Finally, after all the rocks had been photographed and dispersed around the park, he and Chloe were on their way to the car. “Daddy, I need to go over there.” Chloe was pointing to the Forsyth Galloway Inn, which was standing there like a specter he had been trying to ignore all day. From this vantage point, the yellow Victorian was clearly visible through the oak trees laden with Spanish moss.
“No, honey, we need to go home.”
“Noo, Daddy, I have to give this rock to Gigi to give to Mommy.”
Since Kate hadn’t been in touch in the almost twenty-four hours since she had taken leave and he had no idea what the family knew about the latest bump in their relationship, he didn’t want her family—or his brother, for that matter—to discover him skulking around the grounds of the inn.
It was on the tip of his tongue to tell Chloe to hang on to the rock and give it to Kate in person. But what if Kate decided not to come back and Chloe didn’t get the chance to give it to her? The last thing his little girl needed was a souvenir from the heartbreak.
Why not leave it there? If he ran into the family, he would let Chloe give it to them to pass it on to Kate. Let Kate explain why Chloe was missing her. He took his little girl by the hand and let her lead the way.
Chloe left the rock by the kitchen steps, half-hidden by one of the flowering potted plants lining the brick steps.
“Don’t be disappointed if someone else picks it up, Chloe,” he said on the way back to the car.
“No one else will. It is for Mommy. She’ll be the one who finds it.”
At least the damn rock was out of his little girl’s hands. Aidan hoped that out of sight would mean out of Chloe’s thoughts.
After work, Kate went to the inn.
“I have news,” Kate said after she and her sisters were settled at their table tucked away in a corner of the tearoom.
As luck would have it, Liam was working at Wila, while Jane was still here at the tearoom. Elle had just finished a late afternoon art walk with a group of guests and was in the lobby answering follow-up questions when Kate had walked in.
After her last appointment of the day, Kate had stopped by the inn, hoping to catch her sisters there. She had been booked solid with appointments after Kerrigan had dropped the retirement bombshell earlier in the day, which meant she hadn’t had much time to think about the implications or her next move. Her first thought after her last client was that she wanted to talk to Aidan about what had transpired. She had swallowed her pride and called him, but her call had gone to voice mail. She knew Chloe had her rock-painting session that afternoon. Knowing Aidan, he had probably silenced his phone to give his daughter his undivided attention. He was good about things like that. She hadn’t left a message because after the way they had left things—the way she had run out last night—she felt as if she had no right.
Her heart ached at the thought of another night away from Aidan and Chloe. For someone who’d felt as if she needed her space, she was feeling awfully shaky without them.
The only other people she could turn to at a crazy, mixed-up time like this were her sisters. Though she wasn’t sure how much she wanted to tell them about what was happening with Aidan.
What could she say when she didn’t even know what she wanted?
Still, Kate needed their steadfastness, their understanding, and maybe even a dose of their tough love, because they would not simply tell her what she wanted to hear.
As Elle poured tea from a porcelain teapot into delicate matching cups, Jane grilled Kate.
“News, huh?” Jane counted off on her fingers. “You’re already married and there’s a baby on the way. What other news—Wait, the baby’s okay, right? You’re okay?”
“The baby’s fine. I’m fine.”
Of course, that was only partially true. The baby was fine, thank God for that. Kate put a protective hand on her stomach. Like a beacon of light in the storm, this little person growing inside her was a bright spot in an otherwise murky future.
“How are you feeling?” Elle asked.
“A lot better. I’m right at thirteen weeks. The morning sickness has stopped. Actually, I feel great. But what I wanted to tell y’all is that Kerrigan announced today that he is closing the salon.”
Her sisters gasped, as surprised by the news as Kate had been.
Kate explained that it was the landlord’s decision to raise the rent and... Kerrigan’s falling in love that had led to his decision to retire.
“Good for him,” Elle said. “I’m happy for him, and the timing couldn’t be better. Now you’re free to bring your clients to the spa at the inn. I know your loyalty to Kerrigan was holding you back, but now you can do it guilt free. Maybe some of your coworkers want to relocate here, too. It seems like it was meant to be.”
“Does it?” Kate asked. “I don’t know if it is the right decision for me.”
Jane and Elle exchanged a glance.
“What are you afraid of?” Elle asked.
“She’s afraid of Mom and Gigi.” Jane turned to Kate. “Am I right?”
“Maybe,” Kate said. “They do have a history of getting into our business.”
“Is that what you’re worried about?” Elle asked. “You know they only mean well.”
“I know they do.” Kate glanced around the tearoom. Its black-and-white marble floors and formal dark, polished wood contrasted with the light airiness of the glass from the windows and mirrors, which reflected the crystal chandeliers and the
