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“I know you care about Winnie,” Niall began, “but my relationship with Chuck is my business. If there are decisions to be made, they’ll be made by the people directly involved.”
“I’m involved. I’m her grandmother.”
“You have no rights, Helen. You have no claims on me or my daughter. No authority. No access I don’t grant. I allow you to see Winnie because I think it’s healthy for her to know you, but the moment you make yourself unhealthy, that will stop.”
Her face froze into a hard mask. “What an ugly thing to say.”
He snorted. “What an ugly thing to do.”
Helen’s expression hardened. “Don’t be naïve, Niall. Men like Charles Mitchum don’t change. They’re exciting, charming, full of passes and promises—until they’re not. Until something flashier rolls past or the shine wears off or the bill comes.”
She had earned every word of that, somewhere. Niall knew a bit about Helen’s own calamitous first marriage, long before she met Mr. Yao—a whirlwind romance with a charismatic lawyer that had ended brutally.
“I’m not a fool. You’re not a fool. He is a fool.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said, more to end the conversation than because he agreed.
Helen seemed to sense she’d made as much of her point as he would tolerate. She glanced at her watch—a slim gold trinket worth enough to reroof the store twice over. “I should go. Robert and I are flying down to San Francisco this evening for the Falstaff. Please give Winnie our love.”
After she left, Niall stood at the counter, his mind a shark pool, everything in it circling and snapping. The cushy job offer in Seattle explained Chuck’s distraction, his guardedness. Why hadn’t he said anything? And why had he met with Helen, of all people? Niall counted the till twice and got two numbers.
The bell jingled again, and this time it was Chuck who walked in, his expression troubled. He stopped short when he saw Niall’s face. “What’s the matter?”
“Helen was just here,” Niall said without preamble. “She mentioned you two had a meeting.”
Chuck closed his eyes briefly, a look of resignation crossing his face. “I was going to tell you. I wanted to.”
“About the meeting with her? Or about the amazing job offer in Seattle?” Niall was ashamed of the hurt in his voice. “Were you going to mention either before you packed up and ditched us?”
“No. Stop, Niall. It’s not like that.” Chuck moved closer to the counter. “Yes, I got a job offer. My old boss reached out yesterday. I just turned him down.”
“But—” This wasn’t what Niall had expected. “You… turned it down? Why?”
“Because I’m here. We’re here. I want to stay here.” Chuck’s voice was quiet but firm. “With you. With Winnie. I chose this, Niall. I chose us because you matter more than anything.”
Niall’s grip whitened on the counter edge. “I thought Helen said—”
“Helen Yao is a poisonous bitch with a scapegoat addiction. Not to mention way too involved for someone who doesn’t even live here,” Chuck interrupted, his eyes gleaming with anger. “She’s lucky I’m polite. She arranged that meeting to humiliate me, to scare me off. She doesn’t approve of me, of us. Unfortunately for her, I respond very aggressively to threats.”
Niall chuckled. “Please tell me you didn’t flip a table.”
“Worse. I flipped the script. She wanted to perp-walk me out of town, and I gave her an earful about the way she bullies you and Winnie both. Grandmother, my ass. Blood relation isn’t a free pass to asshole around.”
“What did she say?” Niall asked, dreading the answer.
“Huffy offended-rich-lady squawking. Melodrama. Threats. Scorn.” Chuck rolled his eyes. “Looking into my background. I’m a filthy degenerate. Blah blah. That she knew about my flip-out in Seattle, about my reputation here in Candle Bay. My dating history, even. I mean, so gross. All so she could ambush me with fake concerns about my ‘influence on Winnie.’” He used air quotes.
“Classic Helen,” Niall admitted. “I still can’t believe she’d do something so ugly. Stupid soap opera, playacting concern. Actually… actually I do believe.”
“Actually you do. Because she wants you both in Sacramento, where she can turn your daughter into another doll.”
“Not happening.” Niall frowned. “I wish you’d told me about the juicy job offer. I mean, even just to talk it through.”
“I’d already decided not to take it, babe. Juicy or not, it didn’t seem too important in the end.” Chuck leaned against the counter, his expression earnest. “I called Lloyd on the way back and turned him down… after Helen pulled her stunt.”
He set his palm flat on the counter. “I want to be clear. I got to the junction and I took the north ramp. Drove twenty minutes with Seattle on the signs before I found a turnout and sat in it.”
“You turned around.”
