today.”
Now we get to the point of the welcome tour.
“I won’t be able to do that until next week.” Firm. Competent. No nonsense. And if she kept her jaw clenched and hands clasped behind her back, Sylvia wouldn’t notice how shaky she felt.
Sylvia’s nostrils flared. “I don’t need the entire amount right away. Just fifty thousand.”
Just? Nora squinted into the sun. The soft breeze sending the scent of pine didn’t make her feel as happy as it usually did. “The problem is I don’t know if we have fifty thousand pennies, let alone fifty thousand dollars.”
“My work is funded through the entire year.”
Sure, make me feel unreasonable .
A voice traveled from the side of the house. “Yoo - hoo!”
As if she heard the scream of an incoming bomb, Nora had the urge to dive for cover in the shrubs next to the house.
Sylvia gazed past Nora’s head.
Nora held her breath and turned. “Mother. What are you doing here?”
Other people’s mothers provided stability and support and the familiar comfort of home. Not so much with Abigail. When she dropped in unexpectedly, it usually meant drama. Lots of it.
Abigail waltzed toward them. A twelve - hour drive from Flagstaff would mean she left at two in the morning, and yet, here she stood, after hours of being folded into her car, as fresh as if she’d just re turned from a fund-raising luncheon. Her slacks weren’t even wrin kled.
She held out her arms for a dramatic embrace. “Nora! How is your first day?”
Nora didn’t fall into the maternal hug. “I’m kind of busy, as you can imagine.”
Abigail dropped her arms. “It’s your first day, dear. You’ve barely started.”
Says the woman who has never worked. “How did you even find this place?”
Abigail held up a phone. “This is my new toy. Isn’t it fantastic? It has GPS and the Google and weather. It even has apps for shopping.”
“Nice.” Nora wanted to program the phone to send Abigail back to Flagstaff.
Abigail turned to Sylvia and extended her hand. What a pair of matching fabulousness they were! “I’m Abigail, Nora’s mother.”
Sylvia placed her manicured hand in Abigail’s. “Sylvia LaFever. I’m a scientist here.”
Abigail nodded in appreciation. “A scientist. How lovely. Do you live here in Boulder?”
Sylvia hesitated. “Temporarily.”
“No denying, Boulder is charming in its unique way. But a woman of your obvious sophistication must find the whole casual, hippie atmosphere somewhat provincial.”
Pretentious much, Abigail?
Sylvia preened, obviously enjoying Abigail’s keen perception. “I’m working hard for the Trust, so I don’t have time to miss the luxuries lacking here. But when I wrap this up, I’ll be on a fast plane to Europe.”
Abigail latched on to the conversation. She might disparage Boulder’s outdoorsy attitude, but it beat the glamour of Abigail’s life in the mountain cabin outside Flagstaff. “What’s your favorite city?”
Nora let them bond over memories of escargot and wineries in the French countryside. Compared to Sylvia’s suit practically cut from dollar bills, anyone might appear dumpy, but Abigail glittered like a gold brick, holding her own on the magnificence scale.
Nora needed to get back to her office. She’d look over the documents Mark said he’d e-mail ed her. Then she’d boot up the Trust software and see what those financials revealed.
Now that she had a plan, standing here in the afternoon sunshine made her skin itch. She started to back away from the delightful duo. Her feet crunched on the fall-withered grass. She stopped.
She blinked.
No. I don’t see anything .
The flash of blue to the side of the farm house stole Nora’s breath.
No. Not now. Not ever .
She had left Flagstaff. Fled the mountain with its real or imagined spirits. They wouldn’t follow her here. But he had followed her, at least to Mount Evans, hadn’t he? Unless she was crazy. And of course, Nora was crazy. Still,
Now we get to the point of the welcome tour.
“I won’t be able to do that until next week.” Firm. Competent. No nonsense. And if she kept her jaw clenched and hands clasped behind her back, Sylvia wouldn’t notice how shaky she felt.
Sylvia’s nostrils flared. “I don’t need the entire amount right away. Just fifty thousand.”
Just? Nora squinted into the sun. The soft breeze sending the scent of pine didn’t make her feel as happy as it usually did. “The problem is I don’t know if we have fifty thousand pennies, let alone fifty thousand dollars.”
“My work is funded through the entire year.”
Sure, make me feel unreasonable .
A voice traveled from the side of the house. “Yoo - hoo!”
As if she heard the scream of an incoming bomb, Nora had the urge to dive for cover in the shrubs next to the house.
Sylvia gazed past Nora’s head.
Nora held her breath and turned. “Mother. What are you doing here?”
Other people’s mothers provided stability and support and the familiar comfort of home. Not so much with Abigail. When she dropped in unexpectedly, it usually meant drama. Lots of it.
Abigail waltzed toward them. A twelve - hour drive from Flagstaff would mean she left at two in the morning, and yet, here she stood, after hours of being folded into her car, as fresh as if she’d just re turned from a fund-raising luncheon. Her slacks weren’t even wrin kled.
She held out her arms for a dramatic embrace. “Nora! How is your first day?”
Nora didn’t fall into the maternal hug. “I’m kind of busy, as you can imagine.”
Abigail dropped her arms. “It’s your first day, dear. You’ve barely started.”
Says the woman who has never worked. “How did you even find this place?”
Abigail held up a phone. “This is my new toy. Isn’t it fantastic? It has GPS and the Google and weather. It even has apps for shopping.”
“Nice.” Nora wanted to program the phone to send Abigail back to Flagstaff.
Abigail turned to Sylvia and extended her hand. What a pair of matching fabulousness they were! “I’m Abigail, Nora’s mother.”
Sylvia placed her manicured hand in Abigail’s. “Sylvia LaFever. I’m a scientist here.”
Abigail nodded in appreciation. “A scientist. How lovely. Do you live here in Boulder?”
Sylvia hesitated. “Temporarily.”
“No denying, Boulder is charming in its unique way. But a woman of your obvious sophistication must find the whole casual, hippie atmosphere somewhat provincial.”
Pretentious much, Abigail?
Sylvia preened, obviously enjoying Abigail’s keen perception. “I’m working hard for the Trust, so I don’t have time to miss the luxuries lacking here. But when I wrap this up, I’ll be on a fast plane to Europe.”
Abigail latched on to the conversation. She might disparage Boulder’s outdoorsy attitude, but it beat the glamour of Abigail’s life in the mountain cabin outside Flagstaff. “What’s your favorite city?”
Nora let them bond over memories of escargot and wineries in the French countryside. Compared to Sylvia’s suit practically cut from dollar bills, anyone might appear dumpy, but Abigail glittered like a gold brick, holding her own on the magnificence scale.
Nora needed to get back to her office. She’d look over the documents Mark said he’d e-mail ed her. Then she’d boot up the Trust software and see what those financials revealed.
Now that she had a plan, standing here in the afternoon sunshine made her skin itch. She started to back away from the delightful duo. Her feet crunched on the fall-withered grass. She stopped.
She blinked.
No. I don’t see anything .
The flash of blue to the side of the farm house stole Nora’s breath.
No. Not now. Not ever .
She had left Flagstaff. Fled the mountain with its real or imagined spirits. They wouldn’t follow her here. But he had followed her, at least to Mount Evans, hadn’t he? Unless she was crazy. And of course, Nora was crazy. Still,
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