Chapter 5 #2
“Here,” he said after she struggled a few times to hold onto her and the railing. He set down the bag of empty containers and easily took Charlotte into his arms. “You grab those.” He smiled at her. “The last thing I want is for you both to tumble down these stairs.”
She agreed and took the containers and followed him down the rest of the way.
“This place is really amazing. Is it true your sister and her husband found the diamond in here somewhere?” he asked when they reached the bottom.
“It is.” She smiled.
“I couldn’t crack the details of where. But I’ve seen plenty of pictures of the diamond. It’s a beauty. I think it’s on tour somewhere in Paris right now.”
“We’re keeping those details secret,” she admitted. “My brother doesn’t want people trying to break in and look for more treasure.” She stopped and looked at him. “There isn’t any.”
He smiled and nodded. “I read all about it. It’s fascinating. This place has a lot of really great history. Besides the diamond, I mean.”
“I love staying here,” she told him. “The sound of the ocean, the smell of salt water.” She stopped at the base of the stairs.
Charlotte’s room was just a few feet away.
Turning, she shut the door to the lighthouse and locked it.
“My brother installed this after our first visit. Charlotte snuck up there. It took us fifteen minutes to find her in this big place.” She sighed.
“She was only two. I swear she’s an adult in a child’s body sometimes. ”
He grinned softly and followed her down the hallway toward Charlotte’s room. “It sounds like she keeps you on your toes.”
“You have no idea,” she said, easing open the door to her daughter’s room.
The room glowed softly from a nightlight shaped like a seashell and the string of pink lights she’d hung up earlier that morning.
She’d washed her daughter’s pink pillows and bedspread and had made the bed first thing in the morning so Charlotte would feel a little more at home. “But I love every minute of it.”
He lowered Charlotte onto the queen-sized bed as if she were made of glass, then he surprised her by gently tugging the boots off her feet before carefully pulling the blanket over her.
Charlotte sighed and rolled over, her tiny hand curling around the stuffed bunny that Ally tucked next to her. Ally’s chest ached with love as she brushed a wisp of hair from her daughter’s forehead.
“She’s perfect,” he said quietly, stepping back.
Ally smiled, though her heart gave a nervous flutter. “She is. Even when she’s a handful.”
They slipped from the room, and Ally closed the door with a soft click. He followed her down the hallway and the stairs in silence.
Downstairs, the air felt cooler, quieter. The storm outside had eased into a steady hum, the kind that wrapped the house in a comforting calm.
“Thanks again for bringing us the picnic,” she said as they reached the kitchen. “And for being honest.”
“Any time.” He dropped the containers into the bag and leaned against the kitchen counter. “I’m glad I came by. It was… nice.”
“Yeah,” she said softly. “It was.”
For a beat, neither of them moved. The tension between them was subtle but undeniable. The way his eyes lingered on her face made her pulse skip. But then he smiled, a small, deliberate smile that broke the moment gently.
“I should get going before the roads ice over.”
She nodded, even though part of her wanted to ask him to stay just a little longer. She followed him through the house to the front door. “Drive safe.”
He reached for the door, then paused. “You two be careful up here, all right?”
“We will.”
“Let me know if you see anyone snooping around. I mean it. You have my card. My cell number is on it.”
She nodded. She’d actually programmed his number into her phone just in case she needed it in the future.
“Good.” He hesitated like he wanted to say more, then simply nodded once and stepped out into the cold.
She closed the door and leaned against it for a second, listening to the sound of the wind outside. She hadn’t realized until now how much she’d missed having someone else around since she’d left her mother’s place. A calm presence, a steady voice. An adult to talk to.
The next morning, sunlight filtered weakly through gray clouds, bouncing off the drifts of snow that lined the road into town.
The storm had passed, leaving everything blanketed in white and looking so clean.
Charlotte was bundled in her pink snow boots and a puffy coat and hat.
She was chattering nonstop as Ally parked in front of the Brew-Ha-Ha.
A wave of warm air hit them as they stepped inside. The scent of roasted coffee made her instantly crave a cup. The shop buzzed with laughter and children’s voices.
“Aunt Faye!” Charlotte called when she spotted her behind the counter.
Faye looked up, smiling as she wiped her hands on her apron. It was still a shock to Ally to know that her sister could actually hear now. She smiled whenever she was reminded.
“Well, if it isn’t my favorite niece,” Faye said, sliding a kids cup onto the counter toward them. “How about some hot chocolate, extra marshmallows, just how you like it.” She wiggled her eyebrows.
Charlotte giggled and took it carefully.
Faye slid a cup of coffee her way as well. “And for my favorite sister.” She motioned to the windows. “I saw the two of you coming and figured that you’d need some pick-me-ups.”
“Thanks.” She took a sip while she glanced around and spotted a group of kids gathered on the rug near the reading nook.
“Go ahead, sweetie. I’ll be right here,” she told Charlotte, who hurried over.
A little girl with curly brown hair, who was wearing bright green sunglasses and a red plastic fireman’s helmet, waved her over.
“Hi, I’m Ivy,” she said. “This is my sister, Sienna.”
“I’m Charlotte.”
“Wanna sit by us?” Ivy asked.
Charlotte nodded eagerly and plopped down beside them with the cup in her hands as the storyteller began reading.
“Looks like they’ve already made friends,” a woman said beside Ally.
She turned to find a friendly brunette with a warm smile standing next to a tall man carrying two cups of coffee.
“I’m Hannah,” the woman said, offering her hand. “And this is my husband, Wyatt. We run the grocery store in town. You must be Ally. Faye and Max’s sister?”
“Yes. I haven’t yet made it into the grocery store. Max packed the cupboards in the place for our arrival,” Ally said, shaking the woman’s hand.
Hannah laughed. “That was Wyatt’s doing. Your brother wasn’t sure what you’d need, so I think my husband went a little overboard.”
Wyatt shrugged, grinning. “I know what little girls eat.” He motioned to his two daughters. “I hope I got everything right. Max said that Charlotte has a nut allergy, but he forgot to tell me which nuts, so I steered clear of all nuts.”
“Peanuts,” she answered with a grin. “You did great. Thanks.”
As they sat and discussed daughters and life in Pride, she felt like she was part of something again, something normal, easy, and connected. All things Ted had purposely kept her from when they were together.
Across the room, Faye caught her eye and smiled knowingly before turning back to the espresso machine.
The snow might have slowed the world down, but inside the Brew-Ha-Ha, everything felt bright and full of promise.
Her daughter was laughing and making friends like a normal child and, for the first time in years, she too was making friends.
By the time the book reading session had ended, the clouds outside had started to clear and the sun was peeking through. Charlotte bounced out of the bookstore, chattering about her new friends and the story they’d heard. Her cheeks were pink from excitement and the warmth of the coffee shop.
“Can we get pizza and popcorn for movie night, Mama?” she asked, tugging on her sleeve. “That’s what Ivy and Sienna said they do on Fridays.”
She smiled down at her and nodded. “Sure thing, sweet pea. Let’s stop by the store on the way home. Did you know that Ivy and Sienna’s parents own the grocery store?”
“Yeah, they told me,” Charlotte said as she buckled her into her car seat.
The place was just a few doors down. After she parked in the parking lot, she got Charlotte out of her car seat and they walked hand in hand into the store.
The bell over the door jingled as they entered.
The smell of warm bread, meats, and fruits filled the air, and the aisles gleamed under the overhead lights. Charlotte skipped ahead.
“Frozen pizza first,” Ally said, steering the cart toward the frozen aisle. “Then we’ll grab popcorn and maybe some juice.”
They’d just turned down the frozen food aisle when someone stepped out from behind a display. The man was tall and was dressed in a long dark snow coat and heavy boots. He wasn’t familiar, but the way his sharp gaze landed on her made her skin crawl.
“Allyson Wilson?” he asked in a clipped tone.
Her heart stopped. She knew better than to answer him directly. “Can I help you?”
He gave a humorless smile. “My name’s Peterson. I’m working on a case that involves your ex-husband.” His eyes flicked to Charlotte, who was humming to herself, oblivious. “Mind if I ask you a few questions?”
“I do mind.” She reached for Charlotte’s hand and pulled her daughter close. “This is a public place. My daughter is present and she doesn’t need to be involved—”
“I just have a few.”
She knew men like him. Joe was right, Ted’s new watchdog wouldn’t be kind or considerate like he was. She’d dealt with men like this before and knew exactly what to do.
Quickly, she sidestepped him, but he shifted to block her path. The aisle suddenly felt too narrow, too small.
“Ma’am, this won’t take long.”
“I said no.” Her voice trembled despite her effort to stay calm.
“Mama?” Charlotte, sensing her distress, started to tense up.
Before she could say anything more, another voice boomed from the end of the aisle.