“Of course not. This is your home. At least I hope you think of it that way. But you’ve always traveled. Don’t you miss that? Don’t you want to get back out in the world?”
Charity paused to consider the question. Her dark hair was sleek and the color reminded Chloe of her father. He’d been a handsome man and his sister was equally attractive.
“That’s an interesting question,” Charity said. “I’ll admit when I first moved to Bradley, I didn’t think I could survive in this small town. While I loved you two girls and was pleased to help in any way, it was difficult knowing that I couldn’t pack up and move on whenever I wanted. But gradually, I began to fit in. I’m not sure I could travel the way I did before. Of course there are a few trips I would like to make, but none of them are pressing.”
Chloe leaned forward. “Then stay. When you’re ready, make plans. Cassie and I are completely capable of handling things on our own.”
Charity nodded. “I’ve known that for a long time. You’re both very responsible.” She shook her head. “I’m glad we had this talk, Chloe. I’ve wanted to get this settled for a long time, but I was never sure what to say. Which is so unlike me. I usually have a sense about these sort of things. But then I didn’t know about my brother’s death, so maybe I’ve outgrown the gift.”
Chloe grinned. “I’ve heard these stories before. How you always just kind of know things. You can probably convince Arizona and Cassie, both of whom want to believe, but I remain a skeptic. I’ll agree we can all have a gut instinct about things, but actual intuition…no way.”
“Oh really. Is that a challenge?”
Chloe was enjoying the conversation with her aunt. Fierce regret filled her. If only she’d been willing to talk to her like this before. They could have been friends for years. “If you think you’re up to it, yes.”
“The stories I could tell you,” Charity said. “I wouldn’t want to shock you.”
“So far all I’m hearing is cheap talk. Do you have at least one example?”
“Of course.” The older woman crossed her legs, then gave Chloe a knowing look. “You dreamed about Arizona Smith the night you wore the family nightgown. Before you ask, no, Cassie didn’t tell me after you finally confessed everything to her.”
Chloe hadn’t known what to expect. She’d thought her aunt might bring up some minor transgression from high school. Something that she, Chloe, had thought she’d gotten away with. She hadn’t expected this—that her aunt had known the truth all along. Or had she?
“When did you figure it out?” she asked.
Charity’s dark eyes were kind, her expression loving. “The next morning. It was so obvious from the look on your face that you’d dreamed about someone interesting. Then you heard the television and glanced at the screen. For a second I thought you were going to faint. Your reaction to Arizona that night merely confirmed my suspicions.”
Suddenly a few pieces of the puzzle fell into place. “Did you invite him here deliberately so that I would meet him?”
Charity placed her hand flat against her chest. “Would I do that? Of course not. I had always planned to invite Arizona over during his visit. I’ll admit that seeing your reaction to him sped up the timetable a little, but that’s all.”
“Oh, that’s all.” Chloe didn’t know whether to laugh or bury her face in her hands. She’d been set up. No wonder she’d had the feeling that she couldn’t escape the man. Fate might have conspired when she’d been given the article assignment, but it hadn’t been working alone. Aunt Charity had been a willing accomplice.
“I’m impressed,” she admitted. “You do know things.”
“I know something else.”
“I’m almost afraid to ask, but here goes. What?”
“You’re in love with him, but you don’t want to admit it.”
Chloe slumped back in her chair. “I know. I am, at least I think I am. I’ve been fighting it for a while. I don’t want to love anyone else. It always hurts.”
“Honey, if that’s the lesson you learned from your parents’ death, then you learned the wrong lesson. Yes, they were taken far too soon, but they still lived. They had each other and you girls. They were happy and they were wonderful people. You should be grateful you had any time with them, not bitter because it hurt when they were gone. If it hadn’t been painful, then they wouldn’t have been worth loving.”
Her words almost made sense. Chloe backed away from the truth. “It’s not just them. I’ve had other heartache.”