garden. She grabbed her mother's arm and tugged until her mother turned to face her. "Mama, I said I am staying here."
Martha's gray eyebrows pushed together and she wilted. Her shoulders slumped and her jaw dropped. Her voice was little more than a whisper. "But . . . But I already bought you a ticket."
Andi almost gave in, then swallowed the lump in her throat. Her mother couldn't afford this grand gesture. Though her mother would be hurt, Andi had lived for everyone else too long. "You'll just have to come out for another visit. I'm sure we can get the airline to issue a credit."
Her mother sighed and seemed to shrink two inches. She stared at Andi for a beat, then pushed past her and hurried across the hall. Andi followed, feeling like a heel for dashing her mother's hopes. Martha snagged her blue bag and dragged it off the bed, so it hit the floor with a thump. Andi reached for the carry-on, but her mother yanked it away then stomped down the stairs.
After they got into the Toyota, Martha fastened her seatbelt and asked, "My flight isn't until 4. Could we go up Highway 3?"
Andi nodded and smiled. "That's about the only way to get there. We're on an island, remember?"
Her mother dug in her purse. "Do you want some gum?"
Andi shook her head. She refrained from warning her mother about the dangers of the sugary treat.
"You sure?" Martha held out the package. "You used to love gum. Were always digging through my purse for a stick of gum."
"I'm not a kid anymore."
Martha tucked the gum back in her purse and stared out the window at the expanse of sea off to their right that appeared and disappeared through the trees. The ocean drew Andi toward it like a magnet. There was something majestic and awesome about the way it stretched to the horizon.
“You are so lucky,” Martha breathed.
Andi had to agree with her. Even though the locals still considered her an outsider, she felt like a Mainer. “Why don’t you come back out next month?”
Martha smiled, then patted Andi on the forearm. “I'd love to, but it's so hard for me to get away.”
Andi knew the answer before she'd asked. Maybe that's why she asked. She got points for asking, without dealing with the guilt trip. Suddenly, the evergreens gave way to water as they crossed over to Thompson Island. That little stretch of road had surprised her when she first moved to Mount Desert Island. On the map, it looked like there was a bridge. In reality, the highway straddled a muddy bit of land between the two islands. Crossing Thompson Island took only minutes, and then they were again surrounded by water as they crossed over to the mainland. In a few weeks, the tourists would start pouring in and Highway 3 would be slow-going.
At the Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport, the two said their goodbyes and hugged several times before Martha disappeared through the security checkpoint. After she passed through the metal detector, she turned to wave one last time, and Andi blew her mother a kiss. Her mother would be in Boston and then on to Kansas City soon, and Andi would be left all alone in Buccaneer Bay.
But she still had Dana, she reminded herself. Thank God for Dana.
Shortly past the bridge at Hancock, a little red coupe zipped around her. The speedometer indicated she was driving nearly ten miles an hour under the speed limit, which was the exact opposite of how she usually drove. Andi sighed and shook her head to clear it, then glanced in the rearview mirror.
A light gray sedan followed a car's length back. The driver wore dark sunglasses, but Andi thought she recognized Detective Johnson. Why does one always feel nervous when followed by an officer of the law, even when doing nothing wrong? She pressed down on the gas until she was up to the speed limit, and he matched her speed. Sweat trickled down the back of Andi's neck, and she swallowed hard. She set the cruise just under 55, hoping he would pass, but even at that reduced speed, he kept following her. A
Martha's gray eyebrows pushed together and she wilted. Her shoulders slumped and her jaw dropped. Her voice was little more than a whisper. "But . . . But I already bought you a ticket."
Andi almost gave in, then swallowed the lump in her throat. Her mother couldn't afford this grand gesture. Though her mother would be hurt, Andi had lived for everyone else too long. "You'll just have to come out for another visit. I'm sure we can get the airline to issue a credit."
Her mother sighed and seemed to shrink two inches. She stared at Andi for a beat, then pushed past her and hurried across the hall. Andi followed, feeling like a heel for dashing her mother's hopes. Martha snagged her blue bag and dragged it off the bed, so it hit the floor with a thump. Andi reached for the carry-on, but her mother yanked it away then stomped down the stairs.
After they got into the Toyota, Martha fastened her seatbelt and asked, "My flight isn't until 4. Could we go up Highway 3?"
Andi nodded and smiled. "That's about the only way to get there. We're on an island, remember?"
Her mother dug in her purse. "Do you want some gum?"
Andi shook her head. She refrained from warning her mother about the dangers of the sugary treat.
"You sure?" Martha held out the package. "You used to love gum. Were always digging through my purse for a stick of gum."
"I'm not a kid anymore."
Martha tucked the gum back in her purse and stared out the window at the expanse of sea off to their right that appeared and disappeared through the trees. The ocean drew Andi toward it like a magnet. There was something majestic and awesome about the way it stretched to the horizon.
“You are so lucky,” Martha breathed.
Andi had to agree with her. Even though the locals still considered her an outsider, she felt like a Mainer. “Why don’t you come back out next month?”
Martha smiled, then patted Andi on the forearm. “I'd love to, but it's so hard for me to get away.”
Andi knew the answer before she'd asked. Maybe that's why she asked. She got points for asking, without dealing with the guilt trip. Suddenly, the evergreens gave way to water as they crossed over to Thompson Island. That little stretch of road had surprised her when she first moved to Mount Desert Island. On the map, it looked like there was a bridge. In reality, the highway straddled a muddy bit of land between the two islands. Crossing Thompson Island took only minutes, and then they were again surrounded by water as they crossed over to the mainland. In a few weeks, the tourists would start pouring in and Highway 3 would be slow-going.
At the Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport, the two said their goodbyes and hugged several times before Martha disappeared through the security checkpoint. After she passed through the metal detector, she turned to wave one last time, and Andi blew her mother a kiss. Her mother would be in Boston and then on to Kansas City soon, and Andi would be left all alone in Buccaneer Bay.
But she still had Dana, she reminded herself. Thank God for Dana.
Shortly past the bridge at Hancock, a little red coupe zipped around her. The speedometer indicated she was driving nearly ten miles an hour under the speed limit, which was the exact opposite of how she usually drove. Andi sighed and shook her head to clear it, then glanced in the rearview mirror.
A light gray sedan followed a car's length back. The driver wore dark sunglasses, but Andi thought she recognized Detective Johnson. Why does one always feel nervous when followed by an officer of the law, even when doing nothing wrong? She pressed down on the gas until she was up to the speed limit, and he matched her speed. Sweat trickled down the back of Andi's neck, and she swallowed hard. She set the cruise just under 55, hoping he would pass, but even at that reduced speed, he kept following her. A
Similar Books
