“Then let’s consider it a pre-honeymoon. Which goes nicely with where we are right now—in the honeymoon suite.”
She touched his face, his stubbly beard that she loved so much when it grazed across her cheek. “What about Lucy and Abigail?”
“Don’t worry, they won’t be joining us.”
She laughed. She also loved how he could make her laugh at the strangest times.
“Lucy can go to my mom and dad’s, though she’ll tell me she’s old enough to stay by herself.”
“Alone? But won’t Abigail be there?”
John emitted a little snort; he rolled onto his side and propped himself up on one elbow. “My older daughter will be busy commuting to the Cape. I told her she either had to go to college or get a job.”
Annie blinked. “What?”
“She picked college. Cape Cod Community for now, because it’s too late to get into RISDI.”
Annie knew that RISDI was the abbreviation for Rhode Island School of Design.
“She’ll get some core classes out of the way,” John continued, “while she gets her application in. She says she really wants to learn art and fashion design. When my dad hears that, he’ll probably say she must get his fashion sense from him.”
Annie laughed. “Wow. This is a surprise.”
“No kidding. I’m not sure her mother’s happy about it, but who cares what she thinks. Abigail seems happier than she was a week ago.”
A week ago? Had his daughter only been back a week?Oh, Annie thought,what a week it had been.
“Maybe if she’s happier she and Lucy will get along better. And maybe you’ll wind up having a better relationship with Abigail.”
“Who knows? Part of our deal was I’ll pay for college and get her a car to keep over on the Cape as long as she quits smoking. She agreed. So let’s see what happens. I do know I feel better.”
This was hardly the time to tell him about his daughter’s announcement that her dad was going to be reunited with her mom. Maybe it would be best for Annie to leave that alone. Forever.
Then John grew more serious. “I do love you, Annie. And I want to be with you. Starting now. I’m off tonight; I’m going to stay here with you. In the morning we’ll go see Kevin together. Sound good?”
“Sounds great,” she replied as she nestled against him. “And you may join me on my tour if you carry my books.”
He laughed a hearty laugh. “Seriously? I thought you were a celebrity. Doesn’t your publisher pay someone to do that?”
She thought about Simon. “From time to time, even celebrities have to deal with reality. It’s part of . . .” She almost told him it was part of the job, but decided it was way more than that. “It’s part of life,” she said. “So we never forget where we came from and who we really are.” Then she thought of Kevin again, and Meghan, and Taylor, until John kissed her again.
“And you’re sure you’re okay about everything Simon told you?” he asked.
“I am,” she said. “I really am. I have all I want right here.”
It wasn’t long before they fell asleep, with Restless cuddled between them.
Chapter 32
Annie slept through the night and woke up to the motion of the dog wriggling and the scent of bacon sizzling. She quickly checked her phone: no one had called, no one had texted. Kevin must have had a good night. The crisis might really be over.
After kissing John awake, she told him she wanted to get to the hospital. She tossed on her robe, ran downstairs, and brought Restless out the front door; when he was finished she picked him up and went back inside. And saw Meghan sitting at the bottom of the stairs. Her suitcase was by her side.
“What’s this?” Annie asked. She knew she needed to warn her about the Taylor situation. But how much should she tell her? She ran a hand through her bed-head hair and remembered Francine’s words: “Whether it’s physical hurt or emotional hurt, hurting still hurts, doesn’t it?”
If right that second Kevin had been there and asked Annie what he should do, she might advise him to let Meghan go back to Boston and Taylor back to Hawaii and let everything sit for a while. And wait for the best solution to evolve.
She knew, however, that was the kind of ending that looked good only on paper.
