Page 34 of Second Chance in Charlevoix
Peeling off her jacket, Izzy hung it up and plopped into one of the chairs. Her cheek still felt numb from the Novocain. The minute she saw her mom, Holly leaned toward her, arms open. “Mama!”
“You can tell who rates around here.” Pretending to pout, Skipper relinquished his hold on thesquirming bundle. His mother was busy at the stove, looking perfectly content. Something smelled amazing and Izzy was hungry. But how would she eat with this numb jaw?
“Come here, little girl.” Taking her sweet baby from Skipper’s arms, she kissed Holly’s cheek. “Oh my, aren’t you pretty? Who put those barrettes in your hair?” Pink plastic bows held back two of Holly’s curls. Her crazy hair never wanted to behave.
Fingering her new barrettes with pride, Holly pointed over to Mrs. Malone, who was stirring the gravy. What was this? Skipper’s mom had given Holly a gift. She rarely went out.
“Thank you,” Izzy said. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“Oh, it’s nothing. I had my prescriptions delivered and I saw those fancy hair things in their ad. Glad I called early and they hadn’t run out.”
Izzy exchanged a look of amazement with Skipper and sniffed the air. “What’s cooking?”
“Roast pork and homemade apple sauce for Holly.”
Her filled tooth throbbed and Izzy cupped the dull ache in her jaw. “Don’t know what I’ll be able to eat. I’m still numb. Just bit the inside of my cheek.”
“That’s why I made mashed potatoes!” Mrs. Malone looked jubilant. “Skipper told me about yourappointment. The potatoes are keeping warm in the oven.”
Skipper looked at his mother as if she’d just walked in. Who was this woman?
That’s when she saw the box on the counter. The shiny gold seal caught her eye. “Did you bring apple tarts or pear for dessert?” Gee, she wished she could chew. Putting Holly into the Pack and Play, Izzy stepped over to the counter and flipped open the box. “What are these?”
The layered treat was new. Creamy and complicated. Her happy mood dampened. She knew where these had come from and her face heated. Camille must have made another visit. Mrs. Malone set her spoon in the owl spoon rest and peered over Izzy’s shoulder. “Son, did you make these? Pretty fancy. What are they?”
His smile slipped. “Mille-Feuille. A friend dropped these off.”
The French word flowed from Skipper’s mouth with disturbing ease. Bless her heart, his mother was immediately suspicious. “What kind of friend?”
Skipper had stopped smiling. Gripping the edge of the Pack and Play, Holly had pulled herself up. Her bottom lip trembled, like she knew something was wrong. Her daughter was very sensitive, or so Izzy was discovering. But right now Izzy was feeling pretty sensitive herself. “When did Camille drop in?”
“Right after you left for the dentist,” Skipper said with a resigned sigh. “She said to say hi.”
Arms across her chest, Mrs. Malone was staring daggers at her son. The landline rang. This was the first time Izzy had heard that old white Princess phone ring. His mother reached to pick it up. “Hello?” Eyes still on Skipper, as if she didn’t want him to get away, his mother listened. “Your sister,” she mouthed.
Skipper’s face turned into a stonelike acceptance. She’d seen that look on his face before. He was cornered. This was just how he looked when she told him she wanted a divorce. What was going on with Camille? Anything? Why did she keep coming around to the bakery?
While Izzy tried to comfort Holly, Skipper’s mother was mumbling to her daughter. Then she shoved the phone in his direction, almost pulling the phone off the counter. “Your sister wants to talk to you.”
Skipper did not look pleased. Turning his back to them, he moved away, stretching that cord as far as it would go. Soon he was half in the pantry––close enough for Izzy to hear some of the conversation with Ainsley. “Nope, nope. Of course not.”
Izzy could only imagine what Ainsley was saying. Years ago Skipper’s younger sister had been a big fan of Izzy. After Izzy married Skipper, Ainsley even asked to sleep over at their rented cottage. Theyounger girl had dogged Izzy’s footsteps. But the divorce had spoiled that relationship. Izzy became the enemy, and she’d felt terrible about that unexpected shift. Truth be told, she hadn’t been prepared for a lot of the divorce fallout. Since Ainsley had lived in California for quite a while, Izzy never ran into her.
While Skipper had his muffled conversation, Izzy’s mind raced. Her eyes kept going to that darned box. What was going on? Mrs. Malone checked the owl clock on the wall as her children talked. Opening the oven door, she took out the pork roast she’d been keeping warm.
Turning, Skipper held out the phone to Izzy. “She wants to talk to you.”
“Me?” This day just got worse and worse.
She’d barely gotten the phone to her ear and Ainsley started yammering. “You’d better not hurt my brother again. I swear, Isabel Quinn, I will come back and tear your eyes out.”
Gulping hard, Izzy bit the inside of her cheek again. Her eyes smarted from the pain.
“What are you talking about?” Izzy managed to say. Skipper lifted Holly from the Pack and Play, and Mrs. Malone transferred the pork to a platter.
Ainsley was on a roll. “You know what I’m talking about. You’re worried about some French chick? Of course there’s nothing going on with her, whoeverCamille is. When it comes to my brother, I’m more worried about you.”
“How do you know about Camille?” Glancing over to where Skipper stood waiting, Izzy looked daggers at him. “You live in California.”
