fresh from the factory—it’s like a mouthful of heaven,” Ike
said.
Liz grinned. “I have to admit, my Chunky Monkey
is divine.”
Ike took her hand as they stepped out the
factory doors. They strolled the grounds for a bit, and then found their
rental car.
As Ike drove away from Ben & Jerry’s in
Waterbury, Vermont, Liz gave a sigh of contentment. “What a beautiful state,”
she commented.
“It certainly is,” Ike agreed. “And just think,
by tomorrow afternoon, we’ll be in Cocoa Beach.”
“Oh, Ike,” Liz said, suddenly very serious, “we
need to make arrangements to get your prescriptions.” She checked her watch.
“We don’t have a lot of time.”
“It’s okay,” he assured her. “I’ve already
called my pharmacy back home and explained my situation. They called the
prescriptions into the pharmacy up the street from our hotel. They’re open
late, so we’ll be there in plenty of time to pick up my meds.”
“Okay,” she said with relief, but still eyed him
with concern. “If something happened to you because of me, I could never live
with myself.”
“Everything’s fine,” he assured her again. He
suddenly gave a laugh. “I wonder what the kids are doing about now?”
Liz made a guilty face. “I don’t know.”
“They’re probably back to work,” Ike said. “I
doubt Brady could handle being away from the business for more than a day.”
“And Amanda is awfully committed to her work.
I’m sure you’re right. They’re probably back on the job and happy as clams.”
***
“Brady, I couldn’t sleep all night. I’m losing
my mind. What if my grandma got up in that airplane and had a panic attack.
She’s never flown before. It’s … scary! Oh, Lord, I hope she’s all right.”
He reached across the table separating them and
took her hand. “I’m sure she was fine. Think happy thoughts. She’s off the
plane now and…” He gave a shrug. “Well, I’m sure they’re off the plane, but
as far as where they’ve gone…”
Suddenly, the phone rang in Amanda’s kitchen.
It had become the couple’s command center, since Brady had arrived in the
morning so they could formulate a plan.
“Hello,” Amanda said, and then thrust the phone
at him. “It’s the pharmacy,” she whispered.
They had called the pharmacy the minute it
opened, asking that the pharmacist call them in the event they heard from Ike.
Although they had mentioned something about privacy laws, Brady had somehow
sweet talked the female pharmacist into cooperating.
“Hello,” he said, and then listened intently.
“So the prescriptions were called into a pharmacy… Where ?” He was
silent for several seconds. “Waterbury, Vermont?” He gave a shake of his
head. “I really have no idea why someone would visit there. Do you?”
He was silent again, this time for a couple
moments. “Really?” He gave a short laugh. “Ben & Jerry’s has a factory
there? But why would…?” He began nodding in apparent understanding.
“Actually, it sort of makes sense. Granddad loves his Ben & Jerry’s.” He
was silent again for a brief pause, and then, after thanking the pharmacist,
hung up the phone. He turned to Amanda.
“I heard,” she said, shaking her head ruefully.
“Do you really think they went to Waterbury, Vermont for ice cream?”
He gave a helpless shrug. “I do know Granddad
loves his ice cream. I’m going to try texting him again.” He hurriedly
punched in a message and then eased back in the chair to wait.
No
response came.
“They’re like a couple of teenagers,” he said
with a fatigued laugh. He sought Amanda’s eyes. “There’s a part of me that
wants to hop a plane, but I’m afraid if we do, they’ll be long gone by the time
we get there.”
“You’re probably right. Let me try to text
Grandma.” She hurriedly sent a text, imploring her to
said.
Liz grinned. “I have to admit, my Chunky Monkey
is divine.”
Ike took her hand as they stepped out the
factory doors. They strolled the grounds for a bit, and then found their
rental car.
As Ike drove away from Ben & Jerry’s in
Waterbury, Vermont, Liz gave a sigh of contentment. “What a beautiful state,”
she commented.
“It certainly is,” Ike agreed. “And just think,
by tomorrow afternoon, we’ll be in Cocoa Beach.”
“Oh, Ike,” Liz said, suddenly very serious, “we
need to make arrangements to get your prescriptions.” She checked her watch.
“We don’t have a lot of time.”
“It’s okay,” he assured her. “I’ve already
called my pharmacy back home and explained my situation. They called the
prescriptions into the pharmacy up the street from our hotel. They’re open
late, so we’ll be there in plenty of time to pick up my meds.”
“Okay,” she said with relief, but still eyed him
with concern. “If something happened to you because of me, I could never live
with myself.”
“Everything’s fine,” he assured her again. He
suddenly gave a laugh. “I wonder what the kids are doing about now?”
Liz made a guilty face. “I don’t know.”
“They’re probably back to work,” Ike said. “I
doubt Brady could handle being away from the business for more than a day.”
“And Amanda is awfully committed to her work.
I’m sure you’re right. They’re probably back on the job and happy as clams.”
***
“Brady, I couldn’t sleep all night. I’m losing
my mind. What if my grandma got up in that airplane and had a panic attack.
She’s never flown before. It’s … scary! Oh, Lord, I hope she’s all right.”
He reached across the table separating them and
took her hand. “I’m sure she was fine. Think happy thoughts. She’s off the
plane now and…” He gave a shrug. “Well, I’m sure they’re off the plane, but
as far as where they’ve gone…”
Suddenly, the phone rang in Amanda’s kitchen.
It had become the couple’s command center, since Brady had arrived in the
morning so they could formulate a plan.
“Hello,” Amanda said, and then thrust the phone
at him. “It’s the pharmacy,” she whispered.
They had called the pharmacy the minute it
opened, asking that the pharmacist call them in the event they heard from Ike.
Although they had mentioned something about privacy laws, Brady had somehow
sweet talked the female pharmacist into cooperating.
“Hello,” he said, and then listened intently.
“So the prescriptions were called into a pharmacy… Where ?” He was
silent for several seconds. “Waterbury, Vermont?” He gave a shake of his
head. “I really have no idea why someone would visit there. Do you?”
He was silent again, this time for a couple
moments. “Really?” He gave a short laugh. “Ben & Jerry’s has a factory
there? But why would…?” He began nodding in apparent understanding.
“Actually, it sort of makes sense. Granddad loves his Ben & Jerry’s.” He
was silent again for a brief pause, and then, after thanking the pharmacist,
hung up the phone. He turned to Amanda.
“I heard,” she said, shaking her head ruefully.
“Do you really think they went to Waterbury, Vermont for ice cream?”
He gave a helpless shrug. “I do know Granddad
loves his ice cream. I’m going to try texting him again.” He hurriedly
punched in a message and then eased back in the chair to wait.
No
response came.
“They’re like a couple of teenagers,” he said
with a fatigued laugh. He sought Amanda’s eyes. “There’s a part of me that
wants to hop a plane, but I’m afraid if we do, they’ll be long gone by the time
we get there.”
“You’re probably right. Let me try to text
Grandma.” She hurriedly sent a text, imploring her to
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