ASTRID FINISHED BRAIDING Nova’s hair. “All done.”
Nova reached up to run her fingers along the two French braids. “Just like yours.” She gave Astrid a kiss on the cheek and ran out of the kitchen.
“Benji’s ready to start the movie.” Nicole stepped aside as Nova ran past. “Benji brought one of his old dinosaur movies. I can’t wait to hear what Nova thinks.” She lowered her voice, “FYI, Charlie and Halley are in there, too.”
Astrid had caught sight of the two of them outside. Whatever they’d been discussing had looked too intimate to interrupt. She hoped that, whatever it was, they’d worked it out. With Nova, all it took was some hugs and bedtime stories and a little time to make her happy. It was more difficult with Halley. Which meant it was even more difficult for Charlie.
“How are you holding up?” Shelby wiped off Bea’s face and set the toddler on her play mat. “About Camellia?”
“I’m relieved. It all happened so fast, though. It still feels a little...unreal.” Astrid sat with Bea on the floor. “But I know Aunt Camellia and I know she’ll get better.” The alternative wasn’t an option.
“I agree.” Shelby waved at Bea. “She has to watch you grow up and wear your first bee suit.”
Bea giggled.
“How about the other thing?” Nicole asked, sipping her cup of coffee. “You know, being head over heels in love with Mr. Neighbor.”
Astrid was in fact head over heels in love with her neighbor. “They’re going back home soon.”
“How are you doing with that?” Nicole pushed.
“Are you trying to make me cry this morning?” She shook her head. “I’m joking.”
“No, you’re not.” Nicole sat on the floor beside her. “You weren’t supposed to actually fall in love with him, Astrid.”
“I didn’t realize love was a choice?” Shelby carried Bea’s bib and dish to the sink. “That’s the problem with it.”
Astrid shook one of Bea’s rattles—and Jammie the cat came running over. “It’s not for you, silly. It’s Bea’s.” The baby giggled when the cat swatted the toy. “He is funny, isn’t he, Bea?”
“There’s no chance they’ll stay?” Nicole asked.
“I don’t know. I don’t think so.” Charlie had never mentioned considering staying in Honey. He had mentioned he didn’t like change and he did like plans.
“It’s a shame.” Shelby joined them on the floor, stacking up Bea’s blocks. “He was so...so sharp when he got here. Honey seems to have smoothed off those rough edges.”
Shelby and Nicole gave her the same look.
“Oh, stop.” Astrid shook her head.
Charlie came around the corner and stopped. “You’re all on the floor.”
“It’s where the cool kids hangout.” Nicole held up one of Bea’s teddy bears and squeezed it. The toy squeaked—and all six dogs came running.
Bea was delighted.
“Do you want a ride into town?” Charlie asked.
Astrid pushed up off the floor. “Yes, please. It’s almost eleven, and the appointment is at Mr. Delaney’s office at eleven fifteen.”
“He’s still practicing law?” Nicole’s eyes widened. “I know his sisters are still going strong and running the café but I thought he was dead.”
“Nicole.” But Astrid laughed. “He did have a hip replacement and has had all sorts of physical therapy—that’s why this meeting was delayed for so long.”
“Still no idea what to expect from Rebecca’s will?” Shelby asked.
Astrid shrugged. “No idea.” She glanced at Charlie.
“No.” He sighed. “I have a feeling it will be an interesting morning. Thank you, again, for keeping an eye on the girls.”
“I’m planning on feeding them nothing but sugar. Other than that, we’ll be fine.” Nicole smiled sweetly.
“She’s teasing.” Astrid shot her a look.
“Or am I?” She stood and scooped up Bea. “Come on, Bea, let’s go watch some dinosaurs attack,” she said, carrying Bea from the room.
“Good luck.” Shelby hugged her.
“I have my phone. Keep me posted on Aunt Camellia, please.” Astrid hugged her back.
“Of course.” Shelby nodded.
Astrid picked up on Charlie’s mood a few minutes into the drive. He was quiet and tense, his hold on the steering wheel tight.
“Bea is getting so big. She’s been using chairs to pull herself up and I just know she’s going to take her first steps soon.” She glanced at Charlie’s hands. They weren’t white-knuckling the steering wheel anymore. “Aunt Mags said that Tansy didn’t walk until she was about a year and a half. Then she was always on the go. I was walking by nine months because I had to follow Tansy everywhere she went. Then there was Rosemary. She has always been the overachiever. Aunt Camellia swears she skipped crawling and was walking by eight months.” She paused, searching for something else to carry on about. “Tansy and Dane invited you all to the observation deck. I hoped, now that you’ve been here awhile and you realize how amazing bees are, you and the girls might go?” She attempted a teasing smile. “They’ve double-and triple-checked the screens—so there’s no fear of the bees getting inside. The girls would get to see what you saw the Junior Beekeepers doing.”
“They’d probably like that.” Charlie sighed. “Halley has developed a sudden interest in bees.”
“Is that a bad thing?” Astrid waited. “You should check out the observation deck, then. The Junior Beekeepers are going out there tonight, around five, for their meeting. You might all learn a little something?”
“As long as she learns about safety first.” He glanced her way.
She smiled. “If you weren’t driving right now, I’d kiss you.”
“If I didn’t want to get this over with, I’d pull over and let you.” His grin was short-lived.
Charlie’s phone was pinging when they parked in front of Mr. Delaney’s law office. He glanced at it, sighed and shoved it into his pocket.
From the twitch of his jaw, she suspected it was his sister. “It’s a nice place,” she said, hoping to distract him. The office was located right off Main Street, with a dark green awning and a large pot overflowing with marigolds on either side of the door.
“I wonder if he received an offer from Stinson Properties?” Charlie held the door open for her.
“Good morning.” George Delaney had a wisp of white hair on his head, hunched posture, and was relying on his cane. “You’ll have to excuse me, this new hip has me stuck in first gear.” He chuckled and waved them into the open conference room.
Lindsay and Theo sat on the opposite side of the table.
“Good morning. I hope your aunt is okay?” Lindsay asked. “You all disappeared and we didn’t want to impose.”
“I heard about dear Camellia.” George Delaney shook his head. “My thoughts are with you all. I know Camellia, though. She’ll be right as rain in no time.”
“I hope so.” Astrid nodded.
“Let’s get this business over and done with, then.” Mr. Delaney made his way around the table slowly, using his cane to lower himself into the high-backed leather chair. “This is all for show, you know. Texas doesn’t require any sort of formal reading of the will.”
Charlie paused. “It doesn’t?”
“No, no. Rebecca wanted it this way.” Mr. Delaney shook his head. “She seemed to think the two of you might want to hash some things out.”
Astrid sat in the chair next to Charlie, puzzling over the old lawyer’s words. There were things she wanted to hash out with Charlie but none of them concerned Rebecca’s holdings.
“Two? Who are you referring to, Mr. Delaney?” Lindsay’s smile was tight.
“As I mentioned earlier, Mrs. Stinson, Mr. Charles Driver and Miss Astrid Hill are the only two people mentioned in Rebecca’s will.” When George Delaney’s brow furrowed, his forehead resembled an accordion. “There’s no need for anyone else to be present.”
Lindsay’s indrawn breath was sharp. “I’m here to support my brother.”
Astrid glanced Charlie’s way to gauge his reaction to Lindsay’s claim. His jaw was tight, but his gaze remained on George Delaney.
“Is that a fact?” Mr. Delaney chuckled. “Well, then.”
Rebecca had been a woman of means. It would make sense for her to leave it all to Charlie; he was her beloved nephew. But why had she wanted Astrid here?
From the glare Lindsay was shooting her way, the woman was obviously wondering the same thing.
George Delaney sort of flopped into his chair, then proceeded to pull two sheets of paper from a manila envelope. “Rebecca kept it simple. I approve.”
She and Charlie sat beside each other. She didn’t know whether to hold his hand or give him his space.
Mr. Delaney scanned over the papers. “Let’s skip over the rigmarole and get to the meat of it. To my dear friend, Astrid Hill, I leave $250,000 to be used for the bees as she deems fit.”
Lindsay’s gasp was impossible to miss.
“To my nephew, Charles Adam Driver, I leave the entirety of my wealth and investments, the house and property on Lake Champlain.” He paused to look up at Charlie.
“I didn’t know she still had her place on Lake Champlain.” Charlie looked stunned.
But Astrid’s heart was in her throat. Rebecca’s gift was both unexpected and lovely.
“I also leave the four hundred acres in Honey, Texas, to Charles Adam Driver. If, however, Mr. Driver wishes to sell, the Hill family has the first right of refusal before the property can be sold.” George Delaney scanned over the paper, then looked up. “Rebecca didn’t want her property sold, you see.”
Astrid nodded. “She loved the place.”
“Sentimentality aside, it’s time to be reasonable.” Lindsay shook her head. “Charlie, you don’t need or want the place. You said as much. What would you do with four hundred acres? And, no offense, Astrid, but can your family afford to buy the place?” She pulled a brown leather briefcase up and placed it on the table. “I’ve already had the papers drawn up—and an appraisal on the value of the property so you can see, Charlie, we’re giving you a more than generous offer.”
All Astrid could do was stare at the woman.
“You said you’d sell.” Lindsay slid the manila folder across the table. “We talked about this. We agreed, remember? You and the girls will be set and Theo and I can work our magic on Honey.”
Each word made the room shrink. Lindsay was right about buying the place. The money they’d won was needed for the farm as is. Adding another four hundred acres would be expensive—the purchase, the upkeep and the taxes. But...did that mean Charlie would sell Rebecca’s place to Stinson Properties? Her stomach was churning so much she feared she’d be sick. She needed fresh air. And soon. She swallowed and asked, “Is there anything you need from me, Mr. Delaney?”
“I just need a signature.” Mr. Delaney offered her a slight smile. “And you can be on your way.”
Astrid nodded, reaching for the pen and paper he offered her.
“I’m glad you’re not going to argue.” Lindsay sighed. “It’s not like you’re walking away with nothing. I love it when everyone wins.”
Astrid blindly signed the paper but couldn’t look at the woman. Or Charlie. Instead, she fished her phone from her purse and sent a text to Tansy.
“I’ll go make you copies.” Mr. Delaney pushed himself up from his seat and inched his way from the room.
“Lindsay.” Charlie cleared his throat. “We can discuss this—”
“Now,” Lindsay pushed. “We have an agreement.”
Astrid was on the verge of tears. “You do?” Did she really want to know the answer to that question?
Charlie looked at her then, the answer on his face. “We had discussed—”
“Agreed.” Lindsay cut in. “We agreed that this was the right thing to do. Don’t let a pretty face and nice people cloud your decision. I know you’re not used to that, people being nice to you, but there’s a reason. No one is nice without a reason. Ever. You, out of all people, know that.”
Astrid’s throat was so tight it hurt to breathe. The words were horrible. Lindsay was horrible. Worse, from the look on Charlie’s face, he wasn’t immediately dismissing what his sister was saying.
“If they haven’t asked for something from you yet, they will.” Lindsay shot her a look. “It doesn’t even matter, though. Astrid, you can’t afford the land, can you?” She waited for Astrid to shake her head. “And we have a lawyer to help tie up all the loose ends right here and now.”
Astrid’s phone vibrated. She read the text and took a shaky breath. “My ride is here. I’ll leave you to it.” She used the arms of the chair to steady herself.
“Astrid.” Charlie was up. “Hold on.”
She waited, blinking against the tears.
“I...” He swallowed, his jaw muscle working. “I should have told you.”
A million things went round and round in her head. He wasn’t staying. He’d never said otherwise. It was her foolish heart that led her to hope for something different. And the land? She swallowed and stared up into the face she loved. “She’s right, Charlie. I do want something from you. And you know what it is. I’ve told you. You.”
Lindsay’s snort was grating. “And your two homes and money and, what else, the land.”
“Here you go.” Mr. Delaney handed her a manila envelope. “Your ride is out front.”
“Thank you.” She shook the older man’s hand, collected her purse, then hesitated. “I don’t know what’s happened to make you so distrusting.” She met Lindsay’s narrowed gaze. “But I’m sorry for you. There are incredibly good people out there, people that honor their word or do things without ulterior motives. I’m one of them. And so is your brother.” But she couldn’t bring herself to look at Charlie before she left.
She headed out of the conference room, out of the lawyer’s office and straight for Tansy’s truck.
Tansy took one look at her. “Oh, Astrid.” She grabbed her hand. “I’m sorry.”
Astrid held tight to her sister’s hand, her heart crumbling to dust.
CHARLIE HAD EXPECTED Lindsay’s temper tantrum but her words still hurt.
“I can’t believe you.” Lindsay’s tone was razor sharp. “I thought after all this time, you’d finally caught up or gotten better or more normal. You’re just as screwed up as ever. What is wrong with you?”
“Now, Lindsay.” Theo’s attempt to calm her had only increased her fury. “He is your brother.”
“Which means what?” Lindsay yanked her arm away from her husband. “My whole life, I’ve tolerated his...your weirdness. Even though it was embarrassing. Now? This? I can’t believe you’re going back on your word, Charlie. This is the smart business decision, you know that. And you’re just going to walk away? It’s idiotic.” She broke off, scrambling. “Not to mention, Dad will be pissed.”
When all else failed, she’d try to use their father against him. But this time it was different. He was different. “I don’t care what he thinks. Or what you think.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “This isn’t about getting what you want or business or money. This is about family and doing what’s right. And love.”
Lindsay and Theo had stared at him in shock.
“Hear! Hear!” Mr. Delaney sat in his chair, smiling.
“Charlie...” Lindsay paused. “I get that you’re lonely but these people don’t care about you. You can’t listen to Astrid, you barely know her. She’s probably been working you for the land the whole damn time. Come on, Charlie. Think. You are...you. What else makes sense?”
That she loves me. Whether or not it made sense, it was true. He accepted it, felt it, deep in his bones. The sort of love Lindsay couldn’t understand. “I don’t expect you to understand.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry you’re leaving empty-handed.”
Lindsay sputtered and railed but he didn’t budge. Nothing would change his mind. She was still red-faced and arguing the whole time Theo pulled her from Mr. Delaney’s office.
“That was quite a show.” Mr. Delaney sat forward, elbows on the table, to peer at him. “I think Rebecca would have been proud of you for standing your ground. Astrid, too.”
He hoped so. “I have one thing I’d like to arrange before I leave.” Charlie had taken his seat beside the older man and outlined what he had in mind.
Now, hours later, Charlie was back at home, reading emails. “School registration is coming up. Freshman year.” He glanced around his computer screen at Halley. “Are you excited?”
“No.” Halley shook her head. “It’s a huge school. Half of my friends will go to Clark. Who knows if I’ll see the friends that do go there.”
Charlie and Yasmina had talked about putting Halley into a private high school. Maybe he should look into that.
“Why are we talking about school?” Nova crawled across the floor, growling loudly in her dinosaur costume. She’d hidden the jungle animals Van had given her throughout the house and had been “hunting” them all afternoon.
“Fall is coming.” Charlie watched as she pounced on a couch cushion. “We’re going to have to start thinking about real life.” He swallowed. “We’ll be heading home in a week.”
Halley adjusted her headband. “It’s been so long, I’ve almost forgotten what home looks like.”
“It’s been a month.” Charlie lifted his feet as Nova crawled under his chair and out the other side. “Not that long.” And yet, so much had changed he understood what she meant.
“It feels like forever.” Halley’s was expression puzzled. “Weird.”
He agreed.
“We can’t leave yet.” Nova stood and took off her dinosaur helmet. “Not yet.” She stared up at him. Her arms were crossed and her lower lip jutted out. She had the T. rex head under one arm and Scorpio under the other. “Summer isn’t over.”
“Is there something you want to do before we leave?” Charlie asked, eyeing the envelope with Astrid’s name on it where it rested beside his computer.
“Not leave.” Nova stomped one foot.
“Nova.” He saw the distress on her face. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t want to go.” She sniffed. “We have friends here. It’s pretty. I have a Mr. Possum. And all of Aunt Camellia’s dogs love me. And her cats. And even Lord Byron.” She squawked. “I love our purple house.”
“It’s going to be Astrid’s purple house.” Halley sat on the couch opposite his desk. “Charlie is going to give it to her.”
“Rebecca wanted her to have it.” And it was the right thing to do. Charlie ran his fingers through his hair, trying to ignore the painful throb of his heart.
“Astrid would let us stay.” Nova had her hands on her hips. “She would.”
“I agree.” Halley inspected her fingernails. “Why are we suddenly leaving?”
“It’s not sudden. Next weekend. That’s a whole week from now.” A week he’d have to prepare himself for goodbyes. He hoped like hell a week would be enough. “Think about all the things you miss.” If he reminded them of their previous lives, they’d remember how hard they’d fought against coming here.
“Go here, go there.” Nova wiggled Scorpio. “Always go go go.” She made a grumpy face.
“Dance and swim and gymnastics and piano.” Halley ticked each item off on her fingers.
“You like those things.” He frowned. At least, he thought they did.
“I like dance.” Nova spun around. “Only dance.”
“I like swim.” Halley shrugged. “Mostly because of the boys, though.”
“I appreciate the honesty.” Charlie groaned and covered his face.
Nova and Halley laughed.
“I bet they have dance here.” Nova spun around.
“We can’t stay here.” He sat back in his chair. “For one thing, this house isn’t ours.”
“Astrid would never kick us out, Charlie.” Halley was frowning at him. “You want us to be honest with you. You should be honest with us.”
He could do that. “We have a home, friends and a life back in Fort Worth.” He wasn’t going to debate this with the girls. “We have responsibilities.”
“We have friends here.” Nova wasn’t budging. “Lots more here.”
“Real friends. Not the kind that tear you down over DM.” Halley held up her phone. “Honey’s not so bad, Charlie. The people are awesome. And there’s Astrid.”
He stood, his frustration getting the best of him. “I’m not going to uproot you two and move to a place an hour from anywhere. I’ve let you both down, over and over. I want what’s best for you, don’t you understand?”
Nova went to sit beside Halley, the two of them watching as he paced back and forth.
“I don’t know what their schools are like or what clubs they have—except for the bees. I know the Hills and all their friends seem to think bees are the best, but I’m not so sure. Anyway, it doesn’t make sense to give up everything we know for relationships based on a couple of weeks.” He kept pacing.
Halley sighed. “It does if we’re happy. You want us to be happy. We want you to be happy.”
“I am happy.” He didn’t sound remotely happy. “We will be happy, once we get back to our normal life. If you want to change up your extracurricular activities, we can look into that. We’ll make new friends. We’ll make it work. It will be good. I won’t stay here just because I’ve fallen in love with Astrid. I don’t even know what that means. I’ll screw that up and then what? I’d rather leave than risk hurting or losing her...” He came to a stop, shocked at everything he’d just said.
Halley and Nova were staring at him, their mouths hanging open and their eyes round as saucers.
“No.” He held up his hands. “Wait. I didn’t mean to say that.”
“No, you wait.” Halley was up on her feet and, by the look on her face, ready to do battle. “You did say it. You fell in love with Astrid.”
“You love Astrid?” Nova was squishing Scorpio in her arms and wearing a big grin on her face. “Does that mean we’ll all live here together?”
“No.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “It doesn’t.”
“Why not?” Nova rolled her eyes. “All you have to do is tell her.” She said this like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “’Cause I know she loves you, too.”
Astrid had said as much, but he still struggled to believe it. He stopped himself from asking Nova how she knew that. She was five. She still talked to her stuffed toy. She wasn’t the most reliable source when it came to the facts.
“You love her, Charlie.” Halley shook her head. “Mom used to say love was the greatest gift we could give another person, remember? She said we should shower love on each other because there wasn’t enough of it.”
“I have you and your sister to love.” He smiled at her.
“Why can’t you have Astrid, too?” Halley sounded impatient. “You call me stubborn.”
“You should tell her, Charlie.” Nova sighed. “Even if you do mess things up, that doesn’t mean she’ll stop loving you.”
“Yeah, Nova and I still love you and you’ve messed up,” Halley pointed out.
“A lot.” Nova used her not-so-whispery voice.
He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He flopped onto the couch. “You two are exhausting.”
“We’re exhausting?” Halley sat beside him.
Nova hopped up on the other side of him. “Maybe, if we have Astrid, we don’t need all the other stuff as much?”
Charlie ran a hand over his face. She talked to her toys, but she might have a point. Even if he did decide to take the advice of his five-and thirteen-year-old daughters, he didn’t know where to start.
He shook his head. This was ridiculous. He’d made up his mind...
Astrid had invited them to the Junior Beekeeping meeting at five o’clock. He glanced at the clock. It was five now. “Get your shoes on.” He didn’t know what he was going to do or say, only that he was going to Dane’s observation deck to watch bees—and find Astrid. After that, he had no idea. He grabbed the envelope from Mr. Delaney’s office and his keys. But, by the time he had dino-Nova and Halley in the car, he was a mix of nervous and excited. He only hoped Nova was right and Astrid still loved him—that she could forgive him for unwittingly being a part of his sister’s development plans. He hoped she felt even a fraction of the love he felt for her.