“We all hate what you went through. At least we got a break from it when we came here in the summers.”
“I stayed far longer than I should have. I should’ve left him the minute Jeff moved to Florida with Gram and Pop. Your father kept promising things would be different. I should’ve known better by then.”
“Enough about him,” Cindy said. “Let’s talk about you and Charlie and happy things.”
Sarah’s expression immediately softened. “Charlie is a very happy thing for sure. If you’d asked me a few years ago if I’d ever remarry, I would’ve laughed. But when the right guy comes along…”
“He’s absolutely perfect.”
“I’m glad you think so, because I worried what you guys would think of him being an ex-con covered in tattoos with a chip a mile wide on his shoulder when I first met him. I think all the time about what I would’ve missed if I hadn’t taken the chance to get to know him, even after he told me about his past.”
It occurred to Cindy that her mother would understand her dilemma with Jace better than anyone else ever could. After she blow-dried her mother’s hair into a smooth, stylish look, she stood back to admire her handiwork.
“I love it, sweetheart. But I always do.”
“You’re my best customer, and it’s my pleasure to have you in my chair.” Cindy had lived away from her family for years, so it was a treat to be able to cut their hair again, the way she had when they all lived at home and first discovered she had a talent for it.
Her mother handed her a credit card.
“Don’t be silly. No charge for you.”
“You will take this and charge me what you would anyone else, and I’ll tip you the way I would anyone else. I won’t hear of anything but that.”
Cindy rolled her eyes, took the card from her mother and charged her only for the color. “Happy now?”
“Very happy.” Sarah added a thirty-dollar tip and signed her new name, Sarah Grandchamp, to the receipt.
“Can you stay for a minute?” Cindy asked. “There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Of course. I have nowhere to be until later. Charlie and I are making dinner for Mom and Dad.” Cindy’s grandparents, Adele and Russ, lived in a cottage on the property Charlie had bought with the settlement money he’d received from the state for fourteen years of improper imprisonment.
Cindy turned the Open sign to Closed and locked the door before joining her mom in the reception area.
“Is everything all right?” Sarah asked with the old wary look Cindy had seen far too often growing up when nothing was ever all right.
“Yes, I’m fine, but I wanted to tell you I’ve sort of met someone. A man.”
“Oh, Cindy, really? Do tell!”
“He’s a lot like Charlie, and I only put that together when you were talking about what he shared with you when you first met him. Jace is an ex-con, a recovering addict and a very sweet man. In fact, he answered my ad for a roommate.”
“What did he do?” Sarah asked, her tone guarded now.
“He and his older brother robbed a convenience store when they needed money for drugs. His brother pulled a gun, the owner of the store shot him, and Jace stayed with his brother, who died right there in the store. He did six years in prison and got clean while he was in there. He’s here because his two little boys live here. Jackson and Kyle—”
“Chandler. Lisa’s boys.”
“Yes.”
“They’re doing so well with Seamus and Carolina.”
“He’s aware of that and is thankful to get to see them occasionally. He’s not trying to upset anything.”
“That’s a lot to take on, Cin.”
“I know. He said as much himself when he told me about it. But the thing is, I’ve already known him for a while. I pop into the Beachcomber for dinner a few nights a week, and he’s the bartender there. We’ve become friendly, and well… I like him. I only found out his full story when he came to see the house last night.”
“I give him points for being honest with you.”