Page 52 of Patio Lanterns

“If anything, it’s worse than when I lived four provinces away. He thinks I took this place away from his mom, but that’s not the case,” he said sadly. “I bought it after we divorced, with the understanding that I would retire here someday. In the meantime, Julie and Aidan were welcome to come up and use the cottage as often as they wanted. No strings attached.”

“Gee, that sounds very generous of you.”

“When my company was sold, it sort of… expedited matters,” he explained. “Aidan had started to renovate this place thinking that he and Julie had several more years to enjoy it. I don’t think he believed that I’d ever come back.”

Robin offered up a comforting smile. “What Aidan believed or didn’t believe is not on you.”

“Aidan’s angry, and I get why. He feels cheated by a father he hardly knows,” he said.

“Every time we get together to try to talk about it, it seems to blow up in my face. Until recently. Now it seems he genuinely wants us to work on things, which is terrific, but I’m afraid that it hinges on me backing his partnership with this developer he’s working with.”

“Yeah, he mentioned that at dinner,” she said. “I didn’t realize he was expecting that money to come from you, though. What did you tell him?”

“Nothing yet. I’ve been stalling. I just don’t have a great feeling about this deal, you know? But the longer I wait, the more Aidan thinks it’s because I don’t trust him.”

“Do you?” she asked.

Rick stopped and looked at her. “He’s my son.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

Rick thought about it for a moment. “Yes, I trust Aidan. But I’m not sure I trust his business instincts.”

“Because of how your douche-waffle partner burned you?”

“It’s crossed my mind that I’m still nursing a hangover from that,” he said. “I have to admit, part of me is really excited for Aidan to get involved in a business in its early stages. That’s the best time, when things are crackling with electricity and fresh with possibility.”

“But…?”

“But he hasn’t been forthcoming about the guy he’s partnering with, and when I try to bring up his contract, he quickly changes the subject. I just don’t want him being taken advantage of,” Rick told her. “Plus, I can’t help but wonder why he came to me with this. Is it really because he wants me to be part of what he’s doing, or because no one else would?”

Robin slumped down. “I went to art school, so I don’t have a business degree, but it seems to me that trust should be the most important factor in any partnership,” she said. “Sounds like you and Aidan still have some shit to work through before you get there.”

“Well, I have a business degree,” he said with a soft chuckle, “and you couldn’t be more right.”

Mutt’s coat was now covered in thick, banana-scented suds from head to tail, the deodorizing shampoo foaming and fizzing as it worked its nasty-odour-busting magic. “It says to leave it on for ten to fifteen minutes before rinsing,” she read from the bottle. “Although I didn’t wait that long last time and it seemed okay.”

“I think we’d better leave it on as directed for maximum effect,” Rick said. “You want a beer while we wait?”

“Love one,” she answered.

He went inside the cottage and took the pizza out of the oven, letting it rest a minute before slicing. While he waited, he warmed up the beef patties for Mutt and grabbed the last two cans of beer out of the fridge from the six-pack Aidan had brought over.

Rick did want to ask Robin about her connection to Aidan—not only because of their current situationship, but because he’d missed out on those years at the lake. What really went down between them, and what did that letter have to do with it? Aidan said that Robin used to have a thing for him, but how did she feel now? Questions spun around in Rick’s head like Mutt chasing his tail. You’re overthinking it again, dipshit. Cool it. When she’s ready, she’ll tell you.

Shaking it off, he returned to the sudsy scene in the backyard. Mutt was standing remarkably still in the tub, his eyes half closed as Robin talked sweetly, her low, gentle voice as soothing as a lullaby. She had the same effect on dogs as she’d had on her niece. And on Rick.

“You’re really good with him, you know.”

She quickly turned around. “I wish that was true,” she said. “We wouldn’t be in this stinking mess now if I could keep tabs on a three-legged dog, would we?”

He held up the pizza. “Hungry?”

“Oh my God, yes. Famished,” she gushed, reaching up to take it out of his hands. “I could eat just about anything right now. Well, except maybe sushi.”

Mutt whined.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t forget about you, buddy,” Rick said, breaking a warm patty in half and hand-feeding it to him.

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