“Don’t think I didn’t realize you did this to get out of helping. You’ve never been one for baking.”
“No. I don’t mind cooking but baking isn’t my thing. How come you never ask one of the boys to help you bake? I never thought you were sexist, Mom.”
Her father laughed as he continued to eat his lunch, but the minute her mother looked over at him, he stopped and went back to his sandwich.
She knew she was lucky in life. Her father was a successful surgeon and gone a lot, but when he was home he was an attentive father that loved his three children. He was completely devoted to his wife and their marriage seemed to be the Rock of Gibraltar.
In the Bond family, rumor had it that love hit you when you least expected. Her parents met on this island when her father was here visiting his parents. Her grandparents had a summer home too. Lacy Keegan was on the ferry with friends coming over for the day when they bumped into each other.
As her mother said, she knew right away Michael Mills was going to be the man she married and their love story began.
What her mother wanted now was her three kids to find their mates and settle down, but no one seemed to be biting.
Or maybe they’d all gotten bitten by the career bug and were immune to the relationship one.
But Ava didn’t really want to think that. She’d dated over the years, but it never seemed to stick.
Many men didn’t like her commitment to her job and the long hours. When she was in med school, that came first. She just figured when the time was right, she’d find someone.
When that time would be was anyone’s guess though.
“I’m not sexist and you know it. Maybe it’s a good idea for you to get out from under my feet for a few hours. But I’ll be putting you to work tomorrow.”
“That’s fine,” she said, moving over to kiss her mother’s cheek. “I’ll help with dinner like I always do while the boys sit in the living room watching TV and drinking beer.”
“Hudson is on call tomorrow, so no beer for him,” her father said.
“I’m surprised all three of us are off for the holiday.”
“It doesn’t happen often,” her mother said. “Even you have been on call before and aren’t this weekend.”
If she was on call it would have been in Plymouth and she wouldn’t have been able to come for the holiday. That happened for a lot of holidays since they rotated them. But the next holiday it wouldn’t matter because she’d be on the island anyway if she was on call.
“Just luck of the draw. I get weekends off unless there is a birth or an emergency.”
“I could still have to go in,” her father said, “but it doesn’t happen often anymore.”
Her father was semi-retired now and only one of the two surgeons on the island. Even if he wasn’t on call he’d go in if there was a need and he could.
“It will be nice to have everyone together for a holiday,” her mother said. “It’s been a long time since that has happened. Maybe we can color some eggs and the bunny will hide them for you and your brothers.”
The colored eggs made her think of Seth and what he’d be doing with his daughter tonight. “I think we might have outgrown that, but if you want to boil some and make deviled eggs for a snack, I’m all in for that.”
“Always ruled by your stomach,” her father said.
“At least I’m eating again.”
She shouldn’t have said that when her father looked over at her. For a good week following the news of her identity being stolen she couldn’t eat a thing. Everything made her nauseous with fear and frustration. Anger on top of it.
But she channeled it all as best she could. All her bills were being paid out of the account with her mother’s name on it and nothing had been disturbed other than her peace of mind.
“It will get better,” her father said. “When are you meeting with Eli and Griffin?”
“Next week. They’ve been busy and there wasn’t much for them to do anyway. Hailey just finished up sending letters to all the credit card companies and requesting documentation on purchases of when and where. She said some of them would give the information to her next week and it will be something to start on.”
“Hopefully they will be able to get to the bottom of this for you,” her mother said.
“Or not. We may never know who did it. It could have been random.”
“I don’t believe in anything being random,” her father said.
“Really, Michael? You of all people being part of this family and having grown up in and around this island, you don’t believe in random things and fate?”
Her father wrinkled his nose at his wife. “It’s not the same thing and you know it.”
“We’ll see,” her mother said.
When her father went to argue back her phone rang and she pulled it out of her back pocket and answered, “Hello.”
“Ava. Seth Young.”
“Hi, Seth.”
“If you’re still interested in lunch, how about you come to my place so you can teach me how to braid. I’m afraid Adele might cause a scene in public.”
She heard Adele pleading in the background, asking her to come over. “I suppose if that is what your daughter wants by the sounds of it, why don’t you give me the address.”
Her mother put a pen and piece of paper in front of her and she jotted it down, then hung up. “Guess I’ve got lunch plans. See you guys a little later.”
She picked up her purse and keys and went out of the door and headed toward Seth’s house wondering if she was getting tomato soup
