for a few minutes. “What happened in London?”
Lunette drummed her fingers. “I hit bottom. I don’t want to talk about it, really.” She covered her arms across her chest. “I just want to move forward, and one of the steps is to apologize and make restitution for what I’ve done.”
It sounded like Lunette was talking about the AA steps. Kenzi did an internal happy dance.
“So, I came to apologize for ruining your engagement, your wedding, and for sleeping with your fiancé.”
Kenzi laughed. “You say that so smoothly, like people do those things every day.”
Lunette grimaced. “People don’t. And trust me, I practiced that a billion times on the plane ride home.”
Kenzi came around the bar and wrapped her sister in a hug. “You’re forgiven 100%.”
Lunette soaked in the hug, and then she said, “And for restitution, I need to get you back with your husband.”
Kenzi let go so fast Lunette toppled forward. “Thanks, but I’m good.”
“Really? When was the last time you ate a bowl of ice cream?” She pinched Kenzi’s loose skin.
“It’s been a while.”
“Uh-huh. Which means you’re all mixed up inside.”
“That’s a great name for a new flavor.”
“Don’t change the subject.”
“Then don’t talk about things I don’t want to hear.”
Lunette paused. “Let me ask you one question.”
Kenzi pulled her arms close to her chest, knowing full well she didn’t want to hear this question, let alone answer it.
“You’ve been gone a month. What do you really miss: Hazel’s or Nash?”
The long hours on the beach, the time spent staring into the fire, almost all of it had been about nursing a broken heart. And her heart may have been broken, but it wasn’t the company that did it. The company was the tool Nash used. There was a difference, and she hadn’t seen it until this moment. “Nash,” she said without hesitation.
Lunette leaned closer. “Hattie told me how she went to wake you up on the farm and Nash was holding your hand.”
“I didnotsleep with him. I mean, we fell asleep on the bed, but we weren’t—you know.”
“I know.” She waved off Kenzi’s stuttering. “But what I don’t know is why you would throw that away.”
“He’s a criminal.”
