Should she answer the call? Her heart pounds in her ears and her hands are sweating. Her mom would not be happy that she called a boy. Sorry. A man. Her mom would not be happy that she called a man. The ringing stops. She solved her own problem. He hung up before she decided …
Reaching her house, Em heads in on unsteady legs. The door flies open. Her brow wrinkled, Ruby asks, “Well?” Em walks in and collapses on the wooden step of the staircase that leads to the second floor, slumped against the railing. “A neighbor saw her and invited her in for tea. Mom is mad at …
Ruby recovers from the memories, but Mom is missing.
Ruby wipes her eyes and blows her nose. “Hanna’s school ends in about an hour. Should we pick her up and do a picnic lunch?” Nodding her head up and down, Em says, “Good idea. She’d love that. We can go to the park with the ducks so that once we’re done eating, she can …
Ruby snorts, “I don’t believe you. You aren’t meeting my eyes, which is always a sign that you aren’t being honest. C’mon, spill it.” Blowing air out through pursed lips and adding an eye roll, “So I might have met this guy, but it isn’t like you think. He isn’t the type of guy who’d …
Her heart lighter than it has been in a year, Em looks at Hanna, “Let’s go downstairs and get breakfast ready. I’m thinking Mommy will join us.” Placing Gabriel in his high chair, she puts a handful of dry cereal on his tray. “Hanna, what do you feel like for breakfast this morning?” “Animal pancakes …
Beep. Beep. Em opens her eyes. She’s back home. The ocean sounds are her night sounds, and she is not sitting on the boardwalk gazing into warm brown eyes belonging to Preach. Beep. Beep. Grabbing her phone, she silences the alarm and wishes she had just another hour of sleep. Swinging her legs over the …
Daisy pulls her little blue two-seated convertible into the drive that accompanies the four-bedroom cape where Em lives with Ruby and after placing the car in park, looks at Em. “Are you ready to be home?” Em nods, “I am. They all need me. I’m not ready for work though.” Daisy snorts, “Are we ever? …
Her heart plummets. She doesn’t see him on the boards. It is another clear day with wisps of white clouds. Occasionally, a cool breeze skitters across her skin. Sliding down to the right side of the bench, she leans back, tilting her head to catch the sun. The crash of the waves, then the hiss …
Reaching their room, Em changes into pajamas and slides into bed, using the extra pillow to prop herself up to read. Another reason she loves these trips with Daisy. Her features soften as she slides herself down from the pillows and fluffs one for more head support. She sighs, “I so needed this. This …
