To my left, I felt Hayden's gaze on my face. "That's right."
"But you went off to the military instead."
My jaw stiffened. "I wasn't ready to come home and take the helm of the company just yet."
Blaire's expression was shrewd. "But you are now?"
"That's what I want to do, but I need to clear things with my family first. A lot of people were upset when I left."
"And what about you? Did you want to spend your summer at the beach?" Blaire asked Hayden.
"No," Hayden said simply, and I gave her a look imploring her to say something that would convince Blaire we needed the house.
"I miss my friends." She caught my gaze. "But the house is nice?—"
I suppose that was the best I could hope for. It was more words than she usually used. There was usually more screeches, groans, and door slamming.
"I remember what it was like to be a teenage girl. But the island is an amazing place for a kid. You can bike around the island and meet people. Did you know that your father and my granddaughter spent a lot of time together the summer they turned eighteen?"
Hayden's curious gaze moved from Blaire to me. "They said something about it."
"There's a lot of freedom to be had on the island if you can stop looking at your phone," Blaire said, but Hayden didn't take issue with her tone.
Instead, she seemed to be thinking about what she'd said.
If Blaire and Saylor convinced Hayden to put down her phone and enjoy the island, I would be forever grateful to them. "I had a great childhood growing up here."
Blaire turned her attention back to me. "So you plan to stay?"
"That's the idea. I need to talk to my brothers about working for the business again." I wasn't naive enough to think they'd take me back with open arms. I had bridges to rebuild, especially with my father and Hudson. I'd hurt them the most.
"And what drew you to my beach house?"
"It was the perfect location for me to get to know my daughter again," I said without any conscious thought about my answer. I probably should have censored that a bit. I didn't want to push my daughter away by being too sentimental. "I've missed a lot of time with Hayden."
"And do you like the beach?" Blaire asked Hayden.
"Yes," Hayden said. "It's really quiet."
"I left a few seashell books on the shelves. You can take a look at those. The best time to go hunting is in the morning before everyone gets up."
I doubted my teen daughter would get up early to go seashell hunting, but she didn't tell Blaire that, and for that small grace, I was grateful. Hayden seemed to feel like it was imperative for her to tell everyone exactly what she thought.
Our drinks came, and I sipped the sweet tea, wondering what Blaire wanted to get from this meeting.
"Who's sleeping in the primary?" Blaire asked.
"I am," Hayden said, and Blaire's gaze flicked from her to Saylor.
"So you two are sharing the second floor? Is it big enough for you?"
"It's perfect, especially the second floor deck," I said.
"Ah, yes, that’s the crown jewel of that house. Best thing we ever added to the cottage."
Hayden just shrugged.
I kind of liked the idea that Saylor was upstairs with me. So far, I hadn't walked into her naked in the bathroom again. I was holding out hope I'd get another encounter. But that was probably a once-in-a-lifetime event, never to be repeated.
