“Yes, it’s lovely weather. Chloe and I have really been enjoying the scent of the lilacs.”
“And the fudge,” Chloe added. “Oh my gosh. The smell of the fudge makes me so hungry.”
“Well, you have Harvey Murdock to thank for that,” Harlan said. “It was his idea to vent all the candy shops toward Main Street so the tourists would be lured in by the smell. That’s why we call them fudgies.”
“You call the tourists fudgies? That’s funny,” Chloe said.
“Yep. Nothing sells it faster than the smell.”
Emily’s father slipped his hands into the pockets of his well-worn jeans, assuming his storytelling posture, and she felt a swell of relief. If he could spend the evening talking to Chloe, sharing tales about his beloved Trillium Bay, then the conversation would flow from there. Even without Lilly’s help. Nothing too personal, of course, but enjoyable, and maybe even entertaining, especially if Gigi added her two cents, which she was sure to do. Between the two of them, Gigi and Harlan had so many stories that, with any luck, Emily wouldn’t have to say anything for the rest of her visit.
“Being a caddie at Trillium Heights golf club was always a good job,” Harlan said, regaling Chloe with yet another tale of his childhood on the island as Brooke served homemade apple pie for dessert. “But even before I was old enough for that, my pal Brian Murphy and I used to scour the woods to find golf balls that players had accidentally hit into the brush. We’d polish them up and then go hang out by the water traps, sell them for a quarter apiece, and make an easy buck.”
“That’s pretty clever,” Chloe said, digging her spoon into the whipped cream.
“You learn to be resourceful on the island. We recycled around here long before it was trendy, and we knew how to turn just about anything into a toy. Laundry baskets, trash can lids, tree branches, rocks. We didn’t have to rely on electronic gadgets to have fun. I see all these kids today, walking down beautiful Main Street but never looking up from their phones. In my day, we knew how to appreciate our surroundings.”
Chloe reached back and tucked her phone deeper into her back pocket. “That’s a shame, Grandpa. They should be paying attention to how pretty it is here.”
“That’s right.”
Emily hid a smile behind her fork. Chloe was working him like potter’s clay, reshaping him into a fairly pleasant dinner companion. So far her father hadn’t directed any questions or comments her way, and she wasn’t even sure he’d really looked at her, but that was fine. As long as he was nice to Chloe, she’d consider this evening a win.
“Sure, that’s right about turning everything into a toy,” said Gigi. “Don’t let him dazzle you, though, Chloe. Every time he stole our garbage can lids to use them as shields, we had raccoons digging around in our trash, and I can’t tell you how many times my laundry basket came home smelling like the fish he’d caught.”
Everyone chuckled, even Harlan, and Emily wondered if maybe, just maybe, Chloe could soften that old man up enough for Emily to find a way back in. It was a long shot, but she was known to take a risk or two.
The rest of dinner was a mostly relaxing affair, and all the taboo subjects were conveniently avoided. Emily was careful not to bring up anything too controversial that might turn her father’s mood sour, such as what she’d been doing since she left the island. If she didn’t bring up her life in San Antonio, he could pretend she’d never run off. That left her with not much to say, but Chloe artfully filled in any gaps in conversation. They ate on the back patio where the breeze ruffled the tree branches and the sound of waves could be heard until the crickets got too loud. The sun was setting when Harlan’s chair scraped against the brick as he pushed back from the table.
“Thanks for dinner, Brooke. I should check in on things downtown. Lilac Festival starts tomorrow, and they’ll need help setting up some of the barricades for the parade. I’ll see you gals later.” He stood up and gave Chloe’s shoulder a little squeeze. It was subtle but felt to Emily like a significant sign of affection. Her father might not ever approve of her marriage to Nick, or basically any decision she’d made before or since, but at least he was willing to accept Chloe, and that was a huge leap forward from their last two visits. He nodded at the rest of them, and he maaaaay have been smiling. Or he may have been burping. With Harlan there was just no telling.
Gigi motioned to Chloe as they both stood up. “Come on inside with me, sweetheart. I’ll show you some old picture albums and fill you in on all the island gossip. Nothing gets by me. I know all the dirt. Especially all the stuff about your relatives.”
“Mom, should I help clean up first?” Chloe batted her lashes and smiled innocently. Now she was working the I’m adorable so please don’t make me help with cleanup angle. Emily waved her away with a laugh.
“You go ahead with Gigi. I’ll help Aunt Brooke clean up.”
Skepticism slanted Brooke’s eyebrows. “You sure? You don’t want to get barbeque sauce on that white shirt.” There was a tone there. Nothing too overt, but loud in sister-speak. Brooke thought Emily was overdressed. So did Emily, but it was too late to fix that now.
“That’s what bleach is for,” Emily answered, picking up a tall stack of dirty plates and carrying them into the kitchen. She wanted the family to think she was successful, not arrogant. Brooke came in behind her carrying half a dozen water glasses.
“So you’re remodeling a place for Gigi, huh?” Brooke asked as Emily set the plates next to the stainless steel sink.
“Yep, her second husband’s place. I haven’t seen it yet, but we’re going tomorrow after church. I vaguely remember it from when we were kids, and it has a lot of potential.”
“You haven’t seen it yet?” Brooke snickered. “That explains why you’re still speaking to her.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean the place is falling apart. She’s been renting it to college kids for the past few summers, and they were pretty rough on it. I’m honestly surprised she decided to renovate. I thought she was going to sell it.”
“Sell it?”
Brooke’s expression was impassive. “I thought so, but I guess she changed her mind.”
“I guess so.”
Emily busied herself with the dirty plates. Gigi hadn’t said anything to her about selling it, but even if that was a consideration, it wasn’t something Emily wanted to discuss with her sister at the moment. Too many questions could lead to her having to admit she’d borrowed a serious chunk of money from Gigi. She needed to steer this conversation in another direction. “So, are you dating anyone?”