She Was Never Just the Billionaire’s Wife (Natasha and Chase) novel Chapter 153

(Natasha)

At Lily’s appointment on Tuesday, James suggests she needs more outdoor time to bolster her health.

I’m in the car park of St. Jude's with her on my hip three minutes later, working out where to take her.

The obvious choices file themselves in my head in a neat list.

Santa Monica.

Malibu.

Manhattan Beach.

The little patch of sand near my parents' favourite seafood place. Any of them would work.

I don’t pick any of them.

I’m halfway home before I realize I’ve been thinking about Shell Cove the whole time.

The place we spent every family holiday when I still had a family.

The place that became my refuge when my mother and brother disappeared overnight.

The place where I could go for long walks on the beach and stay out all day while my father drank and cried in the house.

I miss that beach house so much.

Not all the memories are good, but the ones that are hold so much sweetness that it erases the rest.

Lily will love it.

The rocks at the south end, and the tide pools, and the seagulls that will steal anything you put down for thirty seconds, and if they’re feeling bold enough, right from your hand.

I haven’t been there in years.

I tell myself I want to go there because the water is calmer there than at Santa Monica.

I tell myself it’s because the parking is better.

I tell myself a number of things on the drive home that I don’t particularly believe.

Lily, in her car seat, babbles at her stuffed rabbit.

I make the call to Chase from the kitchen, because Lily lights up when both her parents are present.

And I’m sure he’d like a bit of a break from being lost.

Chase picks up on the first ring, which is something he’s been doing since the truce, and which I am still not used to.

"Saturday," I tell him. "I'm taking Lily to the beach. The doctor wants her outside more. If you want to come."

"Where?"

"Shell Cove. It’s about an hour’s drive north."

A pause. Long enough that I almost backtrack and offer him Santa Monica.

"I know where Shell Cove is," he says, and his voice has gone slightly odd, the way it does when something has caught him sideways.

I didn’t expect him to remember that he’s been there.

“That’s where… Nathanial’s mother bought the beach house. I went there for the house warming. You were working late.”

Of course. He doesn’t remember his first visit.

And I hope he doesn’t think I missed the way he side-stepped using Sonia’s name there.

I don’t love that Sonia’s now invading places tied to my childhood memories, but if he wants to pretend she doesn’t exist, I’m happy to play along.

"Great. Then I’ll bring sunscreen and a cool box and we can introduce Lily to Shell Cove. Eleven o'clock. I'll drive."

"I'll drive."

"You will not. I’m driving. You can carry the cool box."

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