teen.”
“I’ll let them talk to Grandpa. He’ll convince them I’m harmless.”
“You’ve talked to your grandfather about this?”
“No. But he’d do it. I know you won’t.”
Her mother took the wadded-up tissue in her hand and dabbed her eyes. “ I know you’re not a dangerous person, but Ella’s parents don’t know that. And I think Dixie would agree with me that searching for a child who looks like your sister on the off chance it might be her isn’t healthy—for you or Ella. And it won’t work anyway. After Ella, it would be someone else.”
“That’s not fair.” Abby’s eyes burned with indignation. “I have a strong connection to her I can’t explain.”
“She isn’t your sister.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do know that!” Mama’s quivering voice wasn’t convincing.
“Well, I don’t. Can’t you just leave me alone and let me figure it out for myself?”
Kate buried her face in her hands. Finally she looked up and held Abby’s gaze. “I don’t suppose it would do me any good to forbid you to do this?”
Abby looked out at the hummingbird feeder attached to the window. “Mama, all I want to do is find Ella. You don’t have to worry that I’m going to fall into some deep depression if she turns out to be the daughter of that man and woman she was with.”
“And what if you can’t find her?”
Abby shrugged. “Then that’s just the way it is.”
A long moment of silence made Abby shift in her chair. It was hard to tell if her mother was angry or just thinking.
“I’ll make you a deal,” Mama said. “I won’t get in the way of your looking for Ella if you agree to go talk to Dixie—willingly and with an open mind.”
“It’s a waste of money.”
“It’s my money, Abby. I’ll make the appointment. Deal or not?”
“Deal.”
Chapter 9
Kate sat at a corner table on the umbrella deck at Angel View Lodge, watching the rental boats returning to the marina as dusk began to fall, her earlier encounter with Abby playing in her mind.
“Your sister isn’t coming back, Abby. Neither is your father. You’ve got to accept that. You’re not living with reality, and I’m afraid it’s going to hurt you.”
“No, you’re afraid I’m going to embarrass you again.”
There was no denying that she found her daughter’s public search for Ella embarrassing. But that wasn’t what Kate was afraid of. Abby’s inability to let go of the past had stolen five years of her young life. It had to stop.
She heard footsteps on the stairs and looked up just as Savannah, carrying half a pitcher of lemonade, approached the table.
“I thought I might find you down here.” Savannah filled Kate’s empty glass to the brim with lemonade. “Tuesday nights are dead after the early crowd clears out. I’ve already stripped the tables and reset them for breakfast. I’ll put fresh flowers in the vases in the morning. Carmen is watching for any last-minute customers, but I think we’ll be ready to close up tighter than a tick at nine o’clock.”
“Sounds like you’re ahead of the game. Why don’t you sit for a minute?” Kate said, hoping some girl talk would give her a sense of normalcy.
“Thanks. My feet could use a break.” Savannah pulled out a chair and sat next to Kate, looking out toward the lake. “Incredible view from up here. All those years of living in Looziana, I don’t think I was ever higher than a few feet above sea level. And now I’m living on a mountain. Isn’t that a lick?”
“Sure Foot Mountain is only eighteen hundred feet high—not exactly Mount Everest.”
“Well, this bayou gal feels on top of the world.” Savannah laughed. “I could get a nosebleed up here. And just feel that cool evening breeze. Summer sure is different here.”
“Wait until July and August. It won’t be quite as humid as south Louisiana, but you can still fry an egg on the sidewalk. So are you settled in your new house?”
Savannah grinned. “Yes,
“I’ll let them talk to Grandpa. He’ll convince them I’m harmless.”
“You’ve talked to your grandfather about this?”
“No. But he’d do it. I know you won’t.”
Her mother took the wadded-up tissue in her hand and dabbed her eyes. “ I know you’re not a dangerous person, but Ella’s parents don’t know that. And I think Dixie would agree with me that searching for a child who looks like your sister on the off chance it might be her isn’t healthy—for you or Ella. And it won’t work anyway. After Ella, it would be someone else.”
“That’s not fair.” Abby’s eyes burned with indignation. “I have a strong connection to her I can’t explain.”
“She isn’t your sister.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do know that!” Mama’s quivering voice wasn’t convincing.
“Well, I don’t. Can’t you just leave me alone and let me figure it out for myself?”
Kate buried her face in her hands. Finally she looked up and held Abby’s gaze. “I don’t suppose it would do me any good to forbid you to do this?”
Abby looked out at the hummingbird feeder attached to the window. “Mama, all I want to do is find Ella. You don’t have to worry that I’m going to fall into some deep depression if she turns out to be the daughter of that man and woman she was with.”
“And what if you can’t find her?”
Abby shrugged. “Then that’s just the way it is.”
A long moment of silence made Abby shift in her chair. It was hard to tell if her mother was angry or just thinking.
“I’ll make you a deal,” Mama said. “I won’t get in the way of your looking for Ella if you agree to go talk to Dixie—willingly and with an open mind.”
“It’s a waste of money.”
“It’s my money, Abby. I’ll make the appointment. Deal or not?”
“Deal.”
Chapter 9
Kate sat at a corner table on the umbrella deck at Angel View Lodge, watching the rental boats returning to the marina as dusk began to fall, her earlier encounter with Abby playing in her mind.
“Your sister isn’t coming back, Abby. Neither is your father. You’ve got to accept that. You’re not living with reality, and I’m afraid it’s going to hurt you.”
“No, you’re afraid I’m going to embarrass you again.”
There was no denying that she found her daughter’s public search for Ella embarrassing. But that wasn’t what Kate was afraid of. Abby’s inability to let go of the past had stolen five years of her young life. It had to stop.
She heard footsteps on the stairs and looked up just as Savannah, carrying half a pitcher of lemonade, approached the table.
“I thought I might find you down here.” Savannah filled Kate’s empty glass to the brim with lemonade. “Tuesday nights are dead after the early crowd clears out. I’ve already stripped the tables and reset them for breakfast. I’ll put fresh flowers in the vases in the morning. Carmen is watching for any last-minute customers, but I think we’ll be ready to close up tighter than a tick at nine o’clock.”
“Sounds like you’re ahead of the game. Why don’t you sit for a minute?” Kate said, hoping some girl talk would give her a sense of normalcy.
“Thanks. My feet could use a break.” Savannah pulled out a chair and sat next to Kate, looking out toward the lake. “Incredible view from up here. All those years of living in Looziana, I don’t think I was ever higher than a few feet above sea level. And now I’m living on a mountain. Isn’t that a lick?”
“Sure Foot Mountain is only eighteen hundred feet high—not exactly Mount Everest.”
“Well, this bayou gal feels on top of the world.” Savannah laughed. “I could get a nosebleed up here. And just feel that cool evening breeze. Summer sure is different here.”
“Wait until July and August. It won’t be quite as humid as south Louisiana, but you can still fry an egg on the sidewalk. So are you settled in your new house?”
Savannah grinned. “Yes,
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