“You couldn’t.”
Robyn managed to collect herself enough to wipe her face, then say to Zafina, “I’ll get Cord.”
Zafina looked confused, tired and wary. Robyn couldn’t blame her.
She pulled her phone out of her dress pocket and quickly texted Harlow.
Please bring your dad to the breakfast room. It’s important.
She put her phone away and smiled at Zafina. “He’ll be right down. You can wait in here.” She paused. “Would you like something to drink? Water? Herbal tea? We have plenty of food if you’re hungry.” She thought about the ingredients in high tea and figured they would probably be all right for a pregnant woman.
“I’m fine,” Zafina said with a tight smile. “You’re being very gracious. We haven’t met, but I know who you are.”
“Likewise,” Robyn said. “You’re right. We haven’t met. You weren’t at my dinner with your parents.”
Zafina dropped her gaze. “I thought it would be awkward.”
“What with you dating my ex-husband? I suppose, but I can get over it if you can.”
Zafina looked her. She had lovely eyes, Robyn thought. Big and brown. She was a beautiful woman—just Cord’s type.
“You’re not angry with me?” Zafina asked.
“I don’t care that you’re dating Cord. That was over years ago. But I do worry about you dating the father of your brother’s fiancé. Still, we can figure it out.”
“Where are you taking me?”
They all turned at the sound of Cord’s voice. He and Harlow entered the breakfast room, and he saw Zafina. In that split second, his expression was unguarded, his feelings exposed. Robyn was pleased to see genuine affection in his eyes, longing and a bit of hope alongside his surprise. At least he cared about the woman he’d knocked up. That was a start.
“Zafina? What are you doing here?”
Zafina glared at him. “Where else would I be? You took off without saying anything. I had no idea where you were until Kip told me. You scared me.” Her lower lip trembled. “Cord, I thought you loved me.”
“I do.” He glanced at Robyn, then back at Zafina. “I do,” he repeated. “But you surprised me when you said...” His gaze dropped to her belly. “I didn’t know what to think.”
“I want to have your child,” she said defiantly. “I want us to be a family.” She tossed her head. “What are you so scared about? That I’m trapping you? I’m not. You don’t have to marry me, you just have to love me.”
Harlow was wide-eyed, as if unable to grasp what was happening. Robyn thought it might be a bit uncomfortable to watch one’s parent in the middle of a declaration like this one. She circled the still-talking couple and stopped by her daughter.
“Let’s give them privacy.”
Harlow nodded and walked out with her, Mason trailing behind. When they were through the kitchen and out in the hallway, Harlow stopped.
“That was weird.”
“I know.”
“She really loves him.”
Robyn smiled. “There’s someone for everyone.”
Harlow’s mouth twisted. “Dad’s sure been doing his share of sampling. I hope they work it out. He’s going to have to be there for her. Do you think he’s capable of doing the right thing?”
“Maybe. We’re kind of due for a miracle. Maybe it’ll come from your father.”
Harlow shook her head. “I think that’s unlikely, but let’s hope for the best.”
* * *
Harlow woke up an hour before dawn. Her sleep had been restless, and more than once, Kip had pulled her into his arms to comfort her. But she hadn’t been able to settle, and after pulling on yoga pants and a T-shirt, she crept downstairs to start coffee.
The house was quiet, and there was a sense of emptiness. Funny how one person could make such a difference, she thought as she scooped coffee into the machine. Lillian had been the true heart of this home. Without her it was just a ridiculously large, sprawling oddity that would never be anyone’s idea of a place to live. Better to let the historical society have it, she thought, grateful Mason was committed to making that happen.
She opened the refrigerator for cream and saw leftovers from the wake. She and Austin were taking the food to a homeless shelter later that morning.
She heard footsteps and looked up as her father and Zafina walked into the kitchen. For a second, the three of them stared at each other, then her father offered her a quick smile.
“You’re up early,” he said.
“So are you.”
He glanced at Zafina, then back at her. “We have a flight to catch. Back to Florida.”
Harlow looked at him without speaking. No way she was going to make this more comfortable for him.
He cleared his throat. “I, ah, I’m sorry about our conversation before. I was dealing with a lot, and I should have been more understanding of what you were trying to tell me.”
Zafina put her hand on his arm. Harlow wasn’t sure if she was giving him a signal to keep going or offering support. She found she didn’t much care.
“I don’t want you to go,” he said. “I want us to work together, to grow the company. But I understand your need to prove yourself somewhere else first. I want...” He drew in a breath. “You’re my daughter, and I love you, and I want you to be happy. If you do take another job, maybe we can talk about how I can convince you to come back in a few years.”
All the right words, she thought, not sure if she could believe them. Cord knew how to be charming, and part of that was faking sincerity. But he was her father, and she supposed based on that alone, she should give him the benefit of the doubt.
“I love you, too, Dad,” she said. “Thanks. What about you two?”
He grinned. “Zafina’s having a baby, and I’m going to be a father again.”
Zafina gazed at him lovingly. “We’re still working it out, but Cord understands what’s important.”
Harlow waited for them to say they were getting married, but they were all spared that by the sound of a horn outside.
“Our ride is here,” Cord said. “We’ll see you back in Florida?”
She nodded as she hugged him and Zafina.
Once they were gone, she took two mugs of coffee upstairs and crept into Austin’s room. Her brother was asleep, sprawled across his bed. She sat in one of the chairs by the window and waited for him to wake up. He stirred almost immediately.