Page 15 of Patio Lanterns (The Blue Canoe Cottage #1)

Rick

With Dove and Nova headed upstairs, and Aidan and Lark in the kitchen, Rick and Robin finally had a moment alone.

“Bobbin,” he repeated with a smile. “That’s very cute. It suits you, you know.”

She laughed softly. Suddenly, he felt her toes grazing his pant leg beneath the table. Perhaps it meant she’d forgiven him for having darkened her cottage door.

“Thank you for saying those nice things about me,” she said, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at him. “I appreciate it more than you know, but you really don’t have to defend me. I can handle it.”

“I couldn’t sit here listening to Lark run you down. After all, you don’t become the Merch Queen without having some mean skills.”

“It’s her twisted form of encouragement. She thinks she has to fix me.”

“Take it from someone who’s been coached: humiliation isn’t an effective means of motivation or encouragement.”

She rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it.”

“You’re doing great, Robin,” he told her reassuringly, smoothing his foot over hers. “Forget what Lark or anyone else says, and you do you.”

She smiled warmly, her eyes brighter and her cheeks pinking up. “You know, I’m really happy to see you.”

Now it was Rick’s turn to smile. “Even though my true identity has now been revealed?”

Robin bit the corner of her lip. “Well, I’ve always kinda had a thing for Bruce Wayne.”

He was chuffed that she’d peg him as Batman. “I’m happy to see you too.”

“Even though my true age has now been revealed?” she questioned. “I saw the look on your face as you did the math.”

He’d guessed she was under thirty, but learning the actual number made it more of a bitter pill to swallow. “I’m almost twice your age, you know.”

“And like I told you, it doesn’t matter,” she said, her bare toes now stroking his shin. “I’m attracted to who I’m attracted to. If it doesn’t bother me, then—”

Aidan and Lark returned with coffee and a plate of iced chocolate brownies. “Wonderful news,” Lark announced. “Aidan will finish the kitchen cabinets and put on a new pantry door.”

“Oh?” Robin looked surprised. “I didn’t know we were planning to do that.”

“We can’t sell, or rent out the cottage in the half-finished state that hodge-podge kitchen is in. We might as well get it done while we have access to a talented carpenter.”

Rick was also surprised that Aidan would’ve made an offer like that. “You have time to do that with your busy schedule, son?”

“I do if I have the right crew to lend me a hand,” he said. “Whaddya say, Dad? We could probably get it done for the girls this week. I mean, you got anything better going on?”

While he didn’t want to turn down an opportunity to work closely with Aidan, being under the same roof as Robin meant they’d now have to hide their secret for days, not hours.

He’d have to feign total disinterest in her like he wasn’t a sucker for her feminine wiles.

A moment ago, he couldn’t even keep his feet to himself under the table.

“I think it sounds like a great idea,” Robin proclaimed before he could answer.

Really? It did? Well, he figured, if Robin was game then… “Uh, sure. I mean, why not?”

“That’s terrific,” Lark said, and she and Aidan immediately made plans for him to drop by the next day to take measurements. Guess they were really going to do this.

Dove returned with a degreased Nova, looking refreshed and ready for bed in her fuzzy ducky pajamas with feet. She carried a book under her arm.

“Oh, Auntie Bobbin,” Dove said with a sing-song tone as she placed Nova in Robin’s arms. “We picked out a bedtime story for you to read us tonight.”

“You did?” Robin cooed. “What did you bring me? Goodnight Moon ?”

“It’s her favourite before bed,” Lark said.

“That was my favourite too,” Aidan joked. Rick wondered if that was true. He was sad that he was unable to recall a single story, nursery rhyme, or lullaby that his son had loved as a small child.

Nova nestled in for the story, sucking on her thumb as Robin read to her in a soft, gentle voice.

The melodic prose and the manner in which it was recited seemed to soothe everyone at the table.

Rick was enchanted. It warmed his heart to see Robin be so nurturing, and how taken Nova was with her aunt in return.

Who could blame her? He’d only known Robin for twenty-four hours and already was quite taken with her himself.

He’d never regret what happened between them. He would always be grateful for the way Robin burst into his life like a meteor—sudden and unexpected, a bright but fleeting celestial phenomenon. Even now, it lit him up inside simply being in her presence.

Yet it scared him how fast he was losing grip on reality.

Robin was younger than his own son, for godssake.

What would Aidan say if he found out? It would be humiliating.

Potentially devastating. It was time for Rick to wake up and smell the bacon.

He had no business being with such a young woman, especially one his son had known decades before Rick laid eyes on her.

No, it was best for everyone concerned if he did everything in his power to stay away from Robin. From now on, he told himself, she had to be off limits.

After the final page of the storybook had been turned, Lark took sleepy Nova upstairs to bed. Not long after she returned, Rick suggested it was time for him and Aidan to hit the road too. “Thank you all for dinner. This really has been lovely.”

As they ambled to the front door, Dove thanked them for coming. “It was nice to meet you, Rick. We’re so glad you felt up to joining us tonight.”

“Felt up to it?” he questioned, leaning down to give Mutt one last vigorous scratch under his chin. “What do you mean?”

“We heard you haven’t been quite up to company lately,” she said, with a nervous smile. “Oh, I’m sorry. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.”

Rick straightened up and turned to Aidan. What the hell had he been saying behind his back?

“Well, Dad, you do live like a hermit in that cottage.” He shrugged.

“I do not.” Rick shut him down. “Where’d you get that idea?”

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s because you’ve been moping around depressed since you moved here. You barely have any friends, you don’t date…”

“That’s not true,” Rick sputtered, utterly mortified to be called out that way. Besides, what did Aidan know? They’d barely seen one another in months.

Aidan raised his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, my bad.”

“Let’s not let this spoil our nice evening,” Lark said. “It was certainly nicer than some of the last times we were here together,” She turned to Aidan. “Remember? After that letter Robin wrote you…?”

“Lark, for godssake!” Robin shushed.

Letter? Rick wondered what that was about. By the look on Robin’s face, it was obviously something she did not want dredged up at that moment, or any other.

“Geez, Robbie, guess I’d forgotten all about that.

” Aidan slid Robin a sideways glance. “All I remember is the fun times we used to have here. Hanging out with you guys at the beach, watching movies, playing board games. And so much great food. Your mom was always making something for us,” he said, his voice tinged with sadness.

“It’s impossible to be back in the Blue Canoe and not imagine her here, feel her hugs, hear her laugh, smell her cooking. ”

“She adored you, Aidan, and she loved this cottage,” Lark said. “That’s why she wanted this to be her final resting place.”

“I imagine it would’ve meant the world to her knowing she brought you all to the Blue Canoe one more time,” Rick said.

Robin inched in closer to his side. They were not touching, yet she was so near to him that he could feel the heat of her body. It caused the hairs on his arm to bristle.

“You know what? You both should come,” Robin suddenly blurted. “You should be here when we spread Mom’s ashes.”

“What? Really?” Aidan asked.

She nodded. “Of course. You’ve always been an honourary Pelletier.” She looked to Lark and Dove. “Right girls? Hasn’t he?”

“Of course,” Dove said.

“Absolutely,” Lark added.

“Rick, you too, of course,” Robin said. “Actually, we should invite all the neighbours who knew Mom and supported our family in some way all these years. We’ll throw a celebration of life party for her.”

“We will?” Dove questioned.

Lark furrowed her eyebrows. “What kind of party?”

“Oh, you know. Like the dock parties they used to throw when we were kids. A big ol’ bonfire, dancing, the lights strung along the lakefront.”

“And plenty of food,” Aidan added.

“Of course, food.” Robin laughed. “We’ll have it Friday. Friday at sunset.”

“Robin,” Lark snapped. “I really think the three of us ought to sit down and discuss this before you start inviting people to Mom’s private memorial willy-nilly.”

“Why?” Robin asked.

“Because you can’t just throw together a celebration of life party in a matter of days without having a well-thought out plan,” Lark scoffed. “Besides, this is something the three of us really ought to discuss first, don’t you think?”

Uh oh. It appeared that Robin had gone off-script before there was even a script in place. Rick wondered what had compelled her to put forward such an elaborate idea before talking to her sisters about it.

“Don’t worry, I have a plan,” Robin told them. “And the plan is that I’ll take care of everything, you’ll see.”

Lark smirked. “You? Come on.”

Rick nipped things in the bud. “I say that if this is what you girls decide you want to do, Aidan and I would both be honoured to attend. If there’s anything you want us to do to help, just let us know, okay?”

Robin smiled up at him. “Thank you, but I’ve got this.”

Attagirl , he cheered silently.

Aidan jingled his keys in his hand. “Hey Robbie, we definitely gotta grab that beer later this week.”

“You know where to find me,” she said with a shrug.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t believe you’re seeing anyone right now, are you?” Lark ribbed Aidan. “Well, in case I haven’t mentioned it, Robin’s single too.”