He braced himself. After this morning, she’d have questions. But he wasn’t sure he was ready to answer.
She glanced at him. “About Halley, really.”
Halley? He wasn’t sure he was qualified to answer questions about Halley. He had plenty of his own. “Sure.” He scraped the plates into the trash and stacked them within her reach.
“You were upset when you learned she’d gone on a walk. Was it because she’d gone walking with a boy? Or that they might have gone walking without adult supervision?”
She’d picked up on that? “Both.” He continued scraping plates. “She was too attached to a boy back home. I caught them...” He broke off. “It was good I came home from work when I did. Coming here was to get Rebecca’s affairs settled—and for distance.”
“I see.” She started loading the dishwasher. “That makes sense. Benji is a good kid. In case you were wondering.”
After watching Benji in action, Charlie had been impressed. The boy had been polite and respectful, he’d listened to everything Astrid and Tansy had said, and, so far, he’d treated Halley as a friend—only. While he was still wary, Halley deserved friends. Yasmina had told him, over and over, that no man was an island. It was only recently that he’d begun to get a basic understanding of what that truly meant.
He realized she was watching him so he added, “I do prefer the girls to have adult supervision. I realize it’s a false sense of security.” He wasn’t sure she could understand but, surprisingly, he hoped she would. “But it’s what I need to focus and get work done.”
“You’d mentioned something about a promotion?” Astrid finished loading the dishwasher, tugged off her gloves and wiped her hands on a kitchen towel. “Have you made a decision?”
“I haven’t.” He hadn’t given it much thought. Which was unlike him. Between Astrid and trying to connect with the girls, he’d been preoccupied. It wasn’t something he could put off forever.
“Dessert plates,” Nicole announced as she entered the kitchen, balancing way too many dishes. “I got them all.”
“Be careful.” Astrid winced as she set the stack on the counter.
“I’m always careful.” Nicole grinned. “Look at you two being all domesticated.”
Charlie wasn’t sure if he liked Nicole yet. Benji was her son, so that was a mark in her favor, but there was something about her that put him on guard.
“Nova’s telling everyone you’re having a sleepover tonight?” Nicole glanced between them.
“I’m spending the night with the girls, yes.” Astrid’s inflection onthe girlswas pointed.
“Uh-huh.” Nicole grabbed a piece of brownie and headed back into the dining room.
Charlie frowned after her. Maybe tonight was a bad idea? He hadn’t stopped to consider any possible repercussions. Nova might not be old enough to understand the looks and smiles undoubtedly going around the dinner table but Halley was.
“What are you thinking?” Astrid asked, pulling the dishwasher open and fitting the dessert plates into whatever spot she could make.
Watching her set his teeth on edge. The plates were every which way. No organization—just clutter. And it didn’t bother her. She finished, then closed the dishwasher, looking at him like she had no cares in the world.
“I have no idea what I’m doing.” He leaned against the counter, gripped its edge and stared at the closed dishwasher. “Sometimes, I think coming here with the girls was a huge mistake.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I didn’t plan on any of this happening. Now I don’t know how to undo it. Or incorporate it.”
“What isitexactly?” Astrid leaned against the opposite counter.
You. This. “Change.” He pushed off the counter and opened the dishwasher. “I don’t handle change well.” He started with the cups. “I plan. Schedule. Map things out so I have a clear path forward.” He pushed the top drawer in and started straightening plates. “I try to leave room for unexpected detours but I make sure I have an understanding of all the variables at play. That way I can manage them, do damage control before there is any real damage.” Now that everything was in its place, he could relax. He closed the dishwasher and turned.
“Wow.” Astrid was watching him with wide eyes. “From now on, you’re in charge of the dishwasher.”
He blew out a deep breath. “Deal.”
“Everything you said makes sense in business, Charlie. But with people, there’s no way to know all the variables. Free will, spontaneity, emotions—human nature—those aren’t things you can manage. Those are the very qualities that make people, people. People are flawed and complicated.”
“And why I don’t, generally, like people.” He glanced at the dining room.
“I suppose there have been a few unexpected detours here.”
A few?He chuckled at that. Since he’d arrived in Honey, nothing had gone as he’d expected.
“Now that your air conditioner is fixed, things should quiet down.” As much as she tried to infuse her normal enthusiasm into her voice, it didn’t work. He’d hurt her and he hated himself for it. “And I’ll make sure to give you a heads-up before coming over.”
