Cord’s face drained of color. “You can’t mean that. Harlow, you can’t. I need you. Come on, baby, don’t be like that. We’re a team, you and me. You’re my girl. How are you going to learn about the business if you walk away? Tell me what you want and I’ll make it happen.”
His shift in position gave her emotional whiplash. One second she was sitting on her ass and hanging out with her mother, and the next she was his baby girl and they were a team?
“This will be good for us,” she told him. “I need to go be on my own and learn a few more skills. Maybe in four or five years, we can revisit the idea of me working for you.”
She walked out, then downstairs. She found her mom in the kitchen, helping Austin unload teacups and saucers onto the counter so they could be washed.
Harlow walked directly to her. Without saying anything, her mother hugged her tight. After a few seconds, Harlow stepped back.
Her mom touched her cheek. “I’m sorry your dad was a jerk.”
“I didn’t tell you he was.” She swallowed. “But you knew he would be. You knew all this time, and you protected him. He never deserved you.”
Robyn gave her a sad smile. “Honey, no one is a hundred percent at fault in any relationship. I did a lot of things wrong. I let him get his way too much. I subjugated my dreams for his.” She paused. “There’s other stuff. Don’t think it’s all on him, because it’s not.”
“I know. I’m partially to blame for what went wrong at work. He doesn’t make it easy, though.”
“No, he doesn’t.”
Austin grinned at Harlow. “You could join the navy with me. We could go through training together. It would be great.”
Harlow managed a smile. “That’s not happening. But I’ll be there to celebrate every accomplishment. You know that, right?”
His gaze met hers. “I absolutely know that.”
* * *
The rain was so loud on the roof of the old Spanish-style church that no one heard the first song. But as the minister took her place in front of the congregation, the drops lessened, then stopped. By the time the eulogies began, the sun was out.
Robyn sat between her children, listening to all those who wanted to talk about how much Lillian had meant to them. Salvia spoke, as did the husband of Lillian’s late best friend. Former students of Leo who had known her well flew in from different parts of the country to share how she had been like a mother to them, helping them, giving them advice, guiding them. Harlow spoke movingly about spending the summer here while recovering from cancer. And Mason read from several of the letters she’d written to him.
Robyn had cried so much in the past few days that there were very few tears left for the ceremony, so she was able to take in all the love these people had for Lillian. Knowing how her beloved great-aunt had touched so many helped start the healing.
After the short, family-only graveside service, they all went to Lillian’s house for the wake. Their guests were there already, enjoying sandwiches and scones, fruit tarts and mini eclairs. In addition to tea, the catering staff offered a selection of Lillian’s favorite cocktails.
Robyn escaped to her room to take a breath and freshen her makeup, then went downstairs to deal with the crowd. She found Austin, Harlow and Kip circulating, checking on drinks and food, and rescuing some guests from overly curious cats. Mason was comforting Salvia, who was still fighting tears. Robyn didn’t see Cord anywhere, but also didn’t have the energy or interest to deal with him.
She greeted people she knew and introduced herself to those she didn’t. She was exhausted, but determined to represent Lillian as gracefully as possible. An hour stretched into two. She was starting to feel faint when Mason appeared at her side.
“If you’ll excuse us,” he said to two nuns Lillian had known. “Robyn’s needed.”
He ushered her toward the back of the house. Bypassing the kitchen, he pulled her into the breakfast room, where he guided her to a chair.
“You need to sit,” he told her, his voice filled with concern. “You haven’t slept, you won’t eat, and I doubt you’ve had anything to drink.”
“Trying to liquor me up?” she asked, hoping she could summon a little teasing tone for her voice.
He handed her a glass of water. “Let’s start with this.”
She sipped gratefully, the cool liquid helping her dry throat. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now stay there until I’m back.”
She did as he requested, doing her best to clear her mind and simply be in the moment. Less than five minutes later, Mason returned with a plate of tiny sandwiches and a green salad.
“There isn’t any real food in the house,” he grumbled, putting the plate in front of her.
She managed a smile. “What do you consider real food? Bacon?”
He grinned and sat next to her. “It would be a start.”
She nibbled on one of the sandwiches and picked at the salad, but had no appetite.
“I can’t,” she said, pushing away the plate. “I’m sorry.”
“Hey, you tried.” He took her hand and rubbed his fingers against her knuckles. “Tell me what you need.”
Lillian not to be dead. Only she couldn’t say that. He was hurting just as much, and he was only trying to take care of her.
“Why are you so good to me?” she asked.
He hesitated, as if weighing his words. Unusual for Mason.
One of the caterers stuck her head into the breakfast room. “I’m sorry to bother you, but someone just came in the back. She’s not here for the wake. Her name is Zafina, and she’s looking for someone named Cord.”
thirty
ZAFINA? ROBYN TRIED to take that in as she stared at the young woman standing in the breakfast room doorway. Her ex-husband’s pregnant girlfriend? The ridiculousness of the moment combined with exhaustion and her soul-stealing grief. She looked at the pretty, dark-haired woman, saw the resemblance to Kip, remembered that Zafina was also her daughter’s fiancé’s twin sister, and started to laugh. The laughter burst out of her and grew until she couldn’t control herself. She gasped for breath and laughed and laughed until suddenly she was sobbing, covering her face with her hands and not knowing if she would ever feel whole again.
Mason pulled her to her feet, then wrapped his arms around her. Then he looked past her and spoke.
“Hi, Zafina. You caught us at a bad time. Robyn’s great-aunt passed away, and today was the funeral.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. I saw all the cars but didn’t know why they were here.”