“Yes,” Judith said in a contemplative voice. Kristin
was not only big and beautiful, but so infuriatingly
competent that her mother-in-law was occasionally intimidated. “Yes,” she repeated. “Formidable, too. What
is she not?”
The front doorbell rang, making Judith jump. “The
guests! They’re part of a tour, here for two nights. I
didn’t think they’d arrive until five-thirty.” She dashed
out through the swinging doors between the kitchen
and the dining room to greet the newcomers.
The tour group, consisting of a dozen retirees from
eastern Canada, were on the last leg of a trip that had
started in Toronto. Some of them looked as if they
were on their last legs, too. Judith escorted them to
their rooms, made sure everything was in order, and informed them that the social hour began at six. To a
man—and woman—they begged off, insisting that
they simply wanted to rest before going out to dinner.
The bus trip from Portland had taken six hours, a result
of summer highway construction. They were exhausted. They didn’t need to socialize, having been
cheek by jowl with each other for the past three weeks.
Indeed, judging from some of the glares that were ex-
changed, they were sick of each other. Could they
please be allowed to nap?
Judith assured them they could. Cancellation of the
social hour meant that she, too, could take it easy. Following hip replacement surgery in January, Judith still
tired easily. But before taking a respite, she had to call
the Kidds and the Izards to inform them that their
reservations were being changed because of unforeseen circumstances.
Joe had just opened his second Harp when Judith returned to the kitchen. She observed the top of his head
behind the sports section and smiled to herself. There
was more gray in his red hair, and in truth, there was
less of either color. But to Judith, Joe Flynn was still
the most attractive man on earth. She had waited a
quarter of a century to become his wife, but the years
in between seemed to have faded into an Irish mist. On
the way to the computer, she paused to kiss the top of
his head.
“What’s this rash outbreak of affection?” Joe asked
without glancing up.
“Just remembering that I love you,” Judith said lightly.
“Do you need reminding?”
“No.”
She noted the Kidds’ number in Appleton, Wisconsin, and dialed. They were repeat customers, having
come to Hillside Manor six years earlier. Judith hated
to cancel them.
Alice Kidd answered the phone on the second ring.
Judith relayed the doleful news and apologized most
