Page 85 of Sunsets at the Beach House

There was shelving along one wall that was mostly filled with Bryan’s golf equipment. “I should sell that stuff. It’s probably worth some money.”

“Or you could donate it to the church and let them sell it. There’s got to be a golf shop that would take some of it on consignment.”

“You think? Because that’s a great idea.” Her gaze went higher up the shelves. “Oh, all the Christmas stuff. I’d totally forgotten about that. We’ll need a tree, and that’s a decent one. Plus all the ornaments. Some of those Kat made when she was in elementary school.”

Danny smiled. “All of that can go in the rental truck. I’ll make sure the guys know. What else?”

She looked around. She didn’t care about any of the car stuff. Or the camping equipment that had only ever been used a handful of times when Kat was very young. The coolers would come in handy. She shrugged. “Other than the yard tools, the toolbox, the Christmas decorations, and that stepstool, I don’t want anything in here.”

“All right, that’s easy enough.” He hooked his thumb over his shoulder. “And what about that?”

She finally paid attention to the elephant in the room. Bryan’s car. “It needs to be sold. Or donated.”

“Church?”

She put her hands on her hips as she stared at the car. Then she looked at Danny. “Why not? It would be the easiest thing to do. I know where the title is, too. It’s in the safe on his side of the closet.”

With a gentle smile, he nodded. “Donating it would be easiest. Why don’t I get Pastor Freeman out here so you can let him know what’s what?”

“Thanks.” She went back to staring at the car. She wondered if she ought to go through it for any of Bryan’s personal effects.

Danny hadn’t gone anywhere yet. He tipped his head. “You okay? You seem to be handling this like a champ, but at the same time, I can’t help but think how I’d be doing in a situation like this.”

“I’m…okay enough. That might change when I start working in the master bedroom, but right now, I’m fine.”

“The way you were looking at his car, I just thought…”

“I was thinking I should go through it.” She shrugged. “Make sure there’s nothing personal left behind.”

“Good idea. Why don’t I put the stuff you want from the garage in my car while you do that?”

“I’ll get to work.” She got Bryan’s keys off the hook by the door and unlocked the car. As soon as she opened the door, the scent of his aftershave hit her.

For a moment, she thought she might break down. Then she reminded herself of all the lies Bryan had told her. All the ways he’d betrayed her trust. And Kat’s. How much of herself she’d sacrificed to make their life work, all so he could do whatever he pleased. With whomever he pleased.

And just like that, she was okay.

Margo put the last pile of folded clothing into the box sitting on the bed. “That’s it. That’s all of it.”

“You don’t want anything else?” Conrad asked. He was sitting in the white wicker chair in the corner of the room, which was where she usually sat to put her shoes on.

She shook her head. “I can live with what I’ve got now. With the addition of these things, I’ll be in great shape. The rest can wait until the moving company comes to pack it up and bring it to the storage unit.”

“All right. If you’re sure.”

She took one more look around the room, thinking it through. “I’ve got my jewelry box, packed my good purses and shoes, taken the clothes and books I wanted…I suppose there are a few sentimental items I could take. But then I’d have to store them in my room at the beach house. And I’m already sharing that with my daughter.”

“You take whatever you want. I have room in my garage for some boxes.”

“That’s awfully kind of you, but I hate to impose.”

“We’re talking, what, a couple of months? It’s no imposition, really. You’ve seen my garage. There’s room.”

There was. He kept a very neat and tidy garage, unlike some men. She’d admired it, actually. She smiled. “You’ve talked me into it. There isn’t much, I promise.”

“Do your worst. I’ll carry the boxes you’ve already filled out to your car.”

“Thank you.” She went around the house gathering up some framed photos, mostly of Jules and Claire when they were younger, and the grandchildren. A few knickknacks, like the Irish crystal bell that had once belonged to her mother, and a pair of porcelain candlesticks that sat on her dining room table, a wedding present from an aunt long gone.

---