might have grown tired of them by now too?”
The question brought her up short. “I never thought about that. Oh my God . . . do you know what this means? I can get rid of the dogs and put my new ceramic pieces in their place.”
“I’m proud of you, Grams. Always thinking.”
She took out a pot for the pasta. “Go make your phone call.”
He headed down the hall to his bedroom. If it really was possible for his grandmother to let go of something his grandfather had given her, maybe there was hope that she could let go of him too.
Chapter 5
After Alison saw Christopher off the next morning to check out a stable that had horses to rent, she poured herself a cup of coffee and took it out on the back deck, along with the binder Grace had given her. Determined not to yield ground to the twinge of self-pity that had come over her that morning, she’d decided she had a choice. Either she could find a bookstore and stock up on the books she’d intended to read for the past year, living someone else’s fantasies, or she could take her first steps toward dealing with the independence being thrust on her. Being surrounded by enticing covers and promising blurbs on the backs of books was enormously appealing still, though she knew that one day she’d convert to reading on her iPad. Just not yet. For now, she loved the feel of an actual book in her hands. She even loved the smell of the paper and ink.
She’d never been the kind of person who went places by herself. Movies were supposed to be shared and talked about afterward. The same with dinner at a fine restaurant. She even enjoyed a book more when it was one she read with her book club.
But either she could learn to enjoy traveling alone or she could become content to confine her world to her neighborhood.
Dennis would have been appalled at the idea of her allowing herself to become a recluse.
But in reality, she was the one who should have been appalled. Thirteen years ago, Nora and Christopher had needed her, and she’d been there for them.
But fair or unfair, they didn’t need her anymore. And it was breaking her heart.
In the back of her mind, she could hear Dennis telling her that she still had places to see and people to meet. She’d always wanted to work on an archaeological dig and had even looked up possibilities on the Internet on nights when she couldn’t sleep. She could learn to speak more than rudimentary Italian and go to Dureta herself. Holding an actual conversation with the men and women who made the pottery she loved so much would only make her collection more meaningful.
Whatever she came up with, she wanted it to be outside her comfort zone. Linda had suggested a travel club, hinting that Alison might meet someone interesting on one of the trips. But Alison wasn’t interested in meeting someone new—or interesting. She just needed a stronger backbone to get out and do some exploring on her own.
She opened the binder Grace had made and went to the section labeled “Things to Do.” Fifteen minutes later, she’d settled on a self-guided walking tour of the historic buildings of Monterey. Lunch would be on the wharf at one of the seafood restaurants Grace had suggested.
But before she did anything else, as soon as Christopher returned, she had to stop by the bank to transfer the money to pay for the one-month rental and then go back to Tanner Motors to pick up her car, finish the paperwork, and give Kyle a check.
“Hola,” a startlingly pretty young woman said to Alison as she entered the sales office. “How may I help you?” she added.
Alison worked to hide her surprise. “I’m looking for Mr. Tanner.”
“Mrs. Kirkpatrick?”
“That’s me.”
The young woman came around the desk and held out her hand. “Benita Vargas. I’m Kyle’s part-time accountant and one of his fill-in salespeople.”
Alison hesitated. “It might be better if I came back this afternoon. Mr. Tanner and I have an out-of-the-ordinary
The question brought her up short. “I never thought about that. Oh my God . . . do you know what this means? I can get rid of the dogs and put my new ceramic pieces in their place.”
“I’m proud of you, Grams. Always thinking.”
She took out a pot for the pasta. “Go make your phone call.”
He headed down the hall to his bedroom. If it really was possible for his grandmother to let go of something his grandfather had given her, maybe there was hope that she could let go of him too.
Chapter 5
After Alison saw Christopher off the next morning to check out a stable that had horses to rent, she poured herself a cup of coffee and took it out on the back deck, along with the binder Grace had given her. Determined not to yield ground to the twinge of self-pity that had come over her that morning, she’d decided she had a choice. Either she could find a bookstore and stock up on the books she’d intended to read for the past year, living someone else’s fantasies, or she could take her first steps toward dealing with the independence being thrust on her. Being surrounded by enticing covers and promising blurbs on the backs of books was enormously appealing still, though she knew that one day she’d convert to reading on her iPad. Just not yet. For now, she loved the feel of an actual book in her hands. She even loved the smell of the paper and ink.
She’d never been the kind of person who went places by herself. Movies were supposed to be shared and talked about afterward. The same with dinner at a fine restaurant. She even enjoyed a book more when it was one she read with her book club.
But either she could learn to enjoy traveling alone or she could become content to confine her world to her neighborhood.
Dennis would have been appalled at the idea of her allowing herself to become a recluse.
But in reality, she was the one who should have been appalled. Thirteen years ago, Nora and Christopher had needed her, and she’d been there for them.
But fair or unfair, they didn’t need her anymore. And it was breaking her heart.
In the back of her mind, she could hear Dennis telling her that she still had places to see and people to meet. She’d always wanted to work on an archaeological dig and had even looked up possibilities on the Internet on nights when she couldn’t sleep. She could learn to speak more than rudimentary Italian and go to Dureta herself. Holding an actual conversation with the men and women who made the pottery she loved so much would only make her collection more meaningful.
Whatever she came up with, she wanted it to be outside her comfort zone. Linda had suggested a travel club, hinting that Alison might meet someone interesting on one of the trips. But Alison wasn’t interested in meeting someone new—or interesting. She just needed a stronger backbone to get out and do some exploring on her own.
She opened the binder Grace had made and went to the section labeled “Things to Do.” Fifteen minutes later, she’d settled on a self-guided walking tour of the historic buildings of Monterey. Lunch would be on the wharf at one of the seafood restaurants Grace had suggested.
But before she did anything else, as soon as Christopher returned, she had to stop by the bank to transfer the money to pay for the one-month rental and then go back to Tanner Motors to pick up her car, finish the paperwork, and give Kyle a check.
“Hola,” a startlingly pretty young woman said to Alison as she entered the sales office. “How may I help you?” she added.
Alison worked to hide her surprise. “I’m looking for Mr. Tanner.”
“Mrs. Kirkpatrick?”
“That’s me.”
The young woman came around the desk and held out her hand. “Benita Vargas. I’m Kyle’s part-time accountant and one of his fill-in salespeople.”
Alison hesitated. “It might be better if I came back this afternoon. Mr. Tanner and I have an out-of-the-ordinary
Similar Books
