“Think about it,” she said. “You love this place way more than I ever did. I’d throw in the furniture. You already own half of the house, so it would be a bargain. You couldn’t find anything close to this nice for that price. There’s room for the kids to visit, and when they have grandkids, we can all spend the holidays here. Harlow can have her dream wedding in the backyard, like she’s always wanted.”
He would easily qualify for a loan, she thought. After all, he had a successful business.
“You’d do that?” he asked, his tone hopeful. “I mean, Zafina would have to see it, but I know she’d be crazy about it. We’d ah, probably have to replace the bedroom furniture.”
“Yes, I doubt your future wife wants to sleep in the same bed where you and I had sex.”
He chuckled. “That’s a blunt way of putting it.”
“I’m speaking my mind more these days. Want to bring her by today? I’ll make myself scarce. I’ll also tell the kids to be gone, so there’s no pressure.”
“I can’t believe you’d do this for me, Robyn.”
“Like I said, this has always been more your house than mine.” And having him buy it made things much easier for her. “Text me when you’ll be by.”
“I will.” His voice was eager. “Probably around lunchtime, but I’ll let you know for sure.”
“Great.”
She hung up. Cord had a way of being persuasive, so she was fairly confident he would get Zafina there at the first opportunity. She resumed her walk-through, now looking for what she would want to pack up for herself. Honestly there was very little. A few paintings, a couple of antiques that were meaningful to her. Otherwise, she would only take her clothes and jewelry. Harlow could take whatever dishes, pots and pans she needed for her new life. Zafina could keep the rest, or they could donate it.
By eight, Robyn was on the patio with her third cup of coffee. The sound of the waterfall flowing into the pool was restful but nothing like a view of the Pacific, and Florida was nothing like California.
The air was already hot and humid. She could hear the low hum of bugs, and even the air smelled different. This wasn’t home anymore, and it was time she admitted it. She was leaving Naples.
There were a few things she would miss. Mostly being close to her daughter. But beyond that, Robyn knew she could easily leave the rest of it behind.
She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, and at last let down the carefully constructed wall she’d used to protect herself for the past forty-eight hours. Emotions rushed in, flooding her with pain and longing and sorrow. Her breathing got shallow and her chest tightened as she allowed herself to think his name.
Mason.
She didn’t know what had happened, but she knew he was done with her. She’d seen it in his determined expression, had felt it through the distance he’d established. He’d pushed her away, basically told her they were over, and she didn’t understand why.
He’d said she was breaking up with him, which didn’t make any sense. She hadn’t been. She’d thought—okay, assumed—that after Lillian died, she would come back and live there while she figured out what to do with the inventory. She’d even talked about buying some land from him so she could build a house next to his. She’d been so sure she mattered to him. That they would be...would be...
“What?”
She spoke the word out loud because she needed to hear the sound of it. What would they be? Lovers? Friends with benefits? What exactly did Mason want from her? No—that was the wrong question. She’d been so damned worried about giving up her dreams for a man, and here she was thinking about what he wanted? No! What about her? What did she want for herself?
The question propelled her to her feet. She circled the pool and the waterfall, went through the gazebo, then back to the patio, her mind spinning in all directions.
What did she want for herself? What was important to her? What would make her happy and fulfilled?
“I want to go through the house in Santa Barbara and enjoy the memories of Leo and Lillian. I want to find treasures and learn about sheet music and clocks. I want to sell pieces to museums and give others away, and I want to open a wonderful eclectic antique store.”
She made another lap of the property.
“I want to travel.”
Cord had never wanted to go on trips with her. He preferred being on one of his boats. She wanted to see New Zealand and those cats at that Japanese temple and do a river cruise through Europe.
There was so much more. She wanted a home that she loved. Something nice, but not ostentatious. She wanted flowers in the garden and a big kitchen with a six-burner stove so when friends and family came, she could cook whatever she wanted. It would have to be cat-friendly and open, with a large patio.
“I want grandchildren,” she said, then smiled. Her kids were probably going to have a say in that one.
“I want to be happy, and I want to be loved.”
She stopped by the waterfall, the spray hitting her arm. There it was—the most difficult one of all. She wanted love in her life. Strong, steady love, the love of a man who would always be there, no matter what.
Are you in love with me?
Mason had bluntly asked the question, because that was who he was. The man who would always ask the necessary question. She’d been so startled, so overwhelmed by emotion and the shock of Jase’s proposal, she hadn’t said yes. She hadn’t known she wanted to say yes. And then he’d let her go.
“He let me go because he thought it was what I wanted.”
He’d let her go because he’d thought it was what was best for her. He’d let her go because he loved her.
“Mom?”
She turned and saw Harlow stepping onto the deck. Her daughter wore a bathrobe and a sleepy expression.
“It’s really early,” Harlow said, stretching. “What time did you get up?”
“Six.”
“That’s like three in the morning according to your body clock. Are you okay?”
Robyn smiled. “Yes, I am. Do you think Mason’s in love with me?”
Harlow hesitated. “Why do you ask?”
The question was an odd response. “Is he?”
“Yes, but don’t tell him I said that.”
Robyn nearly fainted. “He told you he loved me?”
“Kind of, but then you guys had a fight or whatever it was. You wouldn’t say.” Her daughter tightened her robe. “Mom, Mason’s a really great guy. I know he’s different from Dad and Jase, but he’s strong, and he’d never hurt you.”