“Hopefully you, because I won’t have the money to support that addiction,” Kelsey said.
But her joke fell flat.
Charlotte took off, a treat in each pudgy fist as she scaled the Adirondack chairs with her arms. Kelsey followed quickly behind her. Since she was almost walking, she had to be watched like a hawk.
“I can keep an eye on her, if you wanna make a s’more,” Leo offered.
“You sure?” Kelsey asked.
But the two of them were already on the move. With June and Zach across the fire, roasting their marshmallows, Kelsey took a minute to breath. She took a seat on one of the Adirondack chairs, admiring the craftsman quality.
Izzy handed her a poker stick with a marshmallow already stuffed onto the end. She accepted with a grateful smile before holding it close to the hot, fiery coals at the base of the fire. It was beautiful out here. Away from the tight-knit community of Pineridge, more accurately, away from the gossip.
There was a sense of peace, hearing the bubbling of the river at the shore where Izzy’s yard ended. The giggles of her children sent a warmth radiating in her chest that swallowed the chill in the air. The aspens were showing off their autumn colors, boasting in yellows, golds, and reds. Their fallen leaves underfoot wouldn’t stay that way long. Not with three small children who were skilled at making piles and jumping into nature’s confetti.
“Have you given it more thought? What you’re gonna do?” Izzy asked as she laid a plaid blanket over Kelsey’s lap.
Kelsey passed her a grateful smile. “About which thing, exactly?”
“All of it, I guess,” Izzy admitted, twirling her own poker stick in the fire.
As Kelsey stared at the red coals, mesmerized by the glow as it flickered, she said, “I think it’s time.”
Whipping her head in Kelsey’s direction, Izzy said, “Time for what?”
“Time to let O’Henry’s go.”
Instead of questioning her decision, Izzy remained quiet. They both sat in silence for a long moment, focused on the blazing fire. It didn’t last long, the kids were chasing Leo around the yard, throwing handfuls of leaves at him and laughing hysterically.
Kelsey pinched the nearly burnt marshmallow as she slid it off the stick. She blew at it in between saying, “I’m ready for something different.”
“You’re not gonna give in and help your mama out at the bakery, are you?”
“Not on your life,” Kelsey retorted. “You know I love her, but it’s also time she grows up too. If Cheryl can’t handle the bakery while she’s at rehab, then she’ll have to close until she’s back.”
When Izzy didn’t respond, Kelsey glanced over her shoulder at her where she sat next to her. When she did, she found her gazing at her, her eyes bright and glossy. Suddenly self-conscious, Kelsey tucked her hair behind her ear with her free, non-sticky hand. “What?”
“It’s nothing…just…I’m so proud of you.”
A blush of heat swept across her cheeks. “All right, stop it.”
“Stop what?”
“Saying it is one thing, doing it is something entirely different.” She took a bite of the gooey marshmallow before deciding it would be less messy if she popped the entire thing in her mouth.
“Have you ever thought of being a photographer’s assistant?” Izzy waggled her brows.
Still chewing, Kelsey smirked and finally said, “Something tells me Leo and I working together would be a bad idea. We’re both too headstrong for that.”
Izzy laughed and nodded in agreement.
“Something will feel right. Until then,” Kelsey said, watching her kids, nostalgia building in her chest, “I’ll enjoy my time with my kids.”
Isabella patted Kelsey’s knee. “I think that’s a great idea.”
* * *
After she paidJulian and Sophia their last paychecks, Izzy, Leo, Norah, and Maddie helped Kelsey pack up what was hers in the bar. She’d debated asking Davis to help. Mostly because she simply wanted to see him. She missed him. But it was true what she’d said, she needed space. She needed time.
