Out of the Blue

Chapter 16

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

After Blaze texted that he was only twenty minutes away, Nora and Ivy hosed off their feet before climbing the back steps of the cottage. Gram held the railing, following their lead. Ivy had chosen one of Gram’s books to appease her, and the three of them had read on the beach. After a while, Nora had actually managed to slip into the story and had finally calmed down from the morning’s events.

When they got inside, Nora tried to run a comb through her hair, but the salty air had given it the consistency of straw. She twisted it into a bun and powdered her nose. She’d just added a little lip gloss when she heard the grinding of tires against the gravel outside.

Ivy and Gram were in the kitchen, and Ivy didn’t seem terribly antsy to greet her father, so Nora opened the door.

Blaze got out of the car. Dark circles shone under his eyes and a twenty-four-hour stubble left a shadow on his square jaw. The hem of his wrinkled T-shirt hiked up when he slipped his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

“Hey,” he said from his car.

“Hi.”

He pulled a duffel bag from the backseat, shut the car door, and bounded up the stairs to reach her. A scent of cotton and spice floated toward her on the wind. She swallowed.

“I’m so sorry for this.” He shook his head. “I’m mortified.”

“It’s all right.”

But was it? Seeing him was ‘all right,’ but she really shouldn’t feel glad to see him for the reason that was floating around in her consciousness.

Thoughts seemed to lurk behind his eyes. He took his hands from his pockets and raised them into the air. “I should’ve brought something for you—coffee or… lunch—to say thank you for spending the morning with my unruly daughter.”

His little comment made her smile. “I’ve got both inside if you’d like some.”

“Thanks,” he said. “She doing okay?” He nodded toward the house.

“Yeah, she seems to be enjoying herself. She’s in the kitchen with my grandmother.”

He held up his bag. “I figured, if she wants to stay, since we’re already here, I could find us a place. Maybe a change of location could help us connect. There’s nothing a little mini golf and beach go-karts can’t solve.”

“That’s a great idea.”

Nora let him inside, and he followed her to the kitchen. Gram and Ivy were elbow-deep in cold-cuts and vegetables, making lunch. Ivy’s hands stilled when Blaze walked in. Gram stopped as well.

“Hello,” Blaze said to Gram. “Blaze Ryman.”

“June Jenkins.” Her eyes widened at Nora when Blaze turned his attention to Ivy, and she put the back of her hand to her forehead as if she would pass out from his attractiveness.

Nora gave her grandmother a look of warning, but she couldn’t fault Gram’s initial impression.

Ivy stood silently, not making eye contact, as Blaze dropped his bag on the floor and moved toward her.

“Want to tell me why running away was a better option than coming to talk to me?” he asked, his voice gentle.

“I told you, I don’t want to do your stupid summer plan.”

“You didn’t need to make a seven-hour drive and miss a night’s sleep to make your point.”

“You wouldn’t have listened,” Ivy countered.

Blaze took a step toward her. “How do you know?”

“Because Mom told me all the time how great your listening skills were.” She spit the words at him, her defenses obviously up by the rise in her shoulders.

“Fair enough. I didn’t listen to your mom. I didn’t do a lot of things right.”

Ivy folded her arms.

Nora braced for an argument, but to her surprise, Blaze remained calm, his stare soft.

“But there are two sides to every story,” Blaze said.

Ivy remained quiet, yet that defiant pout was front and center.

“I know you must be hungry, Blaze,” Gram said, evidently trying to ease the tension. “I’m slicing up some fresh bread from the market, and Ivy and I laid out a tray of meats, cheeses, and veggies. There’s fresh fruit over there.” She shook a finger at a glass serving bowl. “Please, get yourself a plate.”

“I don’t want to waste any more of your time,” he said.

“Nonsense,” Gram said. “We’d love to have you.”

“I don’t want to eat up all your groceries either. Let me order us all lunch at least.”

Gram waved off his proposition. “I think we can part with a sandwich or two.” She handed Blaze a plate.

“All right,” he relented. “Thank you. This looks delicious.”

Gram offered Ivy a plate too.

As Blaze and Ivy each made a sandwich, Nora walked around the small counter. Trying to be inconspicuous, she took in his disheveled appearance, his old jeans and uncombed hair.

She reached across to get herself a plate. Was their meager lunch up to his standards? He wasn’t always rich, she reminded herself. But the recollection of a gleaming sculpture in the entryway of his mansion made her wonder if he remembered.

Gram suggested they eat on the back porch. When they all got outside, she flicked on the radio, more oldies playing. Blaze turned his ear toward the source of the song.

“Do you hear that?”

“Hear what? The song?” Nora asked, taking a seat next to Ivy.

“That drumbeat.”

Nora mentally sifted through all the sounds until she found the thump, thump, thump underneath the melody. “Yes, I hear it.”

“What do you notice about it?” he asked.

Nora peered up at the porch ceiling, trying to figure out what he might be getting at. “What should I notice about it?”

“This is a slower song, but the underlying beat?—”

“Is faster,” Ivy said, finishing his sentence.

Blaze’s attention landed on his daughter, the corners of his mouth lifting. “Exactly. Why do you think they did that?”

Ivy scooted her chair up to the table. “Because the song is about a guy who’s gonna tell the girl of his dreams he loves her, and his heart is probably beating out of his chest. The drumbeat is his heartbeat.”

“You two can hear all that?” Gram asked. “Because all I hear is the song.”

Blaze laughed. “That’s what you’re supposed to hear, but your subconscious will internalize the drumbeat, and if you’ve ever felt the nerves that come with telling someone how you feel, your brain will recognize it.”

“I’ve always liked this song,” Gram said. “Maybe that’s why. I was the one who told my husband I was in love with him first, so I definitely know that feeling.”

“You told Gramps you loved him before he’d told you?” Nora asked, picking up her lemonade and taking a sip of the tart, sweet liquid.

Blaze leaned back in his chair, focused on Gram.

“He was leaving for the summer to work with a logging company in the Tennessee Smoky Mountains. We hadn’t been dating very long, but I was head over heels for him. I told him it wasn’t a good idea for him to go, and he asked why. I said, ‘Because I’m in love with you, and I can’t manage a whole summer without you.’” She looked out at the Gulf with a satisfied smile. “I was so young—a summer felt like an eternity.”

“Did he go?” Ivy asked.

Gram turned her attention back to the table. “Nope. He worked at the local diner that summer instead, and by August he’d proposed.” She picked up her sandwich. “The moral of that story is: always tell someone how you feel, even if it’s just the beginning.”

Blaze gave Nora a flickering glance before focusing on his sandwich and taking a bite.

Was that a look? Maybe not. Why would he have looked at her just then? Nora took a gulp of her lemonade in an attempt to cool the heat crawling through her cheeks for even imagining such a thing. She glanced back over, and when she did he was looking at her again. Her heart began to take on the same tempo as the song that had started all this.

“It’s a beautiful day,” Blaze said, turning his attention to the view. “The tide’s gentle.”

“It’s a green-flag day all day,” Gram said.

“Green-flag day?” Ivy asked.

“I saw it on the news. It’s like the stoplights, I think. There’s green for low hazard, yellow for ‘use caution,’ and red for dangerous conditions. There’s also a purple one as well.”

Ivy wrinkled her nose. “What’s the purple one for?”

“Dangerous marine life.” Gram widened her eyes in mock dismay.

“We’ve come all this way,” Blaze said, stabbing a piece of cantaloupe with his fork, “we might as well get a hotel room and enjoy the beach for a few days. What do you say, Ivy?”

Ivy lit up. “Can we?”

“Sure. If you promise to hear me out about the summer,” he replied.

Ivy chewed on her lip. “All right.”

“Thanks.” He squinted out at the water. “There’s something about the coast that makes everything melt away, doesn’t it?”

“My thoughts exactly,” Nora agreed.

Maybe after lunch they could all take a walk down the beach like she’d wanted to do. That might be just the thing Ivy and Blaze needed to relax enough to air out their differences. And she didn’t mind having Blaze there. His presence brought a little excitement.

Blaze yawned. “I’m gonna head back in the house for a minute and reserve a hotel room. The effects of a missed night of sleep are catching up with me.”

“Of course,” Nora said.

Yes, certainly he was tired. And Ivy probably was too. Blaze excused himself and went into the cottage.

“Are you sleepy?” Nora asked Ivy.

Ivy frowned and shook her head. “Not really. I probably should be, but being here gives me energy. It makes me want to sit barefoot and write in my journal.”

It was good Ivy had somewhere to express herself. “Did you bring it with you?”

“Yeah, it’s in my bag.”

“You should go get it and take it down on the beach for inspiration.”

“I will.” Ivy picked up her sandwich and took a bite, a satisfied look on her face. She seemed calmer whenever she was in Nora’s care.

“What kinds of things do you write in your journal?” Gram asked. “Songs? Inner thoughts?”

Ivy tucked a pink strand of hair behind her ear. “Whatever’s on my mind.”

Gram picked up her glass of lemonade and caught a runaway drip of condensation with her finger. “I used to keep a journal when I was a young girl.”

“You don’t anymore?” Ivy asked.

“I probably should, but life got busy there for a while, and I just didn’t feel as though I had the time. I was busy being a wife and raising Nora’s dad.” She set her drink down and leaned forward. “I used to write about my plans for my life in my journal, but after I married Nora’s grandfather, I was too busy making those plans to write them down. They were coming faster than I could document them.”

“Why do you think that is?” Nora asked.

“Because I was happy. I didn’t need to plan because I was too busy living a life I loved.”

Ivy leaned back in her chair. “You’re lucky. We’re not all that happy.”

“I wasn’t always that happy either,” Gram said. “I’ve had my share of worries over the years. We all do—the struggle is part of life. It’s how you handle the struggles that make or break you.”

Ivy drew inward, eating her lunch silently as if mulling over Gram’s point. Gram seemed to have the same knack at connecting with Ivy as Nora.

Nora reached over and turned up the radio, the songs filling the air above the screech of seagulls and the swish-swashing of the tide. The heat had hit its crescendo, but the coastal breeze fought against it, sending a cool wave of air toward them. The day was positively perfect.

Just as they’d finished their lunch Blaze returned.

“Sorry, I took a quick catnap. I drifted off after I tried to find us a hotel room. I can’t find a single hotel that has a vacancy. They’re all booked.” He turned his wrist over to reveal a large timepiece that probably cost more than the cottage. “It’s already almost four o’clock. We’re looking at a seven-hour drive, at best, and neither of us have slept.” He ran his fingers through his hair.

“We could go into town and try to find a store with a tent,” Ivy said. “Or we could sleep in the car.”

Blaze rubbed the stubble on his chin. “We might have to bite the bullet and drive home?—”

Nora and Gram both interjected at the same time. “No.”

Gram deferred to Nora.

“It isn’t safe to drive exhausted,” Nora said, “and you’ll also get caught up in Sunday traffic with vacationers heading back home.” She stood up and collected the dishes. Her teaching contract had a clause regarding favoritism, bias, and the teacher's ability to justly evaluate or treat the student, not to mention the school’s ethics policies. If she didn’t tread lightly, having Blaze and Nora vacationing with them could lead to disciplinary action or investigation by the school or district. But sending them both off while they were exhausted wasn’t right either.

“We’re going to have to,” Blaze said, helping her with his plate and Ivy’s.

Ivy gathered up everyone’s empty glasses.

“You all have two cars,” Nora said, stepping inside and leaving the door open as the others followed. “You won’t even be able to keep each other awake on the trip. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if anything happened.” She set the dishes on the counter and peered down the hallway. She was in a terrible position, but there was only one option. “You could always… stay with us.”

Blaze’s eyes rounded. “Two more people in this tiny cottage? We’d be underfoot.”

“It’s just for a night,” Gram offered.

“I can stay in Gram’s room,” Nora said. “It has two twin beds and, Blaze, you can take my room. Ivy can sleep on the couch. Then, tomorrow, we can all go our separate ways.”

“I hate to crash your vacation.” Blaze put his hands in his pockets and hung his head. “Ivy had an idea: we could sleep in our cars. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve done it.”

“It just doesn’t seem right when we have enough beds,” Nora said. “It really isn’t a terrible imposition. We’ll all be asleep, and no one will even know the difference.”

“You sure?” Blaze asked.

“Yes,” Nora said emphatically.

A flash of happiness sprung into Ivy’s eyes, the edges of her lips turning upward.

“One night,” Blaze reiterated, holding a finger up to his daughter.

Nora took the dishes over to the sink. “Well, that’s settled. Blaze, I’m sure you’re still exhausted. Would you two like to have a rest?”

“I’m not tired,” Ivy said. “I’d like to spend time on the beach and maybe write in my journal.”

“I’ll go with you,” Blaze offered.

Gram held out her hands in an inclusive gesture. “Let’s all go.”

Ivy eyed her father. His presence added an additional layer to the atmosphere.

“I brought a swimsuit and a change of clothes,” Ivy said. “Can I get changed real fast?”

“Sure,” Nora said. “I need to rinse off these dishes anyway. The bathroom’s just down there.” She pointed down the hall.

Ivy got her suitcase and took it to the bathroom.

Blaze walked over to Nora’s side of the counter and pumped some soap into his hands. “I can help. I’ll wash, you dry.”

Gram ran a paper towel under the tap, her gaze on Nora and Blaze. “And I’ll wipe down the table outside.” She squeezed the excess water into the basin and then left them alone in the kitchen.

Nora handed Blaze her dish rag while she rooted around in the drawer for a tea towel. Flashes of him on his social media trying on that fur coat came to mind unprompted. Was he really going to handwash dishes in their modest sink?

He turned the spigot to hot and ran his finger through the stream of water until it began to steam up. He rinsed the plate, then added dish soap to his rag, and scrubbed as if washing dishes was the most natural thing in the world for him.

“Thank you for letting us stay tonight.” He rinsed the dish and handed it to Nora.

“You’re welcome.”

As Blaze washed another dish, she dried the one in her hand and peered through the glass door at Gram. This trip had been her grandmother’s dream, and it had been interrupted, delayed until Ivy and Blaze could get back on the road. While Gram didn’t seem to mind them being here, and Nora was glad to see them, she did hate that it was at the expense of quality time with her grandmother. All Gram’s organizing had probably been a result of her restless energy to get here, and now she’d have to wait to really enjoy her vacation.

Ivy came out of the bathroom in a black one-piece swimsuit and a pair of jean shorts that looked as if she’d cut them herself, and she had a leather-bound journal tucked under her arm. “Ready.”

“We’re almost done,” Nora said just as Gram came inside.

“I can jump in to make the dishwashing go faster,” Gram said.

Ivy set her journal on the counter. “I’ll help too.” Even though sleep deprived, Ivy had a glow about her, as if the beach had already worked its magic on her soul.

Nora opened the drawer with the dish towels and handed Ivy one. “Help your dad wash and then I’ll dry and, Gram, you can put them away.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Gram took the dried dishes that Nora had stacked beside her and began returning them to cabinets. Then, she assumed her position next to Nora. In a few minutes, they’d worked as a team to wash all the dishes and put them away.

Blaze took off his shoes and socks, setting them by his bag in the living room. Nora focused on getting the beach chairs to avoid the sight of his ruggedly casual appearance. They all left through the back door and headed toward the beach.

The loose sand near the house gave Nora’s calves a workout as they trudged down to the shore under an electric-blue sky. A sandpiper chased the retreating tide back to the rolling edge of the Gulf. Nora covered her eyes with her hand and peered down the beach. There wasn’t a thing in either direction except the occasional cottage. The shore was perfectly serene. She dropped the chairs into the sand and Blaze began setting them up.

“Should we take a walk?” he asked.

“Oh, that would be lovely,” Gram piped up. “Nora and I had planned to take one this morning and we didn’t get around to it.”

Ivy kicked the sand. “Sorry.”

Gram stepped over to her. “For what, dear?”

“It’s my fault you didn’t take your walk.”

Gram threw up her hands. “We were meant to walk with you it seems! Look at this beautiful day. Now you get to share it with us.”

Ivy smiled, relief evident. She scratched down something in her journal as she walked, and Gram paced slowly beside her, offering small talk. The wind made it difficult to hear what she said, but her comment had made Ivy feel better, which made Nora happy. Ivy had seemed to be in a brighter mood after being there a while, and she didn’t want to ruin that. Having lost her own parents, Nora understood how important those moments of distraction from the real world were.

Blaze stepped up beside Nora, and the two of them padded along the wet sand just at the edge of the surf. He stopped and picked up a seashell at the water’s break, the hem of his jeans darkening as the tide splashed against it. He turned the shell over in the palm of his hand then skipped it across the water.

“I shouldn’t be glad that Ivy ran away, but I am,” he said.

“Why’s that?” Nora held up the hem of her sundress.

“I haven’t been to this area since high school. Back then, I spent most of my time either sleeping or doing things I shouldn’t like getting into my dad’s beer supply. I was a stupid kid.”

“Doing stupid things is part of life, right?”

He shrugged. “We came every summer, and never once did I anticipate enjoying this.” He opened his arms wide. “I was too busy thinking about the next party or who was coming over that night to see what was right in front of me.”

“You were young.”

“Yeah, but even as an adult, I miss things that are right in front of me.”

He started walking again, and she fell in step beside him.

“I’m not happy unless I’m chasing something, and it’s brought me great success, but in doing that, I lose sight of the rest. I missed Ivy’s entire childhood.”

He looked over his shoulder. Ivy’s journal hung from her fingertips by her side, and she and Gram were deep in conversation.

“I should’ve fought harder for them, but how? I didn’t know how to be a husband or father. I had no clue how to balance the hours I was working with giving them what they needed. And I still struggle with Ivy. I want to do better for her, but nothing I do seems to work.”

Nora took in the honesty in his gray eyes, the gold flecks showing in the shadow of a beard on his jaw. “I wish I could relate to your work ethic,” she said. “But I don’t know what it’s like to have that level of passion for something. I’m just an average person with no big talents.”

“You’re definitely not an average person,” he said.

“I beg to differ.”

“You have a way with Ivy that I can’t match. An average person can’t reach her like you can.”

Gram had mentioned Nora’s ability to reach people as her talent as well, but she didn’t feel it. Perhaps it was because she didn’t necessarily have an ability to reach people—it was just Ivy. But what did that mean for her after Ivy’s senior year next year? What would her job be like without the girl?

“Who lives there?” Ivy called, jogging up to them, pointing to the cottage down the beach from theirs.

“No idea.” Nora shielded her eyes from the sun.

A boy who looked to be around Ivy’s age was leaning on the railing of the deck, facing the water.

“Maybe another renter,” Nora said.

Ivy held her hair back and turned her face toward the boy. He smiled and waved.

Ivy waved back. “Let’s turn around and walk back. Want to?”

For the first time since Nora had known her, Ivy looked bashful.

“I could do with a break,” Gram said.

They walked back, settled in the beach chairs, and put their toes in the water. Ivy opened the journal on her lap. She twisted around to view the cottage down the beach and then began to write. Gram settled in her chair, and Blaze leaned back in his and closed his eyes. Nora continued to ruminate over how she hadn’t done anything extraordinary in her life. Blaze might not have it all together, but at least he’d followed his passion. She didn’t even know what she wanted to do if she did follow her heart.

Gram leaned over and chatted with Ivy about a song the girl was writing in her journal. The two discussed ideas and came up with rhymes, but the coastal wind made it hard for Nora to follow. Blaze, who still hadn’t had more than a catnap, dozed off. Pretending to be listening to Gram and Ivy, Nora stole glances at him. His face was peaceful, that smile of his relaxed. The wind blew his hair back and forth.

The boy from the other cottage came down on the beach, pulling Ivy’s attention from Gram. She closed her journal.

“I’m going to take another walk,” Ivy said, getting up and brushing the sand off her bottom. She set the journal in her chair.

Blaze opened one eye but didn’t stop her.

Ivy paced down to the boy and stopped, the two teens talking in the distance. They spoke for a while before she raised a hand in goodbye and headed back over.

“Meet a friend?” Nora asked when she’d returned.

“He’s here for the week. His name’s Jake.” She looked back down the beach, her curiosity clear. “He seems nice. He was walking down to introduce himself.”

Blaze roused and cleared his throat, sending a fatherly glance the boy’s way.

Ivy eyed her father and then shook her head.

Seeming to notice his daughter’s response, he changed the subject. “Should we call in some dinner?”

“That sounds like a great idea,” Gram said as she hoisted herself out of her chair. She snapped it flat.

Nora followed.

“Can we get pizza delivered?” Ivy asked.

Blaze got up and closed his chair, slipping it over his arm by the built-in carrying strap. “At the beach? Why don’t we order seafood from one of the local restaurants?”

Ivy’s mood was delicate, as evidenced by the frown that had already slid back into place. Nora didn’t necessarily want pizza, but the goal was to keep Ivy in good spirits so the teen and her father could rest up and head back home where their family counselor could manage the situation better.

“I could do pizza,” Nora said.

Ivy threw out her knuckles and Nora gave her a fist bump.

“Pizza sounds good to me,” Gram agreed. “We’ve got pina colada mix. Anything goes with that.”

“All right, fine,” Blaze said. “We’ll get pizza. But if we do, I’m taking everyone out for breakfast tomorrow morning. The least I can do is treat you to say thank you.”

“It’s a deal,” Gram said.

They stacked the chairs by the porch and rinsed off their feet before retreating to the cottage to order dinner. Gram immediately washed her hands and set in making everyone pina coladas. She even made a mix-only version for Ivy. Nora lit a few candles and set them out on the porch, and they settled at the table outside.

The pizza came, and Gram topped off their drinks as Blaze helped Nora divvy up slices. Gram whispered something to Ivy, making the girl laugh, and Blaze shimmied around Nora to hand his daughter some pizza. Anyone looking on would think they were a regular family, there for a vacation. And Nora had to admit she was enjoying having them there.

* * *

Later that night, Ivy had plopped onto the sofa with her phone and fallen asleep, and Gram had retired to her room. Blaze and Nora were out on the porch swing, one final pina colada in hand. Stars filled the darkening sky as the final remnant of sun cast a light blue glow on the horizon. The humidity was replaced by a cool breeze, and the white sand nearly glowed in the moonlight.

“It’s like the world stops when you’re out here,” Blaze said, leaning back in the swing, his long legs moving them gently in time with the lapping of the waves. “I haven’t even thought about anything back home.”

“I know what you mean.”

They sat next to one another, his spicy scent wafting over to her on the wind. As he rocked the swing, the side of his thigh brushed her knee, sending tingles through her limbs. He scooted his leg away and grinned at her before taking a drink of his cocktail.

Nora now felt comfortable with him there, but also off-kilter because he was so personable. She wasn’t quite sure how to define the feeling he gave her; she just knew her other students’ parents didn’t evoke that response in her.

“Sorry again for crashing your summer vacation,” he said, his cheeks pink from the alcohol.

“I’m really not all that disappointed that you did, honestly.”

He met her gaze, questions in those stormy eyes.

“It’s been nice to have you all here. And I’ll help you and Ivy in any way I can.”

They fell into silence as they finished their drinks to the song of the waves. Blaze’s eyes seemed to become heavy, and he closed them before stretching.

“I’m going to have to crash,” he said, with a yawn. “I got a second wind earlier, but I’m going down.”

“I can’t believe you stayed up as long as you have.”

He stood and Nora hopped off the porch swing as well. As he looked down at her, she was keenly aware it was just the two of them out there.

She swallowed. “Let me show you your room.”

On their way, Blaze stopped in the kitchen. He took his glass and her drink from the counter where she’d set it and rinsed them in the sink. He added some dish soap and washed the glasses. She wanted to find something interesting to say, but him standing there, barefoot and washing dishes, had dissolved all rational thought. She shouldn’t have had rum in the last two drinks…

While offering Blaze and Ivy a place to stay had seemed a fine idea earlier, now that it was quiet and just the two of them were awake, the situation felt very different, personal. Perhaps it was all in her head.

To avoid the situation, she went in and checked on Ivy. She covered her up with a blanket from the edge of the sofa and then lingered in the living room for a tick until the water turned off in the kitchen.

“You didn’t have to wash the glasses,” she said after she returned to the room.

“I’m earning my keep.”

The glitter of humor in his eyes was intoxicating, so she focused on the task at hand, leading Blaze down the short hallway to the room where she’d slept last night. At least she’d made the bed.

“Here you go.” She went into the room and pointed to the adjoining bathroom. “There are towels under the sink.”

“Thank you.”

As she turned to leave, he lightly tapped her bare shoulder, his touch stealing her breath.

“Good night.”

She forced out a response. “Good night. See you in the morning.”

On her way out, she squeezed her eyes shut and took in a deep breath to try to clear her head as she let herself into Gram’s dark room, her heart pattering.

Gram was already asleep, so Nora clicked on the small bedside light to find her way to the en-suite bathroom to wash up. When she crossed the room, a piece of paper with obvious letterhead peeked out between the pages of Gram’s book on her bedside table. Quietly, Nora padded over to it, opened the book, and squinted to make out what the paper was. It looked as if it might be a hospital letterhead, but the words were blurred in the dark. Probably just a full-page receipt from her appointment the other day that she was using as a bookmark.

She smiled at her sleeping grandmother. That would be just like her to repurpose an old sheet of paper instead of buy a bookmark. She never spent any money on herself. This trip was the first time she’d done anything like that. Nora made a mental note to surprise her with a beachy bookmark. She’d sneakily get one when they went shopping in town.