Unraveled by Heidi McCahan Page B

change his mind. Hopefully Angela and the kids would be gone when they got back and she could talk to Mom about a new reservation system and maybe even upgrading the website. If they had any hope of booking more reservations, she needed to make changes as soon as possible.

seventy

    Granny sat propped up in her hospital bed, staring out the window. Her legs were concealed by a beautiful afghan. One arm was casted and the other arm leaned against the table, pulled close to her body. Her hand splayed across her open Bible.
    “Granny?” Lauren whispered as she stepped closer.
    Granny turned her head, blue eyes clear and bright. She smiled. “Hello, my dear.”
    “I was so worried about you. How is your head?” Lauren planted a gentle kiss on her grandmother’s forehead and sat on the edge of the chair beside the bed.
    “Oh, this old noggin will be just fine,” Granny rapped her knuckles against her temple.
    “What’s this I hear about your arm? Dad says your ankle is broken, too?”
    “My, news travels fast around here. Don’t you worry. I will be back on my feet in no time at all.”
    The door opened and a nurse wearing pale blue scrubs and a broad smile stepped in. Lauren’s stomach plummeted. Shannon. They used to finish each other’s sentences, words spilling out all over the place. She lost many a phone privilege when her mother caught her huddled under the covers, gabbing into the wee hours.
    She pulled out her stethoscope and glanced at Lauren. Her broad smile faltered and she stopped. “Oh my word. Lauren Carter? Is that you?”
    Lauren swallowed hard. “Hi, Shannon. How are you?”
    “I’m good. What brings you back to town?” Shannon lifted her stethoscope from around her neck and started checking Granny’s vital signs.
    “I came to see my family, help out a little bit with … things.” It was partly true, anyway. She squirmed in her chair. Eight years gone by and not a word exchanged. Her chest tightened and she bit down hard on her lower lip. How did you make up for walking away from your dearest friend?
    “Well, I know they are glad to see you. Right, Mrs. Watson?”
    “Of course, dear. My you are a pretty thing. Have you met my grandson?”
    Shannon giggled. “Yes, I know Seth. He’s a little young for me.”
    Silence filled the room as Shannon pressed her fingers to Granny’s wrist and watched the clock. Lauren fidgeted with the straps on her handbag, wracking her brain for any nuggets of information Mom might have shared about Shannon. “Have you worked here long?”
    “About two years, I guess.” Shannon made a note in Granny’s chart. “I worked in Anchorage for a little while, waiting on Jess to figure out what he wanted to do. But I hated it. Big city life wasn’t for me.”
    Lauren nodded, thinking about all the little things that made Portland feel like home. “I guess it’s not for everyone.”
    Shannon held her gaze for a moment, blue eyes questioning. “Well, we’re creatures of habit around here. We still get together at Jess’s sometimes. A bunch of us will be there tonight if you want to stop by.”
    “I can’t.” She tipped her head toward Granny. “There’s no one to watch the Inn.”
    Shannon glanced down at Granny’s chart, and then closed it gently. “If you change your mind, things usually get going about eight.”
    “Thanks.” If her friends knew what she’d done, they wouldn’t welcome her back quite so easily.
    Shannon reached for the door, but turned back. She took a breath and Lauren leaned forward expectantly. Her pulse quickened as she braced herself. Go on, say it. I deserve it. Instead, Shannon clamped her mouth shut and her lips formed a weak smile. She slipped out the door, taking her unspoken message with her.
    Lauren gnawed on her thumbnail and tried to dismiss the regrets barging back in. Her friends still got together at Jess’s house. How many Saturday nights had she missed? Trucks circled up, tailgates down as the bonfire