by Jenny Hale
“You’re right. There are no guarantees. But I’d be willing to take that chance.”
“Why?”
She looked at him for long time, trying to get her thoughts straight. “So I can play Marco Polo and know that my child will remember it for the rest of his or her life. I can teach my child to drive Papa’s tractor. I can make Gram’s sugar cookies and that child will know the recipe that’s five generations old. Maybe when I’m Gram’s age, I’ll be able to have my child visit and bring her own children…”
“You’re keeping your grandfather’s tractor?”
“Of course. I’m going to drive it to work every day.” She was teasing because she didn’t want to think about how much of an eyesore it would be at the condo or imagine it decaying out in some junkyard somewhere because no one would want it. She was having a good day, and she wanted to keep it going.
Charlie chuckled at her joke, but she could see the same thoughts in his eyes.
“Are y’all gonna just stay out there and get all pruney or are you going to have some dinner?” Rachel called from the backyard, the kitchen door still open. “I ordered us a pizza. Jeff’s going to pick it up.”
When Jeff had returned, he and Charlie had the fire going in the fire pit and Emily had pulled the patio table over in front of it to give them a little light and keep the bugs away. Rachel, who’d brought the pizza box out with four beers, was tuning the radio.
“Did Clara go down okay?” Emily asked her sister.
“Yeah. I put her in Gram’s bed. I might just stay the night. We can all three fit in that big bed and then I wouldn’t have to wake her.”
“That’d be fine.”
“Do you have to work in the morning?”
“Yes, but I’m taking a half-day to watch Clara while you’re at your interview. Haven’t run it by the big boss yet,” she said, giving Charlie a wink, “but I’ve cleared it with Libby.”
“I suppose I’ll let you off,” he said with a smile. “Since it’s for Clara’s sake.”
“And mine,” Rachel said, handing out beers. “I really want to get this job.”
“Who will watch Clara if you get it?” Emily asked.
“Her preschool has extended day, and next year, she’ll be in kindergarten. It’s actually the perfect time to go back to work, and I’m so ready. I just hope I’m still on my game.”
Jeff sat silently at the table. Emily wasn’t really sure what to say to him. She wanted to make him feel better about the situation, but ultimately, she wanted to encourage her sister.
“Knowing you, you’ll be fine. You’ve probably been reading up on the latest trends for weeks.”
“Months,” Jeff piped up, then took a sip of his beer.
Emily could see the distance in his eyes. It wasn’t good. It was clear by Jeff’s demeanor that he didn’t want to ruin the night. He smiled at her before taking another sip of beer.
Rachel passed everyone a paper plate and opened the box of pizza.
“What are you planning to do with Clara tomorrow afternoon?” Charlie asked Emily.
“I thought I’d take her to that little playground in Irvington. Then, maybe have some ice cream. Wanna come with us?” she asked.
“Sure. I might have to meet you there, though, because I’ll be with the city planning commission that day. Can you give me directions?”
“Just text me after the meeting.” She didn’t want to think about the meeting tonight. There was nothing she could do to change it, and eventually, she’d have to face the fact that things were going to be different.
“Okay.”
“So, I ran into Francine today,” Rachel said, balancing the large wedge of pizza on her fingertips, preparing for a bite.
Emily shook her head, already wondering what her sister would say. Francine was known for gossip, and Emily never knew what would come out of her mouth. She leaned over to Charlie as he took a bite of pizza. “That’s the woman in the shop with the margarita glasses. The one who gave you the corporate card back.”
“Yes. I remember her well,” he said with a chuckle.
“I told her I was coming over tonight to see you,” Rachel said. “And I mentioned that Charlie would be here. You should’ve seen her mouth hanging open.”
“Why do you indulge her like that? You could’ve just told her you were coming over.”
“She doesn’t mean any harm and it’s fun to wind her up. She did say that, given your luck lately, you deserve a handsome man like Charlie.” Rachel grinned sweetly at her sister and then winked in Charlie’s direction. “And then she remarked how you two must be on very friendly terms if you call him Charlie because she’s only ever heard people call him Charles.”
“How does she know?” Emily said amused.
“Because she said she’d met him personally.”
“Lordy. He was only in her shop five minutes. That was it.”
“Well, she knows,” Rachel teased. “And she said that if you two get married, she’ll hand paint all the wine glasses for the wedding.”
Emily’s eyes got as big as saucers. “Married?”
“Francine said she’s just thinking ahead.”
Charlie quietly put his beer to his lips and drained what was left in the bottle. “Would anyone like another beer?” he asked. “I’ll grab one from the kitchen.” He stood up.
“I’ll have another,” Jeff said.
“Great. Emily, do you mind just coming in with me a sec?” he asked.
Given his face just now, she followed him in. He looked as though he had something he wanted to say to her.
As soon as they were inside, the door closed, he turned toward her. “I’m scheduled to fly out of Richmond on Friday,” he said with no introductions at all.
“To go home?”
“Yes.”
“That’s in three days.”
“I know. I have to get back home to take care of some things at work. It’s proving difficult to run the business right now without me there on a regular basis. We’re about to lose a major property.” He turned toward the window, leaning on the sink as he looked out into the yard, but it seemed as though he wasn’t processing the view—he was thinking. Then he turned back around.
“I don’t just do this sort of thing,” he said, frustration showing in his jaw. “I’ve never done this in my life. You’ve completely sidetracked me, derailed my plans entirely. I don’t want to play a round of golf! I’d rather sit on your grandfather’s patio and eat greasy pizza.”
Emily smiled.
“You haven’t known me long enough,” he continued, “to realize that this doesn’t happen to me. I don’t run around after people. I don’t change my plans… Because I’ve never had a need to.”
“Then stay a little longer.”
“I can’t.” He walked closer to her. “Why don’t you come to New York for a while?”
She shook her head. “Sorry,” she said, feeling deflated. She didn’t want to go to New York. She needed to be here for Gram right now, for her family, and for herself. “I need to stay here. I spent three years away from it and I don’t want to spend a single minute more somewhere else.”
Charlie nodded, his face unreadable.
Nineteen
As she drove to the playground with Clara humming in the back, Emily thought about Charlie. He had been pleasant but quiet last night after their conversation in the kitchen. No one else seemed to notice, but Emily had, and when he decided to leave, she felt like he’d been waiting for a good time to make his exit. He was so stubborn. He wouldn’t compromise at all. He had his job in New York and either Emily went with him or she didn’t. He was knocking down her home regardless of how anyone felt about it. And because of that, he’d probably made the right decision by pulling back last night. But it left her feeling like something wonderful was missing.
She hadn’t heard from Charlie all morning. He’d been in meetings. She’d texted but she’d received nothing in response. Now, as she made her
way to the playground with Clara and Flash, she hoped that he’d still meet her like he’d said he would.
“I’ve never been to this playground,” Clara said from her booster seat in the back of Emily’s car. Her hair was in braids again, and she had a pink tank top and purple shorts with pink flowers on them. Flash was sitting beside her, his nose to the window.
“I think you’ll like it. It has a lot of big, shady trees.”
“It is hot. May I put down the window?”
“If you want to,” Emily said, with a grin, peering in her rearview mirror as Clara hit the window button, letting a rush of heat into the car. The warm air reminded Emily of so many days she’d spent driving these roads with her windows down as a girl. Flash moved cautiously to the other side of the car. He sat in the floorboard at Clara’s feet with his head tipped up toward the fresh air coming in.
Emily pulled onto a side street just past the main road running through the center of Irvington and parked the car by the little playground. There was a swing set, a curly slide, and a seesaw. As Clara unbuckled her seatbelt, Emily checked her phone. Nothing. She slipped it into her pocket.
“Swing with me, Aunt Emily!” Clara said, running to the swings and hopping on, the bright sun making her squint as she pumped her little legs to get going.
Emily let Flash out of the car and came over to grab a swing next to Clara.
“How high can you go?” Clara said, sailing past her.
Emily pushed off and glided forward, then pushed off again to get herself going. “I don’t know,” she said with a grin, “Pretty high!”
“I can go higher!”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Look at me!” Clara flew up and then back down, her braids hanging low to the ground behind her as she straightened herself out and stretched her legs as far as they’d go.
“I think you’ve won,” Emily said, affection for her niece bubbling up. She loved spending time with Clara.
They continued to swing, Clara talking about the playground at her preschool and how her mommy had told her that she might get to swing at preschool every day.
“And what do you think about that?” Emily asked.
“I’d love it! It’s so much fun! And my friend, Hannah is there. We play in the playhouse together. She pretends to go shopping while I cook the food.” She was excited.
Clara pumped her little legs to get going faster. “Is Charlie meeting us?” she asked.
Flash found a shady spot under a tree and lay down in the cool grass, panting and wagging his tail.
“I’m not sure.” Emily pulled her phone from her pocket and checked it again. “He’s in a meeting. He’ll probably text when he gets out.”
“I like him.”
Emily slowed the swing down until she was just sitting. “What do you like about him?”
“He’s nice. And he’s good at Marco Polo.”
“Yes,” she giggled, “he is.”
“It’s hot.” Clara skidded her sandals against the dirt, stopping herself. She pulled on her shirt collar.
“It’s very hot,” Emily agreed, laughing again. She looked over at Flash. He was still panting. He sniffed something near an exposed root.
“Can we get ice cream now?”
Emily wanted to stall, hoping Charlie would get out of his meeting so as not to let Clara down. “How about a game of Hide and Seek?”
“Okay!” Clara jumped off the swing. “I’ll hide first. Count to ten.”
Emily covered her eyes, peeking out through her fingers to keep an eye on Clara. “One... Two… Three…”
Clara ran behind the large oak tree that shaded the area as Emily continued to count, Flash following her to the other side, his tail wagging feverishly. When she’d gotten to ten, Emily got off the swing and walked slowly toward the bench along the side of the play area. She looked under it. “Not there,” she said loudly so Clara could hear her. She heard a giggle from behind the tree and acted like she hadn’t noticed Flash dashing over and barking, giving Clara away.
Emily looked two more places before she heard a ping on her phone and saw Charlie’s text:
So sorry I’m late. Tell me where to go.
She felt a wave of relief. He was coming! As she looked down at his text, she couldn’t keep the smile off her face.
“Got ya!” Emily said, peeking behind the tree and sending Clara into a fit of giggles. “Charlie just texted. Want me to tell him to meet us at Henry’s for ice cream?”
“Yes!”
Emily gave Charlie the location and told him she’d be there in five minutes. “Okay, let’s get in the car! It’s ice cream time!” The summer heat was unbearable, and she was glad to get Clara out of the sun. She started the engine and cranked up the air conditioning.
Flash hopped in, getting comfortable on the backseat as Emily helped Clara buckle herself up. Then, they were on their way.
Henry’s ice cream was a diner-style building. It had walk-up windows, an outside seating area on grass, and picnic tables with giant red umbrellas. It was a perfect place for Flash to relax and have a little water while they ate their treats.
They pulled up and got out. Emily, who had put Flash on a leash to keep him safe from the road, grabbed his water bowl and a thermos from the backseat.
“What flavor of ice cream are you going to get?” Emily asked Clara. With his leash around her wrist, she took Clara’s hand, and they walked over to an empty table.
“Mommy and I do a tasting game.”
Emily slipped Flash’s leash under the table leg and poured water in his bowl. He lapped it up sloppily and loudly, his tail batting back and forth. “Oh? How does it work?”
“Henry gives us little spoons with different flavors. We close our eyes and try to guess what it is! Want to play that?” Clara bounced up and down in anticipation.
“If it’s all right with Henry.”
“It is! He always lets us.”
Emily felt a jolt of excitement as she saw the familiar blue BMW pull up. Charlie got out, wearing clothes that were too formal and hot to be in the sun eating ice cream. He’d come straight from his meeting. He put up his hand, that caring look in his eyes, making her feel like somehow everything would be okay.
“Hey there!” she called out.
“Hello.”
Flash stood at attention, his ears perked up.
“We’re going to play a tasting game,” she said as he got closer. “We have to close our eyes and guess the flavor of ice cream.”
“Sounds fun.” Charlie smiled down at Clara as she tore away from them, headed toward the counter. He seemed to be his easy, relaxed self again.
They walked up to the window where Clara had already gotten Henry’s attention.
Henry smiled as they approached. “Who’s first?”
“Charlie!” Clara said.
“So I close my eyes?” he asked Clara.
“Yes!” she said hopping around.
“Okay.”
Charlie closed his eyes.
Emily loved the fact that he wasn’t self-conscious about joining in and indulging Clara. “Here’s the first bite,” she said, taking a small spoon from Henry and putting it near his lips. He leaned forward as she offered it to him and he bumped into the spoon. Emily let out a little laugh. She couldn’t help but look at him as he tried to figure out the flavor. Dragging her eyes away, she tossed the spoon into a nearby trashcan.
He licked a drip off his bottom lip. She watched his expression while he deliberated.
“He doesn’t know it!” Clara said, beaming.
He swallowed. “Yes I do.” Charlie opened his eyes.
“What is it?” Emily asked.
“If he gets it right, all three of you can have ice cream on the house,” Henry said with a devious grin on his face.
“Is it Caramel… Praline?”
Stunned, Henry leaned out the window and looked at the ads below. “How did you guess that? I didn’t have it listed
on my sign.”
Charlie chuckled, clearly proud of himself. “There’s a small coffee shop down the street from my apartment that makes caramel praline custard. It’s my favorite treat and I get it occasionally.”
“Ha! Well, it looks like you all will get free ice cream.” Henry looked down at Clara. “Would you like to keep playing the game or do you want your sundae now?”
“I want a vanilla sundae with chocolate sauce!”
“Want to share one? They’re big,” Emily said to Charlie.
“Sure. Order whatever you like.”
“Two vanilla sundaes with chocolate sauce then,” she told Henry.
“Two vanilla sundaes, coming up!”
They walked over to the table where Flash was lying in the shade. He’d had his eyes closed but popped up to a sitting position when he saw them approaching. By the time they reached the table, he was standing, his tail wagging, his eyes expectant.
“Hi, Flash,” Charlie said, patting his side. Flash leaned against his leg and Emily worried about the dog hair that might get on his expensive trousers.
“Clara, how was the playground?” Charlie asked, taking a seat at the table.
“It was very hot but I got to swing and play Hide and Seek.”
“I’m sorry that I missed it.” When he said it, his face was sincere.
“It’s okay.” Clara was sitting with one leg folded under herself as she waited for her ice cream.
“We’ll have to go again sometime.”
Emily looked at him. She knew he was just trying to be kind, but she wished he hadn’t given Clara an empty promise. In two days he was leaving to go back to New York. He wouldn’t be back to go to the playground with Clara. Even though she wanted to say something, she stayed quiet for Clara’s benefit.
Henry brought over their sundaes and set them on the table. Each one was served in an enormous hurricane glass, filled to the brim with bright white vanilla ice cream, dark chocolate sauce sliding down the inside of the glass, and topped with a mountain of whipped cream and a maraschino cherry. Emily took one and slid the other one to Clara.