She stood, walking to the front door, and Rick followed. Outside, his footsteps crunched in the gravel and Adelaide spun, jumping when she saw him.
“You don’t have to follow me,” she said.
“Actually, I do.” He pulled the wine bottle out from under his arm and handed it to her. “I think this is yours.”
She accepted it. “Thanks.”
He nodded. “Pretend I’m not here.”
“That seems rude,” she said slowly. “I’m only going to make some calls. I need to find my mom a place to stay.”
“You don’t have to explain yourself to me.” He bowed his head slightly. “I’m just here to watch your back.”
She cleared her throat. “Right. Okay, thanks.”
Her eyes fell and she walked a short distance to a nearby bench, taking a seat.
He stood behind her, scanning the area. There was no one nearby, and no way for anyone to approach without him seeing them first.
Rick relaxed his shoulders and looked up. The sky was a sea of blue, cloudless and endless.
He remembered that from when he was a kid, coming to visit his cousin, Cody, out west. The sky was always blue, the sun always shining.
It was too much sun for Rick. It had suited Cody’s character, though. He had been like a sun, always giving off that warm glow.
Until it had stopped.
The tea shop door opened and Rick snapped his attention over. It was Sheila, moving fast, her eyes narrowed and fists at her sides. She shot him a glance before walking over to Adelaide.
He had to smile. At least he wouldn’t be bored.
Five
“I don’t like this one bit,” Sheila announced, hands on her hips.
Addy leaned away, covering her phone with her hand. “Okay, thank you,” she said before ending the call.
She sighed and turned to her sister. “I don’t either, Sheila, but what are we supposed to do? Tell our mother ‘Good luck, you’re on your own?’”
“That’s what she did to us when we were kids. Why do we owe her anything?”
“We don’t owe her anything,” Addy said slowly. “But I know I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t help her. I’m going to do what I can.”
Sheila put her hand over her mouth and groaned. “I know. I wouldn’t feel good either, but she just got here and I’m already sick of her.”
It felt like someone had tightened a band around her head. Their mother could be incredibly charming and, at times, make Addy forget her grievances. Today had not been one of those times.
Instead, she had to remind herself that her mother was a flawed—but not unlovable—person. She’d had an extraordinarily hard start in life and, because of that, she struggled and hurt those around her. Her harms were never malicious or planned. Her mother had always had to look out for herself because no one had looked out for her when she was young and defenseless. It made her comically selfish at times.
Other times less comically, but it helped to imagine her as a scared girl and not a pushy old woman.
Addy rubbed the back of her neck, trying to fix the image in her mind’s eye. “I know, but I have good news. I called around town and there’s an opening at the Piano Key Inn.”
“Patty knows the owners,” Sheila said.
“So do I.” Addy grinned. “Patty introduced us a few weeks ago when they came for tea. They’re going to give us a discount for Mom to stay in a suite.”
“Look at you!” Sheila poked her in the shoulder. “Making friends everywhere you go.”
