The Summer Getaway: A Novel(7)

But her thoughts on moving were for another time, she thought, as the antique clock struck six. Right now her biggest problem was guilt at not fixing appetizers or cocktails. Telling herself Cord’s visit wasn’t a social call didn’t make the compulsion go away. She’d been raised to be a good hostess. Old habits die hard.

At two minutes after the hour, the doorbell rang. Robyn let in her ex. Cord, about six feet of Florida tan, with a rangy build and easy, superficial charm, swept in with a grin and a quick cheek kiss.

“It’s humid,” he said, walking toward the kitchen. “Thunderstorms tonight.”

“As long as they’re done by morning,” she said. “So they don’t get in the way of the charters.”

Boating and lightning weren’t a good mix.

Cord looked around the kitchen. He wore a Hawaiian shirt over worn jeans. His sandy-brown hair, a shade darker than Austin’s, was a little too long, but the messy style suited him. His eyes were brown, his jaw square. He was, by all standards, a handsome man. Yet when she looked at him, she only felt relief that he wasn’t her problem anymore. Not directly. Fighting with him because of her kids was easy—it was fighting with him for herself that had always left her feeling emotionally broken and battered. She’d never known if he was simply better at winning arguments than her, or if he knew her better than she knew herself. Regardless, she had rarely survived any of their verbal altercations unscathed.

“No cocktails?” he asked, giving her an easy grin. “So this is going to be a serious conversation.”

“It is.”

“And here I thought you wanted to talk about getting back together.”

She had no idea if he was kidding or not, so she ignored him. Instead of answering, she pointed to the kitchen table, thinking it was the closest seating area and the one least conducive to making them want to linger. Chitchat by the pool could go on for hours, while the uncomfortable, straight-back chairs encouraged brevity.

“What’s up?” he asked, taking his former seat at the head of the table.

She went to the opposite end, so they were facing each other. With Cord, it was never good to give up ground.

“Austin told me he’s only moving out for the summer, to hang out with his friends. He’s moving back here in September.”

Cord nodded. “Makes sense. He’s not really ready to be on his own.”

“I still want him to consider college.”

Her ex-husband slumped back in his chair. “Let that go, Robyn. He’s not the college type. He loves working for me. Sure, he doesn’t have Harlow’s ambition to run the place, but he’ll make a good living and be plenty happy. Isn’t that what matters?”

“What about his future? Shouldn’t he have options?”

“To do what? Be a brain surgeon? Austin’s the most easygoing kid in the world. Do you see him making it in corporate America? He lacks the killer instinct. I can give him a good life. Hey, if nothing else, he has job security.”

“He’s eighteen. Job security shouldn’t be what he’s looking for.”

But Austin wasn’t the reason she’d wanted to talk to Cord. There was a more pressing issue.

“I had lunch at the club today,” she said. “One of the women there took great pleasure in telling me that you’re dating someone new.”

Cord’s expression was comically confused. “What do you care who I’m dating? We’re not married.”

“This time I do care. Not for myself so much as Harlow.”

“What does Harlow have to do with anything?”

Was he playing dumb, or had he actually slipped into that state of being?

“You’re dating your daughter’s fiancé’s twin sister, Cord. Ignoring the fact that she’s what, twenty-plus years younger than you, she’s Kip’s sister. Come on. That’s bad, even for you.”

Cord chuckled. “Zafina’s great. We get along. She’s smart and beautiful. What’s not to like?”

“I don’t care about your relationship with her. Have you considered this will make Harlow uncomfortable?”

“How?”

“It’s her fiancé’s sister!”

“You keep saying that. Why is it a problem?”

“Oh, I don’t know. The ick-factor? There are plenty of single women in Naples. Date someone else.”

“I like Zafina.” He laughed. “Hey, if we get married, then Zafina is both her sister-in-law and stepmother. That could be fun.”

“Not for Harlow.”

He waved away her concern. “She’ll get over it. Besides, she likes Zafina.” He leaned toward her. “In a weird way, Zafina reminds me of you.”

“Not something I want to talk about. So, if having Harlow find out isn’t a problem, why haven’t you told her?”

Cord looked away. “I don’t introduce the kids to my girlfriends unless it’s serious.”

She rolled her eyes. “Since when? If you haven’t said anything, you obviously know there’s a complication.”

He glared at her. “Fine. I thought she’d be upset.”

“And she will be. You have to tell her, Cord. She needs to hear it from you and not someone else. Harlow doesn’t like to be lied to.”