Mason did his best not to react. “How?”
“I saw him with another woman at a restaurant. I’d gone with a friend to a birthday party across town, and there was my dad. I started to walk over to their table. Then he kissed her, and I knew.”
“Did he see you?”
Austin shook his head and looked away. “Nah. He was too busy sticking his tongue in her mouth. I went to the party and didn’t tell anyone. A few months later, I told my dad what I’d seen. He said I was too young to understand, but if I said anything to my mom, I’d make her cry.”
Mason’s gut hurt for the young man standing in front of him. “That’s a lot to take on when you’re eight.”
“Yeah. He’s a jerk. She was faithful to him all those years. She took care of him, worked in the business. I swear, she willed Harlow not to die of cancer. Mom’s a force. She deserves better.”
He turned back to the telescope. “Don’t cheat on her.”
“I won’t. I’ve never cheated on anyone. It’s not who I am.”
Austin looked at him again. “It’ll take me a while to figure out if I believe you.”
“That’s fair.”
“Wear a condom. No bullshit about how it’s not as good. Treat her right.”
“You’re a hell of kid,” Mason said. “I respect what you’re saying, and I agree. I won’t hurt her.”
“Don’t say that. You have no idea what you’re going to do to her. Shit happens.” He stepped back from the telescope. “Okay, so this is called the Summer Triangle. It’s made up of Altair, Deneb and Vega and used to be called the Navigator’s Triangle before GPS.”
* * *
Harlow curled up on her bed, her earbuds in place, her phone in her hand as she FaceTimed with Kip.
“I miss you,” he said, looking and sounding miserable. “When are you coming home?”
“I don’t know. I just got here. I need some time to think.”
“You’re scaring me, Harlow. I don’t want to lose you.”
“That’s not what this is about.” At least she didn’t think so. At this point, she wasn’t sure of anything. “Trust me.” And stop pressuring me, only she didn’t say that.
“Harlow.” His voice cracked. “It’s like you’re never coming back.”
“I am. Now tell me what’s going on with you. How’s work?”
“Good. Busy. I’ve beat my sales target for the reporting period.”
“Congrats. That’s amazing. Not a surprise, though. You do really well there.”
“Are you trying to make me feel better, or do you really believe that?”
“I believe it. You’re my guy.”
He sighed. “Sure. Okay, so what’s new with you?”
“I haven’t been here very long, so not much. Lillian looks frail. That scares me. She’s like ninety-four. I didn’t know real people lived that long.” What else? “I took a career assessment this morning. It said I should consider teaching, management and something with marine biology.”
He managed a chuckle, and his gaze locked with hers. “You must have said you liked boating.”
“I did. At least the management part is interesting.”
“Why did you take the assessment?”
“Just to see what it would say. I never considered working anywhere except with my dad. What if that doesn’t work out?”
“I know you’re mad at him right now, and with good reason, but running your dad’s company has always been your dream.”
She stretched out her legs. “I think maybe that’s the problem. It’s my dad’s company. I didn’t earn my way in, and he’s not treating me like I’m a serious employee. I’m his kid, and that’s how we’ve both been acting.”
She paused for a second. “Kip, did you know he wasn’t going to buy the kayak company?”
He frowned. “No. How would I know that?”
“I thought maybe he told Zafina and she told you.”
“What?” he yelped. “I wouldn’t not tell you that.”
“I wasn’t sure.”
He swore. “You don’t trust me at all, do you? You really think I’d keep that from you? I’m not that guy.”
Her chest tightened. “I know. I’m sorry. It’s just with everything you didn’t tell me about other stuff, I wasn’t sure.”
He was quiet for a long time. “You’re never going to let the Tracey thing go, are you? It’s going to hang over my head forever.”
“It’s not just that you were married to Tracey,” she admitted. “It’s the debt and that you knew about my dad and Zafina and didn’t tell me.”
Because he didn’t want to show himself in a bad light, she thought. He wanted to be the hero. She sat up suddenly as she realized another uncomfortable truth. Kip was acting just like her dad.
“Harlow, please don’t make me sound so shitty,” he said sadly. “I love you, and I take good care of you. I’d never try to hurt you.”
“No, but you are willing to make decisions for me. You’re deciding what I can handle and what I can’t. Marriage isn’t supposed to be like that. We’re supposed to be a team, but you’re treating me like a child.”
“I’m not. I’m taking care of you.”
Wasn’t that the same thing?
His mouth twisted in frustration. “I can’t talk about this now. I have to go to work.”
“Kip,” she began, then sighed. “Okay. Have a good day.”
“You, too.”
He hung up. She removed her earbuds and stared out the French doors. She was more sad than angry. Kip didn’t want to face their problems, but until they were willing to deal with the truth, they couldn’t move forward with their future. Assuming they still had one.
* * *
Robyn stepped into her daughter’s room.
“Your brother says you’re moping,” she said cheerfully. “I’m not sure if that’s true, but either way, I thought you could help me go through the teacup room.”
She half expected her daughter to protest, but Harlow surprised her by scrambling to her feet and saying, “That sounds like fun.” She tucked her earbuds into the nightstand drawer, then shoved her phone into her shorts pocket.
“What are you looking for?” Harlow asked as they headed for the stairs.
“I want to go through the sets of dishes. There might be one or two I want to keep for myself. The rest will eventually be sold, unless you’re interested in one.”
“Really?” Harlow ran up the stairs. “I’d love a set. There are a couple I really like. And if I could have the Spode pattern 312 teacups and saucers, I would love that.”
Spode pattern 312 was beautiful, with gilding, pink roses and blue-and-yellow forget-me-nots. The design dated back to the very early 1800s.
“I think I saw a creamer in the same pattern,” Robyn told her. “I wonder if there’s a sugar bowl somewhere.”
“We’ll look.”
They went into the teacup room. As always, the sight of the beautiful cups and saucers made her happy. Delicate and elegant, they had once graced tables in regular houses with real people. They had been part of celebrations and sad days, held, filled, washed and dried. Somehow they had survived for years. Some for more than two centuries.