Charlotte woke up early the next morning and stretched lazily. Then the memory of last night’s blow-up at the Montgomerys’ party came back in full force. She frowned. But just as quickly as the memory of the party assaulted her, the lovely memory of sitting on the boat with Ben overcame it.
Ben’s kind words.
Ben’s kisses.
The enchanting night with moonlight and stars. They’d talked for hours, then he’d finally walked her back to the bungalow.
She jumped out of bed, a smile on her face, and headed to the kitchen for coffee.
“Morning.” Robin handed her a steaming cup of coffee then stood and eyed her skeptically. “What’s up?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re smiling and it’s only seven a.m.”
“I had a fabulous evening.”
“At the party? Did you meet any interesting people? Did everyone love your painting that Paul put on display?”
She held up a hand. “I did not meet any interesting people. No, not everyone loved my painting.”
Robin frowned. “And yet, you’re smiling.”
Charlotte slipped into a kitchen chair. “I am smiling.”
Robin sat across from her. “So, tell me the rest.”
“I had a huge blowup with my family. At the party. In front of… well, a lot of people.”
“You did?”
“I’d tell you that Eva started it… but that sounds so childish.”
“But she did, right?” Robin grinned.
“She did.” Charlotte laughed. “And I’d had enough. She started with the stupid dress they bought that I didn’t wear then moved on to criticizing my painting.”
“And how did that go for her?”
“I stood up to her. And I shocked her with my idea of doing painted furniture on consignment. And I told her I was broke. I guess the whole town knows I’m broke by now because I wasn’t exactly speaking quietly when I told her off.”
“Good for you.” Robin’s eyes shone with pleasure. “High time you put Eva in her place.”
“Mother was mortified. Then Dad tried to smooth things over by saying we should all go and have a glass of Chardonnay and calm down.”
Robin threw her head back and laughed, her brown hair tumbling around her shoulders. “Bet that went over well.”
“Let’s just say I’m pretty sure they all will now remember that I hate Chardonnay.” She grinned at her friend.
“That does sound like a great night.”
“There’s more.”
“Spill it.” Robin leaned forward, forearms on the table with her hands wrapped around her mug.
“Ben and I went back to his boat after all that. It turns out he’s not interested in Eva. He’s interested in me.”
“Of course he is. He even was in high school.”
“No, he had a crush on Eva.”
“No, he was star-struck by Eva. Every guy was. But he didn’t like her. He liked you. Don’t you remember he even came to see the art show where you won that blue ribbon?”
She frowned. “He was there?”
“I don’t think he even knew he had a crush on you back then. I could tell he liked you though. You’re so much more his type than Eva. Plus… you’re a nice person, which is more than I can say about Eva.”
“Maybe…”
“So… you went back to his boat, and…?”
“We had wine and talked and… He’s a good kisser.”
Robin slapped the table. “Ha. Knew it. He does like you.”
“He asked me out on a date. We’re going out tomorrow evening after my family leaves.” She sighed. “And I need to go over to the inn and at least talk to them today. If they’re speaking to me. I’m not sorry about anything I said to them, but I am sorry it happened at the party.”
“I don’t think you have anything to apologize for,” Robin defended her.
“I’m not going to apologize. I’m just hoping to have a civil conversation with them. Make sure they understood I was serious and that things are going to change between all of us.”
Robin rolled her eyes. “Good luck with that.”
Charlotte decided to head over to the inn after fortifying herself with copious amounts of coffee and a big breakfast. Or maybe she’d just been stalling. She looked around the perfectly picked up kitchen—she’d even mopped the floor—then neatly hung the kitchen towel on the handle of the dishwasher.
She quickly dressed in shorts and a t-shirt that said Make a Wish Upon a Shell - It Really Works and slipped on some flip-flops. She pulled her hair into a ponytail. She might get criticized for this outfit too, but it was comfortable and she planned on cutting across the island and walking up the beach to the inn.
She grabbed her sunglasses and one of her many hats and headed outside into the sunshine. She glanced over at Ben’s bungalow. His car was there, but he’d probably walked to work. He was a walker to everywhere, just like she was. One more thing they had in common.
A smile slipped across her face as she thought of last night on Lady Belle. With light steps, she cut across the island and walked down to the water’s edge of the gulf. Families were camped out under pop-up umbrellas and children ran and squealed, letting the waves chase them up the shore. A couple of grade-school aged kids were busy flying kites, each one trying to see if they could make their kite go the highest. Just a lovely, typical Saturday on Belle Island.
Of course, just about everything seemed lovely to her today. Except for the whole going to talk to her family…
She walked up the shoreline until she reached the inn, then rinsed her feet in a faucet near the steps and slipped on her flip-flops. She climbed the stairs and entered the inn. Sara waved to her from across the room and hurried up to her.
“How was the party at the Montgomerys’?”
“Eventful. I’ll tell you the whole story, but first I need to find my family.”
“I was just talking to Aunt Lil, and she said your family just finished with a late breakfast and were headed back to their cottage. She also said they were checking out early and heading back home today. I thought they were staying until Sunday?”
Charlotte frowned. “I did, too.”
“Yes, they said something about needing to get back early.”
She shook her head. She knew why they needed to get back early. They were escaping any fallout from her outburst at the party.
And they hadn’t said a word to her about leaving early. Were they just going to text her after they left and say they were gone? Not even say goodbye?
“Thanks, Sara. I better go talk to them.” She spun around and headed off toward the cottage they were staying in. She’d catch them before they had a chance to leave. She wouldn’t apologize, but she hoped to at least smooth things out between all of them.
Or not.
Charlotte knocked on the door of the cottage. Eva flung open the door but just turned away when she saw it was her. Charlotte stepped into the cottage, uninvited. “I heard you were leaving today.”
Eva whirled back around to face her. “We are. You ruined our vacation. And it’s so embarrassing. We’ll never be able to come back to the island again.”
“Pretty sure you’re exaggerating just a bit.”
Her mother entered the room carrying a tote bag and paused when she saw her. “Oh, Charlotte.”
“Hello, Mother. I hear you’re leaving early.”
“Your father needs to get back.”
“Really?” She didn’t believe that at all.
Her mother set her bag down on a chair and turned to face her. “I’m so disappointed in you. All that commotion and embarrassment at the Montgomerys’ party. It was… well, it was disgraceful. I raised you better than that.”
“But Eva is allowed to say whatever she wants about what I wear, what I do for a living, and criticize my paintings? That’s how you raised her?” She was not going to stand here and let her family blame her for their early departure.
“Don’t be impertinent.” Her mother frowned.
Her father entered the room, pulling a large suitcase behind him. “Oh, Charlotte. I was just getting ready to call you and tell you the girls have decided we’ll leave early. Too bad, too. Had a golf game scheduled for this afternoon.”
She shot an accusing glance at her mother, but her mother just looked down and fiddled with her tote bag.
“I was hoping we could talk before you go. I meant what I said that things need to change between us.” She stepped further into the room.
“Let’s not get into it all again. We do need to get back. Besides, I couldn’t bear to show my face on the island now. Not after that scene you made. And it was so embarrassing apologizing to Camille for you.” Eva let out a long put-upon sigh.
“You didn’t need to do that.”
“Of course I did. It was terrible. You ruined their party.”
“I doubt it ruined their party.” She rolled her eyes.
“Well, it was very unfortunate. We left soon after you did. I could feel all the people there staring at us.” Her mother shook her head.
“I’m sorry you felt you had to leave early, and I probably could have chosen a better time to stand up to Eva… and to all of you. But, Eva, your remarks were cruel and uncalled for. I don’t tell you how to run your life… or what to wear… and you have no right to tell me what I can and can’t do. I’m tired of your constant remarks criticizing me and belittling me. I’m an adult. I make my own choices.”
“Poor ones,” Eva muttered.
“This arguing is giving me a headache.” Her mother rubbed her temples. “Charlotte, just drop it. But I was very displeased with your actions at the party.”
Let’s just drop it, but first her mother had to get in one last dig? And didn’t it take two people to argue? She turned to her father. “Dad?”
He looked at her for a long moment. “I listened. I heard you. And let’s just say I won’t forget that you don’t like Chardonnay, that’s for sure. But your mother has a headache and I should get the car packed.”
She stood staring at her family. Wondering how she could have ever been born into this family, how she could be related to them. There was not going to be any smoothing things over, no more talking. That was clear.
“Okay, then. Have a safe trip.” She spun around and walked back out the door and hurried down to the beach, once again speeding away from Eva, from her family. Things were never going to work out with them.
She suddenly felt like an orphan. A woman without a family. But maybe being estranged from her family wasn’t necessarily a bad thing if they were going to be so poisonous to her mental well-being.
She stood at the edge of the sea, letting the waves lap at her ankles. And for all the world, she felt like a little lost child.
Then as she stood a while longer, a peace settled over her. Her jangled nerves soothed. Her pulse steadied.
She was proud of her stance with her family. And if they didn’t want to accept her how she really was… that was their problem.
She only needed to accept herself.