He changed course and headed to the marina. Maybe Jesse would go get a beer with him after he brought The Destiny in. The boat was just docking as he got there. He waited until all the people disembarked, then climbed aboard.“Hey, Jesse. Got time for a beer?”
“Sure, just give me a minute. I’ll have my deckhand get everything secure for the night.”
Jesse came back in a few minutes.“Okay, where to?”
“Anywhere but Parker’s Cafe.”He scowled.
Jesse grinned.“You better not let Livy hear you call it that. She keeps insisting it’s Sea Glass Cafe.”
“I’d have to be able to actually talk to her to say it to her.”
Jesse frowned.“What are you talking about? I thought you two had decided to date. Didn’t you just go out on Sunday?”
“We did. And we had a great time. Well,Ihad a great time. But now her ex is back in town.”
“Brett? He’s not anything to Livy except for being Emily’s father.”
“Doesn’t look that way to me.”
“That’s nuts.”
“No, really. I think I should just step back. Give her space. Brett is moving back to town.”
“Really? Moving to Moonbeam? That’s…strange. He’s never been that involved in Emily’s life before.”
“I don’t know. But I didn’t miss the way he looked at Livy. Maybe there’s something still between them. And I don’t want to get in the way of that. I mean, there’s Emily to consider.”
“Maybe. But I just never thought so. Didn’t think he was right for her. I mean, the guy left her when she was pregnant. I know it was a mutual decision to not get married…but then he didn’t even stick around to help.”
“Well, he’s back now.”
Jesse slapped him on the back.“Come on, buddy. Let’s go have that beer. I’m buying.”
They headed to Jimmy’s with Austin’s heart cracking a bit with each step. Which was crazy because he hadn’t known Livy that long. Maybe three or so weeks now? Four? And he’d only kissed her that one night. He was just being ridiculous.
Olivia walked homeafter closing the cafe. She was overwhelmingly tired. Maybe from the long, hard day. Maybe because of the strangeness of having Brett around. She walked into her house, readying herself for the confrontation that she knew was coming.
Emily was sitting by herself at the kitchen table, working on schoolwork.“Hey, Ems. Where’s your dad?”
“He had to leave.”
More likely he was avoiding her because she said they needed to talk. She pulled out her phone to text him.
He didn’t answer.
Fine. But she was going to keep texting him until he did.
“Mom, you’re going to let me go to Paris with Dad, aren’t you?”Emily looked up from her homework.
“We’ll talk about it. I’d have to know details. You’d need a passport, you know.”
“I know. I’m going to go get a passport photo taken tomorrow. Please say I can go.”
“I need to talk to your father first. If you want my answer right this minute, it’s no.”
Emily shut her textbook and stood up.“No, I’ll wait. But I really,reallywant to go. Like really.”Emily went to her room, and Olivia puttered around the house. Emptying the dishwasher, taking out the trash, throwing a load of laundry in.
She texted Brett again and said she needed to talk to him.
