among treasures, Consuela,” Lily told her, and left her to supervise the unloading.
“Did you?” Cate pointed at her grandfather.
“Not a hint. I married a sneaky woman.” He embraced his son. “Stay awhile, will you?”
“I’m planning on it. You look very fit. I’d say Cate’s been taking good care of you.”
“If she’s not dragging me into the gym every morning, it’s into the pool. Water aerobics of all things.”
“That I want to see.” Lily rolled her shoulders. “But right now these legs need to walk off hours in a plane.”
“We’ll catch up,” Cate said when Hugh lifted Lily’s hand to his lips, when they started to walk away. “Give them a little room,” she murmured to her father. “It’s nice to see people in love after a couple of decades together.”
“And it gives me a little room with you.” Aidan took her hand in turn. “How’s my girl?”
“Happy. Even happier right now.”
“Water aerobics?”
“They’re tougher than you think, but you’ll find out tomorrow when you report at eight a.m., poolside. Everybody into the pool.”
“Hmm.”
“I’m giving you and Lily a small break while your body clocks adjust. Grandpa’s an early riser. We usually start at seven-thirty. I’m a working girl, you know.”
They wound around the front garden with its arching Japanese maple, with the formal roses perfuming the air, around the side with a flow of hydrangeas in heartbreaking blue, the Bloomerang lilacs that never gave up.
“I listened to one of your audiobooks on the flight from London to New York.”
“That would be the author’s book.”
As Hugh had with Lily, Aidan kissed her hand. “Not to me. You well deserved the Audie for that performance. You have a wonderful sense of character, of pacing the narrative. It takes serious skills to embody not just one character, but all.”
“I love the work. And my studio? It’s a great place to work. I love the cottage, and being able to walk up to hang with Grandpa, or prod him into the gym or pool. Both of which he enjoys a lot more than he lets on.”
“I wasn’t blowing smoke when I said he looks fit. He looked better when I left for London, but not like this. I swear, he’s shed years. You’ve given him a real lift, Catey.”
“We’ve given one to each other. Can you really stay awhile?”
“I’m ready for some time off. I may have to fly down to L.A. a few times, but I’m planning on staying for the summer.”
“The summer? Really?” Delighted, she leaned against him as they passed a small berm rioting with purple foxglove and wild thyme. “My happy quotient just spiked.”
“I need time with you, with Dad, with Lily.” He turned, looked back to the sea. “And time here.”
“It fills me. Ireland, it made me feel safe, and it soothed. New York charged me when I needed charging. Helped me feel capable, helped me grow up. And this? Sea, sky, hills, quiet? It fills me.”
“And do you feel safe?”
“Yes, and charged and soothed, all of it.”
Knowing him, knowing his worry, she rubbed his arm.
“Let’s get this out of the way because nothing is going to spoil this double homecoming. It upset me, her latest, but it didn’t send me into a panic. You already know I had to change my phone number and email because I sent you the new ones. It’s annoying, but so’s a paper cut.”
“A paper cut’s more than annoying when someone squeezes lemon juice on it. She excels at that.”
“I’m not going to say it didn’t take a couple of days to ease the sting. But she’s made so much noise about this foundation, and yes, I know she’s having a gala in a few weeks to add more splash, she’s boxed herself into doing some actual good. So there’s your lemonade.”
“It’s a wonder to me she ever managed to produce someone like you.”
“Sullivan genes are stronger than Dupont.”
“Mackintosh.”
“Sorry?”
“She changed her name at eighteen, legally, and went by Charlotte Dupont before that, but she was born Barbara Mackintosh.”
“Like the apple?” For some reason, it made her laugh. “Why didn’t I ever know that?”
“Didn’t seem relevant.”
“Well, Barb was downgraded to an occasional annoyance in my life long ago. As for the other, I do feel safe here. The police are investigating, and there are various theories we can talk about later. But I feel safe, and I feel happy, and I’ve got my dad for the summer.
“Now, I’ll bet Lily and Grandpa made it around to the bridge, and Lily’s sitting down with the view