She shrugged. “Hardly the time or place.”
This time, Kano popped into the conversation from the driver’s seat. “Which usually means that, when it does happen, it’s real.”
“I don’t know about that,” she said. “Nothing about any of this feels for real.”
“Just makes it all that much more important,” Kano said. “Whatever you find at this level, that you survive at this stage in your life,” he said, “it’ll be there for a lot longer than you suspect.”
“Doesn’t mean I want to embrace it though,” she said.
“I’m pretty sure it’s already too late for that,” he said, and he caught her gaze in the rearview mirror.
She realized, with a shock, that Kano already understood how she felt about Garret. She didn’t know how Kano possibly could know, but he already instinctively knew. And, if he did, did Garret? Because that’s not what she wanted. She shuffled back and stared out the window, her mind in a whirl.
Now what would she do? This was all just BS, if that was the case. She gave herself a stern talking to, straightened up as they slowed down, coming into the little seaside village. “If you head forward,” she said, “and take that left up there”—pointing ahead—“it’s about ten miles out.”
“Interesting location.”
“It’s where my parents used to come all the time over the years, whenever they got the chance. Also, whenever they were having major difficulties, they’d come here, until they worked it out.”
Garret looked at her, surprised, and said, “I kind of like that idea.”
“It worked for them,” she agreed.
“What happened to them?” Garret asked.
“My mom had breast cancer, pretty advanced, and she died. After that, my dad pretty well just drank himself to death,” she said. “It wasn’t cirrhosis of the liver or anything, but it might as well have been. He fell down the stairs stone cold drunk and cracked his head. He never regained consciousness and died four days later,” she said.
“That must have been really tough on you guys. I’m sorry.”
“It was,” she said. “What’s also tough is when parents just walk away because life is too hard. If it’s too hard for them, imagine what it’s like for the kids,” she murmured.
“I don’t think parents, when they’re in that state, actually have the clarity to think things through. They’re so bound by grief and every other emotion that’s tearing them apart that all they can do is react.”
Garret’s words of insight surprised her. She looked at him for a long moment, then nodded and said, “You know what? That’s as good of an explanation as anything.”
“If you need one still,” he said, with that gentle smile.
She hated that she still needed one, but sometimes she did need a reminder.
Kano pulled up outside a small cabin, twisting around to look at her. “Is this it?”
“Yes, we don’t actually own the cabin anymore,” she said. “It’s was just this little strip of land.” She opened her door, hopped out, stood there, and stared.
“Does your family still own any property?” Kano asked.
“No, my dad drank away most of it,” she said. “Neither of us are flush anymore.”
“But you were raised with wealthy parents?” Kano faced her now.
“Not really. They were both working, so we were fine, but it’s not like we could just jet set off for holidays everywhere or anything.” She walked forward with a determined step.
“You might want to remember that other people could be living here then, right?” Garret offered.
There was a slight falter in her confidence, and she nodded. Very quickly both men stepped up to her side. The three of them walked around to the front of the cabin. They saw no sign that anybody was in residence.
“I wonder who even bought it,” she murmured, looking around. “We had a lot of happy memories here.”
“Sounds like your parents may have had some unhappy memories here too,” Kano said.
“Maybe they started out that way,” she said, “but they worked it out, every time.”
“I’ll say it again,” Garret replied. “I really like the idea of just going away together, until you can figure it out. That way, you don’t involve everybody else, and you don’t make decisions without having at least a worthy goal of trying to sort things through.”
She walked up the steps to the front of the cabin and knocked, but she got no answer. She turned to look around at the lake and saw the other cabins dotting the property, connected by walkways, but it was tranquil, serene. Trees abounded, and a nice peaceful meadow was beyond them. She smiled. “It really does bring back memories.”
“Maybe,” Garret said. “But is your sister here?”
Startled and brought abruptly back to the reality of what they were doing here, she turned to the cabin and reached out a hand. The knob turned easily, and she pushed it open. She walked inside, both men at her side. “I don’t know if anybody’s here or not,” she said. “It’s pretty dark and empty.” She walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. “On the other hand,” she called out, “I see ham, cheese, and milk in here.”
“What are the dates on the milk?” Garret asked.
“Expires four days from now.”
“So somebody is in residence,” he said, and quietly he motioned at the loft above. Nodding, she immediately headed that way, Garret on her heels.
As soon as she got up to the top step, a cry came from inside.
“Who’s there?”
“Amy, it’s me, Astra,” she said, as she stepped into her sister’s room. Amy was inside a sleeping bag, on the floor of the main bedroom in the loft.
She looked up at Astra, pushing the hair off her forehead. “Why are you here?” she cried out.
“Maybe I should ask you that question,” Astra said, as she walked over and crouched beside her sister. “Are you okay?”
“As much as I’ll ever be,” she said bitterly. But then her gaze landed on Garret, and she frowned. “And why are you here?” she asked bluntly. Right behind him was Kano. She
