Was Sam listening? “Mia wouldn't even talk to me. Josh grilled steaks and right after dinner she went up to her room. She's sixteen and seems angry a lot of the time…or sad.”
“Of course she’s sad. We both know how losing a parent feels. Having you there was probably very difficult.” The last thing that girl wanted to see was another woman coming into that house.
Marlowe didn't know what to say. Was this what it would be like to date a widower?Cripes.“Just take your time. Josh has to think this through too. He's a doctor, for Pete’s sake. Certainly he knows therapists who could help the family.” Was that all she could come up with? Kicking the can down the road to a therapist didn't seem like the best solution.
“How about you?” Sam asked in a choked voice. “Dating anyone?”
After twisting to look at her sister, Marlowe snapped off a tissue from the box on the floor. Sam’s nose was really red now and tears dribbled down her cheeks. “Do you want me to drive?”
“Absolutely not.” Sam blotted her tears with the tissue. “Back to my question. Is there anyone you'd hate to leave behind in Naples?”
Turning back to study the road, Marlowe shook her head. “Sadly, no. I'm not seeing anyone. I don't even want to think about that right now.”
“Why not?” Her sister's voice rose. “After all, you’re...”
Oh, here it comes. “Turning forty? Samantha Quinn, I know that.” She was working on being less sensitive about her age…but forty? Really?
“I’minmy forties,” Sam said slowly. “Welcome to the group. I'm sure there'll be some men in Charlevoix.” Her voice trailed off.
“Right. At my age? Widowers like Josh? Guys who keep their wives’ pictures plastered all over their walls?” Her frustration was building.Darn it.That had come out sounding snarky and she sure didn’t want to hurt Sam’s feelings. “Sorry. I didn’t mean that. Josh is a good guy and I’m sure he’ll help you figure this out.”
“And there’s something else…something I should tell you.”
This did not sound good. Was it possible that Sam was pregnant? Marlowe didn’t think that the relationship with Josh had taken that turn. “What? What else?”
“I think I’m going through menopause.”
“What?”Horror and disbelief collided in Marlowe’s voice.
“I’m not regular anymore. Haven’t had time to see my doctor to check it out.”
An emptiness opened inside. Marlowe raked a hand through her hair. “Izzy was a menopausal baby. Remember Mom saying that?”
“Right.” Sam sniffed. “Mom joked about it. Thought it was funny. Dad had been really happy about the baby.”
“We all were.” This was one of the many times that Marlowe wished they had their mother back to ask questions. “Aunt Cate could probably tell us about the menopause thing. Her experience with it.”
“I don’t know how I feel about discussing something so personal with Aunt Cate.” Sam sounded worn out. Maybe they all needed more time to think about what they were doing.
They didn't say much for the rest of the ride. Sam gnawed her bottom lip while Marlowe took in the scenery of Traverse City. A gas station or two would pop up along the road but the woods behind looked magical, so lush and green. This was a tourist town with colorful motels lining the shore of Grand Traverse Bay. Once she relocated, Marlowe wanted to spend time down here, becoming more familiar with the area.
Before her career had swallowed her whole, Marlowe had loved to run. In the good weather, she pictured herself exploring the roads around Charlevoix. When did the snow melt in this area? April? May? In the cold weather, she’d cross country ski. But then she’d come down here to poke around. Maybe Sam would come with her. Marlowe’s imagination took her to magical places that eased her mind. Finally they pulled into the airport parking lot. Ideas thrumming through her head, Marlowe was eager to get home. She wanted to start crossing things off her list.
If everything went as planned, she would have wrapped up her current listings in the next month. The commissions would build up her bank balance. Hopefully by then her own condo would have sold. In Naples, condos were often a cash sale so the closing could be quick.
And then she had to check into the Michigan certification process. Last night she’d paged through the folder Chip had given her and the process didn’t look too complicated. When Sam pulled into the parking lot at the airport, Marlowe pushed open the car door and took a breath of the cold air.
After Sam helped drag her suitcase from the back, Marlowe gave her a tight hug. “We'll get through this, Sam.” Backing away she surveyed her sister's expression. This wasn’t looking good. “Josh is a good man and a sensitive guy. He might have some issues to work through before the two of you become moreserious. And as for the other thing…please make an appointment with your doctor.”
“I guess.” Raising her shoulders, Sam eventually let them fall. Her troubled sigh billowed white in the cold air. “You're right. I probably shouldn't talk to Josh every night.”
Whoa.“Is that what you're doing? I had no idea.”
“Yeah, I like talking to him.”
“Of course you do, but a little distance might be a good thing right now.” Her sister had been through a hard time and to have a handsome guy paying a lot of attention to her would be very flattering. And to top it off, they had a history. They’d shared so many wonderful times in their teens. Those memories were heavy duty. Still, that didn't mean that Sam had to narrow the field to one man right now. But Marlowe didn’t think her sister wanted to hear that right now.
“Don’t come in. Let’s talk soon.” Sam gave her a tight hug. “Soon we’ll all be living up here together.”
