set of fingerprints he lifted off the vehicle.”
Her face blanched, but she did not look away.
Bitsy took Manny’s hand and led him to a garden bench, allowing the fireworks to continue in semiprivate.
“If they found fingerprints, why didn’t they arrest me or Uncle Boris?” she asked.
“I didn’t want to press charges. I just wanted the whole thing to be over. My cop friend told me all about your uncle’s little habit of stealing things. Family trait, I assume, since I heard your mother...”
She raised a finger. “Don’t.”
The anger and pain in that one word slapped him like ice water. What was he doing, hurting his aunt and tearing open family wounds in public? Another quick breath and his reason returned. He would not be cruel. Not about that.
“Piper, it shouldn’t be hard to understand why I don’t want your uncle here. He’s a thief.”
“Not anymore.”
“So you say. He’s not welcome on this property.”
The sunlight caught the gold sparks in her hair. One long tendril had blown loose from her braid and flickered around her face in the breeze. He wanted to touch it.
“Believe me, if I had known he wanted to rent a room at your family home, I would have talked him out of it. I don’t want him around you, either.”
Cy stiffened. As if his family was the bad influence. “Afraid he might learn a few things about honesty and integrity?”
Bitsy stood and walked over. “I’m sorry. I tried to give you two privacy, but this garden is only ten feet wide, so I’ve heard every word.” She tipped her face up. “I know you’re trying to protect me, Cy, and I gather you and this lady have had a difficult past, but I will remind you that I was previously married to Leo, man who took things that didn’t belong to him. I loved him until his dying day, and so did you.”
“That was different, Aunt Bitsy.”
“No, it wasn’t.”
“But he’s...”
“I appreciate your kindness more than you know,” Piper said to Bitsy, “but we will leave now. We’re sorry for any trouble we’ve caused.”
She whirled on her heel and marched up the steps to Boris without a backward glance at Cy.
Bitsy folded her arms across her chest and gazed mournfully at Cy. “Oh, honey.”
Cy resisted the urge to put his hands over his ears like a child. “It’s for the best,” he offered up lamely.
She bit her lip, and he saw the deadly glimmer of tears again. Manny put his arm around her shoulders. “It’s their inn now, Bits. The young people. We’ve got to let them do things their way. Our time is past.”
Cy considered his aunt’s tears and the grip of his father’s once-strong arm, which now seemed spindly, and saw that he was stripping them of their dignity. In a moment, they were reduced to old, irrelevant, extraneous. Because of him. But surely the answer was not allowing a thief, Piper’s uncle, to live at the Pelican? Surely not that.
* * *
PIPER’S CHEEKS BURNED with shame as she rushed over to her uncle. Cy knew everything. He’d known for years. And worst of all, he’d kept Boris out of jail, which made him a sort of benefactor. It was too horrible. She blinked hard. She’d hoped he had chalked up her theft of his truck to temporary insanity. Now she knew she was nothing more than a common criminal in his eyes, her uncle’s getaway driver.
How could he think that? After all they’d shared. Six months together, months like no others.
She gripped the box so tightly it bit into her palms. You stole his truck and left him on the beach because you were ashamed. You’ve earned every bit of his distrust. Somehow she made it to the carriage house steps in spite of her trembling knees.
“We can’t stay, Uncle Bo.”
He sighed. “I got that. Shame, since we’ve started to put down roots already.” He gestured to the cage at his feet.
The ugliest dog she’d ever seen was crouched in a ball on the steps, staring through the birdcage bars at Peaches.
“Is this some sort of predator-prey thing?” she asked.
As if on cue, Baggy put his misshapen nose closer, and Peaches awarded him a sharp nip. Baggy drew back with a whine before settling into the same position, eyeing the bird with rapt attention.
Boris shrugged. “I think it’s more of a love thing.”
That figured. “Doesn’t matter. We’re going.”
“Where?”
“Wherever.”
“Not too many wherevers that only charge eight-hundred a month. I’m a little, er, low on funds at the moment.”
She wanted to shake him. “Uncle Bo,” she said fiercely. “They know our history, and they don’t want you—” She swallowed. “They don’t want us around.”
“‘A hungry dog believes in—’”
“‘—nothing but meat.’ Anton Chekhov. Hungry or not, you’ll have to find a new dog house. Period.”
He sighed and picked up the birdcage, then they started down the steps.
Cy was waiting at the bottom. His father and Bitsy were headed back into the house.
Cy’s expression was pained. He cleared his throat. “Mr. Brindle, I apologize for my rudeness. We’d like you to stay.”
Piper nearly dropped the cardboard box. “What?”
He shot her a look. “You heard me.”
“That’s very kind, Mr. Franco. I accept.”
Charity? Piper elbowed him. “No, he doesn’t. We’re leaving, remember?”
Cy held up a hand. “My aunt was right. I wasn’t being fair, especially considering some of our own family history.”
She frowned. “Your aunt said she was married to a thief?”
He grimaced at the word. “I’m not going to get into that now. Mr. Brindle is welcome to stay. Aunt Bitsy went into the house to start cooking for you two.”
Piper groaned. “No. Tell her no. Tell her we’re leaving.”
Cy heaved out a breath. “Sorry. You used the word more powerful than any other in the English language.”
“Hungry?” Piper queried.
“Starved,” Boris said, beaming at them as he trundled toward the kitchen.
“No,
