Two Weeks in August by Nat Burns Page A

wonderful to hear her father’s voice and unbidden tears sprang up immediately. “Oh Daddy, it’s so good to hear from you. How’s Mom? How are you?”
    His warm chuckle was undiminished by distance. “We’re doing okay, honey. I tried your cell but it wasn’t available. How are you managing out there all by yourself? Have you visited Emma yet?”
    “No, not yet, but I will soon. I’ve been pretty busy with the house and enjoying the beach. It’s fabulous here.”
    “Good, I’m glad to hear you’re having a good time. Is Channel Haven nice?”
    Wanting to tell him about Hazy’s eccentricities, she paused, knowing he wouldn’t understand, might construe that she was unhappy. Maybe later they would look back on it and laugh. After she was settled in. “I’m very comfortable here. Right on the channel too, so it’s beautiful,” she offered finally.
    “And how’s the house coming? You want me to come out this weekend and have a look?”
      “Oh no, it’s fine. Coming along better than expected. Mander, that’s the master carpenter working on it, says...”
    She broke off as Hazy walked into the office, then continued after she had passed by.
    “She says I can probably move in the end of next week. There’s still a lot of painting to do and some plumbing in the upstairs bath. Stuff like that.”
    “Mander, what kind of name is that? One of those strange island monikers?” her father asked.
    “It’s for Amanda, it’s a woman.”
    “A woman carpenter, leading a crew? Who knew the island would be so progressive?” He laughed.
    “Who knew my grandfather would be so progressive?” Nina countered with amusement. “He hired her.”
      “We sure do miss you being here in town. It’ll be hard getting used to you living way out there, so far from us. Be sure and get new cell phone service. One that works in the wilderness, okay?”
    Hazy surprised her by handing her a heavy ceramic mug full of hot coffee. Nina nodded her thanks and watched as Hazy took her own cup outside.
      “Come on, Daddy, don’t be silly. You just live in Alexandria, not Asia. You’re not far away at all.”
      “True, true,” he chuckled, “just seems that way.”
      “Besides,” she continued, “it’ll give you two a good excuse to take a lot of vacation trips to the ocean. Grandpapa’s house still has a lot of rooms so we can all stay right there. Where is Mom, by the way? I need to ask her what color she wants her old room painted.”
    “Out taking her walk.” Nina could hear the grin in his voice. “She’ll be mad as a hornet when I tell her I called you while she was out.”
    Nina sighed and took another sip of the surprisingly good coffee. Hazy had even added sugar and a generous dollop of cream. “You’ll never change. Why do you two compete the way you do? I know both of you love me.”
      “Of course, but that’s not why we do it. She gets to take you shopping; I get to call you. She gets to pack up your apartment; I get to send you a book. Simple really.”
    “Right,” she replied with sarcasm. “Hey, did you send me a book?”
    Patrick Christie laughed at his daughter’s eagerness. “Yes, honey, that new anthology. Science fiction, of course, the one you’ve been raving about.”
    “You are so sweet, thank you.” She hoped he could tell how much she appreciated his thoughtfulness. He often bestowed solicitous gifts on her and she always felt as though she could never express the depth of her gratitude and love for her handsome, doting father.
    “You’re welcome, baby. Listen, I’m going to go now, before your mother comes in and catches me red-handed. You call us right away if you have any problems, all right? Promise?”
    “Sure, I promise. Everything’s going fine though. I am really glad to be moving here.”
    “I know how much you love it there,” he agreed. “That’s why Tom left it to you instead of Freda. He knew you’d build a good life there.”
    A sudden thought