Page 27 of Second Chance in Charlevoix (Charlevoix Dreams #3)

Back at the firepit, Skipper was getting his mom comfortable in one of the chairs that faced the lake, adding a pillow behind her back.

Mrs. Malone looked so pretty today in a white top and red cardigan.

She had put one of Holly’s red barrettes in her gray hair.

In the truck on the way over, Skipper’s mom had asked a million questions about the house and Seth.

Since she hadn’t let him bring the walker today, they would have to keep an eye on her.

Coming out of the sliding glass doors on the ground level, Seth waved.

With him was a gray-haired man with a beard.

Tan and fit, that must be Jeb, Seth’s dad.

Izzy had heard a lot about the older man who was working on the custom kitchen cabinets for Sunnycrest.

Aunt Cate had set up the Pack and Play in her own bedroom.

Izzy had brought the monitor and her aunt fixed it so she could watch Holly from the kitchen or yard.

Thank goodness Holly stayed asleep as Izzy carefully carried her up the steps.

Her eyelashes feathered onto her cheeks and a smile lifted her lips as if she was having a happy dream.

How fun it had been to see her little girl clapping to the music, so excited by the floats.

Maybe next year Coffee and Cupcakes would sponsor a float.

This year they’d all been too busy––and short-handed.

Thank goodness Holly didn’t wake up as they settled her in the Pack and Play under a pretty pink blanket.

Backing away from her sleeping baby, Izzy followed Aunt Cate into the kitchen area.

Time to tie on an apron and help peel and slice the carrots and celery sticks.

A bowl of ranch dressing sat waiting on a tray, along with a bowl of blue cheese dip.

Izzy remembered Marlowe and Sam helping her mother and Aunt Cate with holiday preparations years ago. The peeling and slicing filled her with contentment. And she got to visit with Aunt Cate as she scurried around the large, bright kitchen. Spinach and artichoke dip was warming in the oven.

“I’ll take that out when it’s ready,” Izzy offered.

Turning, her aunt gave her a tight hug. “Excellent. But first we have to sample it. Oh my, honey. It’s so good to have you here. How is everything? You doing okay?” You would have thought Izzy had been gone for weeks instead of days.

“I’m fine. Everything’s great.”

Aunt Cate nodded out to the lawn where Skipper was setting up a small table next to his mother. “So you and Skipper’s mom are hitting it off?”

“Absolutely. Mrs. Malone has been a big help. She even watches TV with Holly. No problems at all.” How silly their minor squabbles had been years ago.

Of course Skipper’s mom had felt a certain possessiveness.

She only had one son and her daughter was far away in California.

Now that she herself was a mother, Izzy understood that feeling.

Years ago, Mrs. Malone had simply wanted the best for her child.

“And work? The bakery’s doing okay?” Her aunt always had an eye for business.

“Yep. We’re set for the summer.” And she told her aunt about her staffing plan. “But if we need more help, I can always bring in another college girl. Debbie has connections. Is Marlowe here yet?”

“Not yet.” Aunt Cate took out a tray for the veggies and lined it with foil.

“Do you know if she’s bringing Brad?”

“No, I don’t think so.” Her aunt waved away the suggestion. “I’m told he’s at Tall Oaks. They’re having their own celebration. I think Marlowe said he was also planning on stopping in at the Petoskey facility.”

“Brad’s so dedicated. You should see him with the residents at bingo.” But she still had questions. “Marlowe did invite him though, right?”

“I don’t know and didn’t ask.” Aunt Cate lost herself in arranging carrots and celery on the tray but looked guilty as heck. “Oh, I may have mentioned it in passing. You know, when I saw him out and about.”

“Out and about?” Izzy barked out a laugh. Brad Howington had no time to be “out and about.” Aunt Cate had no doubt hunted the poor man down to invite him. But she let it pass.

“Josh is coming with his children,” her aunt said. “Won’t that be nice?”

“Yes, I guess so.” How had the dance gone with the new dress Sam had chosen with Mia?

Izzy had never heard and didn’t want to ask.

Relationships were complicated when children were involved.

Her aunt didn’t look up from her peeling.

“This is sort of a thank you for everyone. You know, for helping move us.”

“Uh huh. Right.” The gathering looked like more of Aunt Cate’s finagling.

But Izzy wouldn’t mention this to Marlowe.

She might throw a fit if she though her aunt was contacting Brad on the sly.

Ripping off some plastic wrap, Aunt Cate covered each platter.

“We’ll take these down soon. Maybe we should check on the baby. ”

“Right.” They had the monitor but Izzy wanted to just peek in herself.

Leaving the kitchen area, they both crept back toward Aunt Cate’s room and cracked open the door.

In the shaded light, the room looked so peaceful.

All the rooms in the house were pale gray or sky blue, similar to the palette Gabby had shown them for Sunnycrest. Izzy totally approved.

Holly was still sound asleep. How carefree she looked, curled up on her tummy.

Peaceful. That was what Izzy wanted for Holly.

A life where she wouldn’t worry about anything.

Tiptoeing back out into the hall, they moved into the living room of comfortable furniture and pillows made for the floor. The floor to ceiling windows offered a beautiful view of the lake. Framed by thick pines, oak trees and some honeysuckle bushes, the scene was breathtaking. “What a view.”

Aunt Cate sighed. “Sure is. You can come and visit anytime while we’re here, sweetheart. We certainly don’t want you to feel excluded.”

Turning she gave her aunt a hug. She smelled like cucumber dip, another family favorite that was tucked in the refrigerator. “Thanks, but don’t worry, I’m not jealous. Well, maybe just a little.”

“We’ll take everything down through the lower level.” Untying her apron, Aunt Cate motioned toward the kitchen. “And I think the veggie platter can go out.”

Going back into the kitchen, Izzy grabbed the platter and carefully took it down the steps.

Marlowe had been right about this house.

You really had to watch your step. The levels would have been a nightmare with the baby.

The lower level was a huge TV room, furnished with a chocolate brown pit and aqua pillows piled on the tile floors.

When Skipper saw her at the sliding glass door, he jumped up from the chair next to his mother and ran to open it.

“Thank you.” She swept outside and he took the tray. “Is your mom doing okay?”

“Sure. Josh just arrived with the kids. They’re having a great chat.”

That would be interesting. “I’ll bring out more food.”

When Izzy got back to the kitchen, Aunt Cate was reaching into the refrigerator for the bowl of her cucumber dip. She did not disappoint. The dip was one of Izzy’s favorites. Then her aunt shook a bag of rippled chips into a bowl. “These could also go out.”

Izzy studied the group below. “Looks like Mia and Hayden have their suits on. Seth is taking them all for a ride.” She heard the motor rev up, with Seth at the wheel. Aunt Cate brought out a tray with some tall plastic glasses and a frosted pitcher of lemonade.

“I think I’ll go out and chat with Mrs. Malone,” Aunt Cate said, arranging the tall glasses around the pitcher.

Coming up the steps behind them, Skipper held out his hands. “Let me take that.”

“Thank you.” Of course Aunt Cate gave her one of those Isn’t he darling?

looks. Izzy could see that Skipper had won over her family, and she didn’t know how she felt about it.

They’d never really understood the divorce and then Skipper left for Europe.

Back then, Aunt Cate and Uncle Monty had been so disappointed.

Izzy knew she’d let them down. And really, it was embarrassing thinking back to those days when she hurled her Franciscan plates at her new husband, just because he didn’t see things her way.

The whole family probably had hoped for a reconciliation.

Instead, Izzy had dated and married Chuck Dalton.

The family secretly called Chuck Izzy’s “rebound husband.” Just to show them, Izzy hung on for three years, even though that marriage didn’t feel right.

Finally Chuck told her it wasn’t working.

“I don’t know where your heart is, Izzy, but it’s not with me. ”

That conversation had made her stop and think.

She never married again. Not yet. Just staying afloat was too hard and took up all of her time.

But when Uncle Monty passed away, he had left each of them a little nest egg.

Izzy had used most of hers to open Coffee and Cupcakes.

That had been a tough first year but she’d finally achieved something.

Something successful. And then she’d looked into adoption.

The business had helped qualify her as an employed single mom and she’d been very proud of that. And of course Aunt Cate had helped.

But if she were honest, her bakery didn’t really take off until Skipper came back from Europe.

His dad had passed away and after the funeral Skipper decided to stay in town to help his mom.

His sister went back to California, and everyone in town had their own opinion of that.

One day Skipper had walked into Coffee and Cupcakes, looking like a man of the world with a scarf draped over his neck and a gelled hairdo that she’d never seen in Charlevoix.

Not yet. Debbie had come to the back to get her, excitement dancing in her eyes. “You have to see this guy.”

Wiping her hands on a towel, she’d left Marie to her work. “I’ll be right back.” Marie was baking for her at the time.

But she didn’t expect to see Skipper sitting at one of the tables with a cupcake on a napkin.

Thank goodness all the tables were clean and the showcase was full.

Seeing him hadn’t been easy. Although she’d gone to his dad’s funeral, Izzy figured he’d returned to Paris.

But she should have known better. Since Ainsley had left, Skipper wouldn’t leave his mother alone.

Izzy had looked down at his plate where he’d only taken one bite of the cupcake. “Overbaked. You need a new baker,” he’d said with a self-assured smile that still made her a little dizzy. And that was that.

Marie wanted to go back to school anyway so Skipper became the pastry chef.

He insisted on that title and she’d laughingly agreed.

Didn’t take her long to realize that he’d earned it.

The boy she used to know had changed, although she couldn’t put her feelings into words.

Part of her was sad that the old Skipper was gone and the other part was grateful.

After all, Izzy knew that she’d changed too.

In time she’d come to realize that Skipper was much more than just a baker.

Foot traffic picked up and so did the reviews in local papers about their pastries, from the cupcakes to the croissants.

If she were honest, Izzy would have to admit that he’d saved Coffee and Cupcakes.

She sure couldn’t have handled another failure.

Being jobless wouldn’t look good on a resume.

By then she was involved in the adoption process, which took time away from the shop.

She desperately needed a strong staff and Skipper stepped right into that role.

Her memories were interrupted when a car door slammed in the parking lot. Marlowe came loping across the lawn in cutoffs and a bikini top. A long, sheer shirt fluttered around her. That girl was in such good shape.

“Hey, everybody! Is this a party or what?” She was carrying a Pyrex dish of what smelled like her brown sugar baked beans.

Being careful not to bump her dish, Izzy gave her sister a big hug.

It was great that Marlowe lived here in Charlevoix now.

Seeing her once or twice a year just didn’t cut it.

This whole party had family written all over and she loved it.

“It’s a party all right. Aunt Cate has been working her tail off.

You can put the beans over there.” Izzy pointed to the table.

“Hey, Mrs. Malone,” Marlowe called out as she slid her beans onto the serving table. “How are you doing?”

Glancing up, Mrs. Malone smiled. “Just fine, dear. Happy to be here.”

Was it Izzy’s imagination or had Skipper’s mother changed? She exchanged a look with Marlowe. They’d have a lot to talk about later. Izzy definitely wanted to hear more about Brad.

“Looks like Seth has his boat ready to go.” Marlowe nodded down to the pier where the boat had just returned. “Are those skis stretched out on the pier?”

“Sure looks like it.” Izzy glanced down. Years ago she would have been the first person eager to ski. But now she was a responsible mom. “Not for me.”

“What? Are you crazy?” Marlowe’s glance said that she questioned Izzy’s sanity. “You used to love to ski.”

“Haven’t done it in a long time. But I’ll be your watcher.” Izzy prided herself on being the responsible one. She caught Skipper looking at her, a question darkening his eyes. Like Marlowe, he probably thought she’d lost her mind.

But wasn’t that the role of a mother? Responsible. Not taking risks.

How boring.