accept dinner invitations from Beautifuls again.”
Grinning, he repeated the statement.
“Good. Well done.” I stepped aside and he opened the door for me.
“I think you enjoyed it,” he teased. “You seemed very interested in the discussion about chocolate fountains and ice sculptures.”
I slipped into the seat. “I was trying to be nice.”
“I’ve never known you to be nice where Jasmine’s concerned.”
“What can I say? I’m over drama.”
I’d seen enough of it to last me a lifetime.
December 26
Adam
The drive home from the vineyard was mostly silent. Charli was in a world of her own unless I asked her a question.
“It’s a full moon,” I noted, dipping my head to look up through the windshield. “My dad used to tell us that a man lived on the moon.”
“Jean-Luc told you that?” she asked, surprised.
I glanced across at her and smiled. “Yes, Ma’am.”
“Hmm,” she replied. “It’s a nice story, but not true.”
“Charlotte!” I tried to sound shocked. “Are you telling me there is no man on the moon?”
She shook her head. “Nope. Your dad suckered you.”
“I’m so disappointed.”
“You should be. He got the tale totally wrong. A woman lives on the moon. Her name is Clotilde. She’s a French fairy.
I smiled ahead through the windshield. “I like her already.”
“I thought you might.” She giggled. “It’s her job to guide lost mortals to their happiness,” she explained. “If you look up at the full moon and ask her nicely, she’ll hook you up with your bliss. She drops La clé de la vie down to you.”
“The key of life,” I translated.
“Your French has improved since dinner, Monsieur,” she praised, making me laugh. “Not all shooting stars are stars. Sometimes they’re just La clé de la vie dropping to earth.”
“So what do you do with the key?”
“You have to find the gate it opens. And when you do, you find your bliss.”
“Have you ever been tempted to call on Clotilde, Charlotte?”
“Not since I met you,” she replied. “I’d be too worried that the key she dropped me wouldn’t fit your gate.”
* * *
I think I enjoyed Charlotte most when she was on home turf. She was calmer, happier and far more settled. She also liked to sleep late.
I decided against waking her that morning and opted for a run along the beach instead. Getting to the trail by cutting through the back yard of the house next door was something I’d done a hundred times. It was vacant the last time I’d been there so no one minded.
It wasn’t vacant any more. I was embarrassed, but the policeman who was standing there as I broke through the bushes, just looked confused.
I came to a stop and ripped my headphones from my ears. “Hello.”
“G’day.”
“I’m Adam.” I pointed behind me. “From next door.”
He frowned. “I’m Flynn. I live here. Charli never mentioned you were coming.”
“Was she supposed to?”
He shrugged. “None of my business. How long are you in town for?”
That was none of his business either. “A while,” I muttered unwillingly.
“Charli’s a good girl,” he announced, frowning at me. “She doesn’t deserve a hard time.” He sounded like a poor imitation of her father – someone who actually had the right to try menacing me. I had no idea what he was accusing me of, so I said nothing. “Where is she this morning?” he asked, craning his neck as he looked past me.
“Asleep.”
Constable creepy stared at me for a long time, leaving it up to me to speak again.
“Okay then. Well, I’m heading to the beach.” I pointed to the trail. “I won’t cut through again. This house was vacant last time I was here.” With a bit of luck, it would be vacant next time too.
“Are you planning to visit often?” he asked.
Who was this dick? “Over and over again, Flynn.”
I don’t know if he said anything else. I put my headphones back in my ears and made a run for the trail.
* * *
I got home an
Grinning, he repeated the statement.
“Good. Well done.” I stepped aside and he opened the door for me.
“I think you enjoyed it,” he teased. “You seemed very interested in the discussion about chocolate fountains and ice sculptures.”
I slipped into the seat. “I was trying to be nice.”
“I’ve never known you to be nice where Jasmine’s concerned.”
“What can I say? I’m over drama.”
I’d seen enough of it to last me a lifetime.
December 26
Adam
The drive home from the vineyard was mostly silent. Charli was in a world of her own unless I asked her a question.
“It’s a full moon,” I noted, dipping my head to look up through the windshield. “My dad used to tell us that a man lived on the moon.”
“Jean-Luc told you that?” she asked, surprised.
I glanced across at her and smiled. “Yes, Ma’am.”
“Hmm,” she replied. “It’s a nice story, but not true.”
“Charlotte!” I tried to sound shocked. “Are you telling me there is no man on the moon?”
She shook her head. “Nope. Your dad suckered you.”
“I’m so disappointed.”
“You should be. He got the tale totally wrong. A woman lives on the moon. Her name is Clotilde. She’s a French fairy.
I smiled ahead through the windshield. “I like her already.”
“I thought you might.” She giggled. “It’s her job to guide lost mortals to their happiness,” she explained. “If you look up at the full moon and ask her nicely, she’ll hook you up with your bliss. She drops La clé de la vie down to you.”
“The key of life,” I translated.
“Your French has improved since dinner, Monsieur,” she praised, making me laugh. “Not all shooting stars are stars. Sometimes they’re just La clé de la vie dropping to earth.”
“So what do you do with the key?”
“You have to find the gate it opens. And when you do, you find your bliss.”
“Have you ever been tempted to call on Clotilde, Charlotte?”
“Not since I met you,” she replied. “I’d be too worried that the key she dropped me wouldn’t fit your gate.”
* * *
I think I enjoyed Charlotte most when she was on home turf. She was calmer, happier and far more settled. She also liked to sleep late.
I decided against waking her that morning and opted for a run along the beach instead. Getting to the trail by cutting through the back yard of the house next door was something I’d done a hundred times. It was vacant the last time I’d been there so no one minded.
It wasn’t vacant any more. I was embarrassed, but the policeman who was standing there as I broke through the bushes, just looked confused.
I came to a stop and ripped my headphones from my ears. “Hello.”
“G’day.”
“I’m Adam.” I pointed behind me. “From next door.”
He frowned. “I’m Flynn. I live here. Charli never mentioned you were coming.”
“Was she supposed to?”
He shrugged. “None of my business. How long are you in town for?”
That was none of his business either. “A while,” I muttered unwillingly.
“Charli’s a good girl,” he announced, frowning at me. “She doesn’t deserve a hard time.” He sounded like a poor imitation of her father – someone who actually had the right to try menacing me. I had no idea what he was accusing me of, so I said nothing. “Where is she this morning?” he asked, craning his neck as he looked past me.
“Asleep.”
Constable creepy stared at me for a long time, leaving it up to me to speak again.
“Okay then. Well, I’m heading to the beach.” I pointed to the trail. “I won’t cut through again. This house was vacant last time I was here.” With a bit of luck, it would be vacant next time too.
“Are you planning to visit often?” he asked.
Who was this dick? “Over and over again, Flynn.”
I don’t know if he said anything else. I put my headphones back in my ears and made a run for the trail.
* * *
I got home an
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