“What’s your name?”
“Graham. Graham Walker.”
“Chloe isn’t available to speak to you right now. Or ever, really. I don’t know who you are, Mr. Walker, or what exactly you might want with my daughter, but I think it’s best you just forget about it. I’m not sure how else to phrase this, but ... you’re not the type of person my husband or I would like our daughter to be fraternizing with. I apologize for putting it so bluntly, but I just want us to be clear here.”
She had stepped out from behind the door and was looking at me boldly, as if challenging me to contradict her.
“Excuse me?” I said.
Her mother looked over her shoulder, as if she’d heard something behind her. She stepped outside, pulling the door shut behind her.
“You can’t come here and try to intimidate me,” she said.
I held up my hands. “Ma’am, I am not trying to—”
“And don’t ‘ma’am’ me. Don’t act like you’re this refined person, because you are so clearly not. Listen, I am not trying to insult you.”
I laughed. “Oh, really?”
“I know it might seem that way, but I’m not—Chloe’s father and I just want what’s best for her, which I hope you can understand.”
“And I’m not what’s best for her. You know this how?”
“Look. We don’t have to turn this into something that it’s not. I’m not sure what’s going on between you and Chloe, if anything at all. But you are not the right person for her.”
“You don’t even know me.”
“You’re right, I don’t. But I don’t need to. Chloe is a good girl who might be a little confused about things. And I’m not trying to say that you yourself aren’t a decent person, but you are not the type of person that she’s going to end up with. You showing up unannounced at the house like this is entirely inappropriate, might I add.”
I was having a hard time believing that I was actually hearing all this. I kept waiting for her to start to laugh and say it was a joke, but there was a part of me that wasn’t surprised because I knew many of the rich summer residents thought like this. Most wouldn’t actually have the balls to come out and say it, but Chloe’s mom didn’t seem to have any qualms about it.
“She’s not going to come out here and talk to you. I think it’d be best if you just went on your way. And please don’t try to get in touch with her again.” She stepped back into the house and looked at me once more before firmly shutting the door in my face.
Right. Okay, then.
Chapter Thirty
Chloe
I watched from my bedroom window as he got into his truck and drove away. I could only imagine what my mother had said to him. Actually, I didn’t even want to know.
But he had driven out here, presumably to see me. Tara must’ve given him the address. I’d been working hard to put him out of my mind, but even just seeing him through the window like that made me realize that he really wasn’t someone I just wanted to forget about. There was something more there.
*****
I drove by the shop first but didn’t see his truck, so then, I went over to his house. He was home, and I felt a mixture of relief and anticipation building in my chest as I got out of the car.
I tapped on the wooden frame of the screen door. I could hear him moving around in there, and then a second later, he appeared, the surprise apparent on his face.
“Chloe,” he said. I stepped back so he could open the door. “Come on in. If you want,” he added.
“I do want to.” I went inside. “I saw that you had stopped by earlier. I was upstairs, but I could see you from the window. Talking to my mom.”
“Yeah. That didn’t go so well.”
“That’s why I didn’t come down. We would’ve just gotten into a huge fight and I didn’t feel like it. But whatever she said to you—I’m sorry. And I hope you know that I don’t actually feel that way.”
He nodded. “You know, I’m really glad to hear that. And just so you know, nothing happened between me and Francesca that day. It could have—but it didn’t.”