Using the excuse that Wade hadn’t been around when he and Robin discussed the subject of a rental house wouldn’t explain his actions either. The truth was both simple and revealing. Reece hadn’t considered Wade at all. His only thought had been helping Robin. Everything that happened after he arrived at Truly Scrumptious had been a delightful bonus. He’d never stopped to think about how his actions might look to someone else.
“Taking the fifth?” she asked when he didn’t say anything. “I don’t blame you. It doesn’t require a rocket scientist or even a marine biologist to figure out what’s going on. The beagle fell hook, line and sinker for the chicken, didn’t he?”
There was no point in denying it. “That about sums it up.”
“The heart is good at knowing what it wants. It’s not so good at accepting when getting it is inconvenient or impossible. That brings us to the popular sentiment used by hopeful lovers everywhere. I’m referring, of course, to the completely misunderstood idiom ‘all is fair in love and war’. Such thinking can earn you a spot on the infamous slippery slope.”
He laughed. “Are you implying I was working an angle when I took Robin to see the house? You know me better than that. I draw the line at trying to break up a couple.”
“Everything I’m saying is purely for informational purposes. In the end, you’ll do what you want. As for Robin and Wade’s future, there’s been many a slip between cup and lip.”
“True, but I don’t plan to spend all my waking moments hoping they call it quits. I want Robin to be happy, whether that’s with Wade, me or someone else. That doesn’t mean I’m excited about the thought of running into them at every family get-together for the foreseeable future.”
“I won’t insult your intelligence by telling you it’ll get easier. Speaking of which, we’ve got Maxine’s birthday bash coming up next weekend. Most women don’t celebrate turning fifty. It’s a milestone they prefer to let pass unnoticed. The one I feel sorry for is Carlson. He hates the very idea of entertaining.”
“I agree about Dad’s preferences, but the party was his idea.”
“Just goes to show how dull his wits are getting. We can look forward to several hours of indifferent food and boring company. The only bright spot will be meeting Robin. I already know she must be something out of the ordinary otherwise you wouldn’t have fallen for her.”
“She’s like no one else I’ve ever met. She’s direct, courageous, independent, and a hundred percent genuine. Given the circumstances, it would probably be better if Addison doesn’t know about this development. When she gets talking, there’s no telling what will come out.”
“Don’t I know it? I’ll never forget the time she told our next door neighbor that you and Bobby Cheshire had been watching his daughter with binoculars from your bedroom window.”
“Mr. Billings has never forgotten it either. He reminded me about it a few months ago when I ran into him at Home Depot. Don’t forget I’ll be going out of town on Tuesday.”
“Text me when you get to Miami. I know you’re a great pilot. It’s everyone else I worry about.”
“Should I ask Wilson to keep an eye on you while I’m gone?”
“You better not. Just as I predicted, he’s trying to take over my youth orchestra. I knew if I gave him an inch, he’d take a mile.”
That was pure nonsense. There was nothing shy or retiring about Aunt Leigh. If she hadn’t wanted Wilson at her orchestra rehearsals, she’d have told him so.
Chapter Thirteen
Robin removed the frosted layers of hazelnut almond cake from the refrigerator. A glance at the clock had her frowning. What was keeping Kait? She’d left over an hour ago to drop off Owen at her mother’s house. They had a busy day ahead with two afternoon weddings on opposite ends of town.
This time last Saturday Robin had been on her way to Shear Magic to get her hair styled for the fundraiser. The abrupt ending of her first serious relationship had left her with more questions than answers. She’d thought Wade was the man she’d been waiting for, the one who would make her dreams of having a family of her own come true. Instead she was right back where she started. Thank goodness for Kait and Owen. Without them, Robin probably would have been crying into her Cheerios every morning.
A customer calling to order a cake for her daughter’s sweet sixteen party