Page 37 of Second Chance in Charlevoix
“I don’t have any back problems,” Izzy piped up.
But their aunt was not backing down. “I thought you had probably forgotten to ask the boys for some of their time. They were eager to help.”
“Boys?” Sam hissed but Izzy could tell she wasn’t angry at all. “Josh is in his forties and Brad isn’t too far behind.”
“Boys, men. They like to help us.”
“I think Marlowe might want a few words with you,” Sam muttered.
Aunt Cate’s shoulders lifted. At that moment she looked like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Izzy could not look at her sister or they might burst out laughing. “We’ll have plenty of timeto chat when we’re settled in at the lake. We should get into the trucks. Now, let’s see. Who should travel with whom.” And she rattled off names.
Time to chat at the lake. Izzy’s foul mood returned. Her sisters would probably be going for moonlit swims while she was stuck in rural Michigan with the Malones. A familiar cry went up in the front of the house. Holly. Her little girl needed her. Dashing into the hall, Izzy skidded to a stop. What she saw sure surprised her.
Chapter 18
Marlowe
Trailing behind Izzy, Marlowe was amazed to see Brad with Holly in his arms. The baby wasn’t behaving and Brad had his hands full. At least, that’s what it looked like. Poor guy. He’d never had children. How had he ended up with the baby?
But just when Marlowe started feeling sorry for him, Brad cuddled her niece, patting Holly on the back and whispering to her. Holly looked at him through tear-filled eyes and managed a smile. The guy was a natural with kids. But then, he did have a niece and nephew. Izzy rushed up and reached for her little girl. “I’m so sorry. Are you having trouble, Brad?”
“Not really. Oh, we’ve had our ups and downs.” Smiling, he relinquished his charge but not beforekissing Holly on the top of her curls. “She’s really something.”
Opening and closing the fingers of her right hand, Holly looked up. “Bye, bye” she said in an endearing, sleepy way.
Marlowe watched Brad turn inside out as he waved back, pushing out his lower lip as if he hated to see her go. Her stomach knotted. This man should have children. His wife should be in her early thirties or late twenties, the age when most women could easily become pregnant. She turned away, ignoring the sick feeling in her stomach. In all the moving day confusion, she’d skipped breakfast. That must be the problem. Stepping up to open the front door, Marlowe clapped her hands. “Seth says the trucks are ready to roll. “Do we have everything?”
They all glanced around. The house looked so empty. Marlowe sure hoped they were doing the right thing. All their planning was moving along, but she hated to see Sunnycrest empty like this. “Everything but the pets,” Sam piped up. “Bogart’s in a cat carrier upstairs. I can hear him from here.”
“Where’s Piper?” Izzy looked around. They’d all been so worried about Holly that they’d forgotten about the pets. She called for Piper and the dog came down the steps, panting and ready to go.
“You don’t want your pets to be part of this chaos.” Josh scratched the back of his head.
“I’ll stay here with Bogart and Piper,” Sam said. “I can bring them over later.”
Josh turned. “Hate to leave you here alone. I’ll take my load of furniture over, unload and come back. That way, when you bring the pets over, they’ll see a settled home.”
“That would be great.” Sam looked so relieved. Although Sam was fighting her attraction to her old boy friend, that was ridiculous in Marlowe’s eyes. Obviously they made a great pair. When they smiled at each other, she could almost feel the heat index go up.
Waving goodbye to their beloved Sunnycrest, they all trooped down the steps. Once gathered in the road, Aunt Cate became a drill sergeant. Marlowe ended up traveling with Seth, which she suspected was Aunt Cate’s plan. That was okay because Marlowe wanted to thank him again for offering his house. Having Sunnycrest empty would sure make it easier for them and the working crew.
Josh was going to drive alone, so Brad helped Izzy into his truck. He knew how to work a pumpkin seat. Their aunt wanted to drive over in her own car, which was full of table linens, china and personal items she hadn’t entrusted to the boxes. “It’s about my treasures,” she said, her eyes twinkling. “I have to know they’re safe.”
Finally, they were off, and Marlowe couldn’t guess how many times Seth had taken this route.
The drive to Horten Bay was beautiful. Wild jonquils grew in patches along the winding road and she spotted some wild lilac bushes. “You’re moving to a beautiful area,” Marlowe said as she took in the scenery. “I’m going to enjoy taking this drive every day.”
“How’s your career going up here?” Seth asked. “Must be hard starting over after all those years.”
“Yes, it is. But I like challenges.”
Seth chuckled. “You’re a lot like your aunt. Driven.”
She turned to study him “I’ve been told that before.”
“Hope you’re not offended. Your aunt is a wonderful woman. So genuine.”
Something in the tone of his voice made her turn. “Yes, I know.” Had she been missing something? How old was Seth anyway? Maybe he was bringing out the mother in Aunt Cate. She had never had her own children and she easily fell into mothering.
