simply canât allow my motherââ
âI didnât ask your permission,â Ruth told her daughter stiffly. She raised her chin to signal that she wouldnât be browbeaten, nor would she change her mind. Robin could disapprove all she liked.
âMother, for once be sensible.â
âSensible?â Ruth repeated. âIâve been nothing but sensible. Itâs my life, and at sixty-eight I should be able to do what I want, when I want. If I choose to drive to Florida, then I will.â
âAnd Iâm accompanying her.â Now might not be the best time to mention that Annie was tagging along, so she held back that information. âYou donât have a thing to worry about. Weâll be fine.â
Robin looked up at the ceiling as though her patience hadreached its limit. âI canât believe Iâm hearing this.â Then, turning to Grant, she added, âA little help from you certainly wouldnât hurt.â
âI figured you were doing well enough without me,â he said, grinning at Bethanne and his mother.
Ruth and Bethanne stood side by side, with their arms linked.
Ruth looked at her children. âReally, thereâs no reason to worry. I have the route planned out, I joined AAA and Iâve made hotel reservations. Iâve rented a car, which Iâm dropping off in Florida, and weâre flying back. Iâm sure Iâve thought of everything.â
âDo you have a list of your medications?â
Ruth frowned. âI take one blood-pressure pill and thatâs itâoh, and I have eyedrops. It isnât like I need a permission slip from my physician to travel. Youâre grasping at straws. Furthermore, youâre treating me like a child. I can take care of myself.â
âThe roads arenât safe,â Robin insisted, âespecially for two women traveling alone.â
Again Ruth frowned. âIf someone does kidnap and murder me, as you seem to expect, you can rest assured that I died happy.â
âOh, honestly, Mother.â
âWhat about Bethanne?â Grant asked. âIf sheâs kidnapped and murdered, how would you feel then?â
âIâve had three karate lessons,â Ruth said facetiously. âIâll defend her.â
Grant burst out laughing. Robin, however, didnât seem to find anything her mother said the least bit amusing.
âFine.â Robin pointed an accusing finger at Bethanne. âJust know that if anything happens to my mother because you were foolish enough to fall in with this crazy scheme of hers, Iâm holding you directly responsible.â
Bethanne tightened her hold on Ruthâs arm. âI accept full responsibility for your mother.â
âNo, you donât,â Ruth protested. âIâm responsible for myself. Besides, if anything did happen, it would be just like my daughter to file a lawsuit against you.â
âNo, she wonât,â Grant said, glaring across the room at his sister.
âDonât count on it,â Robin said, glaring right back. She crossed her arms as if waiting for them to capitulate. In that case, Bethanne hoped Robin was a patient woman because she had no intention of backing down. And she was sure Ruth wouldnât, either.
After a tense moment, Robin dropped her arms. âOkay, fine. Risk your life. Grant, if you werenât going to support me in this, you should never have come.â
âActually, I think I should be the one to drive them,â he said.
âNo way.â If Ruth agreed to that, Bethanne was counting herself out right then and there. She wanted to get away, reflect, consider the possibility of a future with Grant. She could only do that if he wasnât trying to influence her. Having him along was out of the question.
Ruth looked from one to the other. âYouâd do that, son?â
âIâd need to make arrangements with the office and
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