Page 36 of The Seashell of ’Ohana

He gave me a curt nod with a tight-lipped smile. “So …” His gaze traveled from the bookshelf to the hearth. There was a photo on the mantel of Steve, me, and Tyler when he’d been two. “That’s your …?”

“That’s Steve.”

“He has a kind face. I’m sure he was a great husband and father.” Ian smiled at my son.

I spooned up soup and let it fall, putting off a response. Opening up to Ian was easy, but this seemed too intimate. I needed to relax. Ian was asking questions to be polite, but small talk about my dead husband was strange.

I had put away a large portrait of the three of us that had hung over the fireplace because it hurt too much. But I kept the smaller photo on the mantel. I didn’t want Tyler to forget what his father looked like. Steve had passed away when Tyler was three, and he didn’t have many memories of him.

Silence pressed as Ian continued to eat his ice cream, and I doggedly ate my soup.

“Have you been all over the world like Lee?” I asked.

Ian’s eyes rounded as if he were surprised by the question. “I flew back and forth from New York to Los Angeles, mostly. After I retired as a stockbroker and partnered up with Lee, I traveled to China, South Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, and more places I can’t remember right now. So, to answer your question, yes. That was a very long answer.” He snorted. “How about you?”

I swirled my spoon inside the mostly empty bowl and peered up at him. “I was born in Los Angeles and lived there until Steve, Ty, and I moved to New York. After Steve passed away, Ty and I moved to Kauai, and we’ve been here ever since.”

Ian set down his spoon. “Why did you move to New York when your family lived in Los Angeles?”

I wrung a strand of hair around my ear. Sometimes I wondered if we should have stayed in LA. Perhaps he wouldn’t have taken the job if I’d told him I wanted to stay close to my family. Then he wouldn’t have worked so hard, and it wouldn’t have changed Steve’s health. Even years later, I fell into the useless trap of imagining how we could have prevented the cancer that had taken his life.

I shifted on the cushion and crossed my legs. “I got an offer to work at one of New York’s finest galleries, and Steve got a high-paying offer at a dream job. It couldn’t have been more perfect timing for the both of us. So we went for it.”

Ian glanced at Tyler, who was licking the spoon, then at me. “So after you moved to Kauai, you haven’t left the island?”

“I’ve been too busy,” I said.

“My parents didn’t travel much until Lee’s parents practically dragged them out of the house. If it weren’t for Lee’s parents, mine would be hermits. I’m kind of that way. I mostly travel for work. Sometimes you need that one person to give you a little push. Would you like to travel one day?”

My gaze went to Tyler, who was nodding. I let out a soft chuckle. “Yes. And Tyler would love to, too.”

Ian spread his lips into a wide grin. “Good. Then we should make it happen.”

I didn’t know how to interpret we, so I let it go. After Ian went home, I tucked Tyler in bed. I went to my room to wash up but got distracted by my cell flashing. I had several missed calls and tons of texts.

Kate: Just checking up on you.

Kate: How are you doing?

Kate: Hello?

Kate: Is Ian still there?

I shouldn’t be mad at her, but I couldn’t help thinking that maybe she’d set this all up. I read her last text.

Kate: Do I need to come over?

I thumbed a reply and sent it.

Abby: Sorry. I had my phone off. Ian just left. I’ll tell you about it tomorrow.

Chapter Thirteen — The Interview

The next morning, I arrived at the gallery refreshed and ready to conquer the day. I felt fortunate and proud of how the business had thrived. But being sick yesterday had put me a day behind, and I still wanted to go back to bed. The thoughts of deadlines and unfinished paintings had me nearly hyperventilating.

It’s going to be fine. One project at a time.

I scrolled down a list of clients’ names on the computer in the back room. Mr. Thomas’s name had been crossed off. Kate’s project. She had finished it on time.