Page 107 of The Oscar Escape
“The benefits of marrying an older woman,” the man crooned, then helped himself to another heaping forkful of eggs.
She eyed her husband. “I’m one day older than you.”
He gave her a playful half-shrug. “Hence, compared to me, you’re the elder.”
She picked up one of the tissue-wrapped gifts. “Can I hit him over the head with this, Ivy?”
The little girl laughed. “No, you’ll break it.”
Aria shook her head. “You’re a lucky man, Oscar Elliott.”
His teasing expression gave way to that look of devotion that melted her heart. He drank in his sister, then locked on to her gaze. “I know I am.”
She couldn’t even stay mad at him for the old-lady comment.
Ivy passed Oscar his gift. “Open them at the same time, and then I’ll show you the trick.”
The item wasn’t very large, about the size of a paperback book. Carefully, Aria unwrapped the present and stared at a black-and-white photo of herself in a rustic wooden half-heart-shaped frame. She took in her wide smile and sparkling eyes. She was laughing. “This is from my sixteenth birthday,” she said, recognizing the silly party hats her aunt Harper had insisted everyone wear. She looked past Ivy and studied Oscar. He held a similar frame. “Let’s see yours.”
He held a picture of himself, also sporting a party hat over his shaggy hair. Like her, he was grinning, but instead of looking ahead, he gazed off-camera. Warmth radiated from the image. Love glinted in his eyes.
What was he looking at?
“Those are your real smiles. Your happy heart smiles,” Ivy explained. “And when you put the pictures together, they make a whole heart.”
The child took the frames and held them side by side, revealing the focus of Oscar’s unwavering adoration.
Aria blinked back tears. It was her. He was looking at her.
“This is such a thoughtful gift, Ives,” she said and kissed the top of the little girl’s head.
“Do you like it, Oscar?” Ivy asked.
“I love it. I agree with Aria. It’s the best gift.”
“Only Mommy and Daddy have seen the pictures in the frame. We can show everybody when you guys get back to Denver. Will you get a house in the city like Phoebe and Sebby, or are you guys going to live in Bab’s empty house in your aunt Harper’s old neighborhood?”
Denver.
Aria’s stomach twisted into a knot.
Ivy frowned. “What happened, Aria?”
“Nothing, sweetie. Why?”
The child studied her expression. “That’s not your real smile. I’m a smile expert, and I know these things.”
Aria waved off the girl, trying to put the kid at ease. “I’m just thinking about where to put your present—so I’m sure to see it every day.”
Ivy wiggled off the bed with the pictures. “They can go here for now,” she said, setting them on a dresser across from the bed. “Do you like it here?”
Aria gazed at the images. The mirror attached to the dresser reflected the ocean view, and the rustic wood frame matched the natural décor seamlessly.
“I do. It’s perfect. I love it here. I mean, there, on the dresser,” she answered and observed Oscar. The man had gone silent.
Could he sense her apprehension? He’d zeroed in on her uneasiness earlier. But she didn’t have a second to ask. The pound of footsteps cut through the room. Del stood in the doorway. “Ivy, would you like to come with me on the boat to pick up a few conservation friends? They’re having trouble with their watercraft and need a ride over.”
Ivy perked up. “Can I go on the boat? I know the safety rules, and Del even showed me how to use the radio. We called Etta last time we were out, and I got to tell her a knock-knock joke.”
