Read Online Summer at Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Susan Wiggs
Ads: Link
up, in a helpless gesture.
Olivia had no reply. The misconception summed up her entire childhood.
“I assume you’ve already discussed this with your father,” Pamela said, her voice iced with indifference.
“Yes. Nana and Granddad are his parents, after all.” Olivia felt weary already. Her mother had a way of wearing her down with a steady rain of words. Yet Olivia was determined not to be talked out of this. At least her father hadn’t tried to stand in her way. Last night, when she’d explained her sudden decision to take on the Camp Kioga project, he’d been supportive and encouraging. By noon today, arrangements were already under way. She had leased a huge SUV for the summer, organized her office for her absence and arranged for another real-estate enhancement firm to take referrals and maintain her current properties.
“You’re running away,” her mother said. “Again.”
“I guess I am.” Olivia took out her day runner and flipped it open to a lengthy list she’d made in the taxi ride over here.
“Darling, I’m so sorry.” Her mother looked genuinely crestfallen.
“Yes, well. It happens.” Just once, Olivia wished she could snuggle up to her mother and cry on her shoulder. It didn’t work like that, though. Not between her and Pamela. “I’m sorry too, Mom,” she said. “I know you had your hopes up this time.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, never mind me.” Her mother made a clucking sound. “I simply want you to be happy, that’s all. That’s my main concern.”
“I’ll be all right,” Olivia assured her. To her amazement, a telltale gleam of tears flashed in her mother’s eyes. She realized Pamela was taking this harder than she was. “It’s not the end of the world, right?” Olivia said. “There are worse things in life than being dumped by your boyfriend. And now that I think about it, I wasn’t even dumped.”
“You weren’t?” she patted her forehead and cheeks with a tissue.
“Rand asked me to move to L.A. with him.”
“I didn’t know that. Dear, perhaps you ought to consider—”
“Don’t even go there.”
“But once you take that step, once you’re sharing a life, you’ll both realize you’re happy together.”
“I think I’ve realized we’re happy apart.”
“Nonsense. Rand Whitney is perfect for you. I don’t know why you’re giving up without a fight.”
Olivia’s heart sank. This was what made Pamela Lightsey Bellamy tick—the quest to look happy and successful at all costs, even if it meant a fight. Even if it meant hiding the fact that you still hadn’t gotten over a divorce, seventeen years earlier.
Once, long ago, Olivia had asked her mother if she was happy. The question had excited a short laugh of disbelief. “Don’t be silly,” Pamela had said. “I am supremely happy and it would seem ungracious to appear any other way.”
Which wasn’t even close to providing the answer Olivia sought, but she had dropped the subject.
“I’m done with Rand Whitney,” she concluded, “and you’re sweet to worry about me. But my mind is made up. I’m going to do this for Nana. I wanted to grab a few things while I’m here.”
“This is insane,” her mother said. “I don’t know what Jane was thinking, asking you to do such a thing.”
“Maybe she was thinking that I’m good enough at my job to make a success of this.”
Pamela stiffened her spine. “Of course she was. And she is a very lucky woman, because that place is going to look amazing once you finish with it.”
“Thank you, Mom. You’re absolutely right.” The distress on her mother’s face wasn’t all about Rand. Olivia knew that the upcoming anniversary put her mother in an awkward spot. Pamela’s father, Samuel Lightsey, was best friends with Charles Bellamy. This was probably another reason her mother had finalized the divorce on paper but never in her heart. Her family’s close ties with the Bellamys created a bond she couldn’t
Olivia had no reply. The misconception summed up her entire childhood.
“I assume you’ve already discussed this with your father,” Pamela said, her voice iced with indifference.
“Yes. Nana and Granddad are his parents, after all.” Olivia felt weary already. Her mother had a way of wearing her down with a steady rain of words. Yet Olivia was determined not to be talked out of this. At least her father hadn’t tried to stand in her way. Last night, when she’d explained her sudden decision to take on the Camp Kioga project, he’d been supportive and encouraging. By noon today, arrangements were already under way. She had leased a huge SUV for the summer, organized her office for her absence and arranged for another real-estate enhancement firm to take referrals and maintain her current properties.
“You’re running away,” her mother said. “Again.”
“I guess I am.” Olivia took out her day runner and flipped it open to a lengthy list she’d made in the taxi ride over here.
“Darling, I’m so sorry.” Her mother looked genuinely crestfallen.
“Yes, well. It happens.” Just once, Olivia wished she could snuggle up to her mother and cry on her shoulder. It didn’t work like that, though. Not between her and Pamela. “I’m sorry too, Mom,” she said. “I know you had your hopes up this time.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, never mind me.” Her mother made a clucking sound. “I simply want you to be happy, that’s all. That’s my main concern.”
“I’ll be all right,” Olivia assured her. To her amazement, a telltale gleam of tears flashed in her mother’s eyes. She realized Pamela was taking this harder than she was. “It’s not the end of the world, right?” Olivia said. “There are worse things in life than being dumped by your boyfriend. And now that I think about it, I wasn’t even dumped.”
“You weren’t?” she patted her forehead and cheeks with a tissue.
“Rand asked me to move to L.A. with him.”
“I didn’t know that. Dear, perhaps you ought to consider—”
“Don’t even go there.”
“But once you take that step, once you’re sharing a life, you’ll both realize you’re happy together.”
“I think I’ve realized we’re happy apart.”
“Nonsense. Rand Whitney is perfect for you. I don’t know why you’re giving up without a fight.”
Olivia’s heart sank. This was what made Pamela Lightsey Bellamy tick—the quest to look happy and successful at all costs, even if it meant a fight. Even if it meant hiding the fact that you still hadn’t gotten over a divorce, seventeen years earlier.
Once, long ago, Olivia had asked her mother if she was happy. The question had excited a short laugh of disbelief. “Don’t be silly,” Pamela had said. “I am supremely happy and it would seem ungracious to appear any other way.”
Which wasn’t even close to providing the answer Olivia sought, but she had dropped the subject.
“I’m done with Rand Whitney,” she concluded, “and you’re sweet to worry about me. But my mind is made up. I’m going to do this for Nana. I wanted to grab a few things while I’m here.”
“This is insane,” her mother said. “I don’t know what Jane was thinking, asking you to do such a thing.”
“Maybe she was thinking that I’m good enough at my job to make a success of this.”
Pamela stiffened her spine. “Of course she was. And she is a very lucky woman, because that place is going to look amazing once you finish with it.”
“Thank you, Mom. You’re absolutely right.” The distress on her mother’s face wasn’t all about Rand. Olivia knew that the upcoming anniversary put her mother in an awkward spot. Pamela’s father, Samuel Lightsey, was best friends with Charles Bellamy. This was probably another reason her mother had finalized the divorce on paper but never in her heart. Her family’s close ties with the Bellamys created a bond she couldn’t
Similar Books
