same cliff his buddy had.
No way would he let that happen.
No way.
“Wouldn’t you like to move to Paradise Valley, Gina?” LeAnne placed a hand on her granddaughter’s shoulder as they walked to the trailer in the fading light and stepped up on the front deck. With school letting out for the summer the previous Wednesday, they’d been to an early Friday evening Disney flick and a fast-food dinner. Now they were home for dessert. “Wouldn’t you like to live with Grandma?”
“I want to live with Mommy.” Gina looked at her mother, uncertainty in her eyes.
Sandi shot her a reassuring smile, hoping it reminded her of earlier discussions that calmed fears of Grandma uprooting her from Canyon Springs.
LeAnne laughed and pulled Gina close for a hug, avoiding looking at Sandi. “Of course you do. Mommy can come, too. Wouldn’t that be fun?”
Scads.
LeAnne wouldn’t let up. For the past five years she’d badgered Sandi to relocate to the Valley. To abandon Canyon Springs and allow Gina more “opportunities” a city could offer. She even pressed to have Keith’s body moved from its pine-shaded resting place to the Bradshaw family mausoleum in the desert.
But recently she’d started in on Gina about a move, as well, even though she’d been asked not to persist. When Sandi reminded her last month, explaining how it made Gina feel anxious, LeAnne acted taken aback, insisting she was “just teasing.”
She unlocked the front door and held it open for the other two to enter. “We’re quite happy right where we are, aren’t we, Gina?”
Her daughter gave her an enthusiastic nod, the creases in her forehead brought on by her grandma’s questions evaporating. “This is the bestest place in the whole wide world.”
“You might be surprised, Gina,” LeAnne continued as she and her granddaughter seated themselves at the oval kitchen table, “at what else is out there in that world you’ve never seen.”
Sandi forced a smile as she moved to a cabinet for bowls. “I think she has plenty of time yet to explore it.”
Ironically, there was a time she would have given anything to be living anywhere but Canyon Springs—although not with her mother-in-law, thank you very much. Keith had been so sold on the little town where he’d spent his summers as a kid that he’d wasted no time settling his bride in his fishing hideaway. She hadn’t been happy about it nor had she been shy about vocalizing her displeasure. But now this is exactly where she wanted to be for Gina’s sake.
For Keith’s.
She turned to her daughter. “Why don’t you run and get that picture you drew for Grandma? The one of the horse show.”
Gina hopped up off her chair and ran down the short hallway to her bedroom.
Saying a prayer for courage, she took a deep breath. “LeAnne—”
“I know you don’t want to hear it, Sandi.” The older woman folded her arms. “But Keith wouldn’t want you and Gina to continue living here.”
Sandi opened the freezer and pulled out a gallon of ice cream. Retrieved the metal scoop from a drawer. “This is where he wanted to raise Gina. I intend to honor his wishes.”
“That may have been his initial plan, darling, to come back to a town filled with carefree childhood memories. Goodness knows he’d gravitate to anything that would help him forget war.” She tapped on the table with a fingernail. “But the reality of living in a tiny town like this—in a dumpy little trailer—would have worn thin.”
Dumpy? Her cozy Bradshaws-in-the-Pines was dumpy? Little did LeAnne know that it was far nicer than the cramped apartment where she’d grown up in Kansas City.
Her mother-in-law’s tone softened to its most persuasive. “I have no doubt he’d have soon come to his senses. Would have left the army, relocated his family, gotten his law degree.”
Wordlessly, Sandi dipped ice cream into the bowls. Yes, there was a time, unknown to LeAnne, that she’d been on her mother-in-law’s
No way would he let that happen.
No way.
“Wouldn’t you like to move to Paradise Valley, Gina?” LeAnne placed a hand on her granddaughter’s shoulder as they walked to the trailer in the fading light and stepped up on the front deck. With school letting out for the summer the previous Wednesday, they’d been to an early Friday evening Disney flick and a fast-food dinner. Now they were home for dessert. “Wouldn’t you like to live with Grandma?”
“I want to live with Mommy.” Gina looked at her mother, uncertainty in her eyes.
Sandi shot her a reassuring smile, hoping it reminded her of earlier discussions that calmed fears of Grandma uprooting her from Canyon Springs.
LeAnne laughed and pulled Gina close for a hug, avoiding looking at Sandi. “Of course you do. Mommy can come, too. Wouldn’t that be fun?”
Scads.
LeAnne wouldn’t let up. For the past five years she’d badgered Sandi to relocate to the Valley. To abandon Canyon Springs and allow Gina more “opportunities” a city could offer. She even pressed to have Keith’s body moved from its pine-shaded resting place to the Bradshaw family mausoleum in the desert.
But recently she’d started in on Gina about a move, as well, even though she’d been asked not to persist. When Sandi reminded her last month, explaining how it made Gina feel anxious, LeAnne acted taken aback, insisting she was “just teasing.”
She unlocked the front door and held it open for the other two to enter. “We’re quite happy right where we are, aren’t we, Gina?”
Her daughter gave her an enthusiastic nod, the creases in her forehead brought on by her grandma’s questions evaporating. “This is the bestest place in the whole wide world.”
“You might be surprised, Gina,” LeAnne continued as she and her granddaughter seated themselves at the oval kitchen table, “at what else is out there in that world you’ve never seen.”
Sandi forced a smile as she moved to a cabinet for bowls. “I think she has plenty of time yet to explore it.”
Ironically, there was a time she would have given anything to be living anywhere but Canyon Springs—although not with her mother-in-law, thank you very much. Keith had been so sold on the little town where he’d spent his summers as a kid that he’d wasted no time settling his bride in his fishing hideaway. She hadn’t been happy about it nor had she been shy about vocalizing her displeasure. But now this is exactly where she wanted to be for Gina’s sake.
For Keith’s.
She turned to her daughter. “Why don’t you run and get that picture you drew for Grandma? The one of the horse show.”
Gina hopped up off her chair and ran down the short hallway to her bedroom.
Saying a prayer for courage, she took a deep breath. “LeAnne—”
“I know you don’t want to hear it, Sandi.” The older woman folded her arms. “But Keith wouldn’t want you and Gina to continue living here.”
Sandi opened the freezer and pulled out a gallon of ice cream. Retrieved the metal scoop from a drawer. “This is where he wanted to raise Gina. I intend to honor his wishes.”
“That may have been his initial plan, darling, to come back to a town filled with carefree childhood memories. Goodness knows he’d gravitate to anything that would help him forget war.” She tapped on the table with a fingernail. “But the reality of living in a tiny town like this—in a dumpy little trailer—would have worn thin.”
Dumpy? Her cozy Bradshaws-in-the-Pines was dumpy? Little did LeAnne know that it was far nicer than the cramped apartment where she’d grown up in Kansas City.
Her mother-in-law’s tone softened to its most persuasive. “I have no doubt he’d have soon come to his senses. Would have left the army, relocated his family, gotten his law degree.”
Wordlessly, Sandi dipped ice cream into the bowls. Yes, there was a time, unknown to LeAnne, that she’d been on her mother-in-law’s
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