15. Linda #3
“Sheesh,” Emma looked at them in disgust. “This is just fun, you know.”
“Yes, and fun is winning,” Maggie told her. “That’s why we have trophies.”
“I think we’ve created a monster,” Sophia admitted, her eyes squinting at Maggie. “Gran, was Maggie like this the last time we joined these games?”
“Oh, sweetheart…” Linda sighed. “She was much, much worse.” She glanced at the five pairs of young eyes staring at her. “Believe it or not, she’s mellowed with age.”
“Then I’m glad I either can’t remember the last time or blocked it out,” Sophia said. “Because Maggie and even Uncle Michael are bad enough.”
“You know what we should do?” Lilly said, mischief sparkling in her eyes. Clearly, she had an idea.
“No!” Isabel and Linda hissed at the same time.
“What?” the five kids asked in unison, looking innocent.
“Whatever mischief you’re about to plan…” Linda warned.
“Don’t,” Isabel added, then looked at Linda and her eyes suddenly glinted. “Or maybe…”
Linda’s brows shot up as she realized what Isabel was about to say. “Maybe in exchange for letting them have some fun, they help us with our little scheme.”
“Grannnn,” Sophia sighed. “Please don’t tell me you’re going to fake a fall again so you can get out of playing the games.”
“No…” Linda said with a soft laugh. “You’re going to help Isabel and me get out of this.”
“Fine,” Toby grumbled. “Let us think about it.”
“Great, you’ve got twenty minutes,” Linda told him, patting his head.
Just then Maggie blew her whistle to get their attention and turned her focus to the kids.
"Sophia, Lily, Emma, Jake, and Toby,” Maggie called. Their attention immediately shifted to her. “You’re our precision specialists. You have the egg-and-spoon race and the sack race. It requires steady hands and zero hesitation. Practice your form while we finish setting the perimeter."
"On it!" Jake cheered, grabbing a plastic spoon and a pebble to start testing his balance right there on the grass as the other kids joined him to coordinate.
“That leaves the two of you,” Maggie gave Linda and Isabel a smug smile and then glanced at the first inflatable water obstacle race. “You two are going to start the water obstacle race.”
“What?” they chorused.
“No way,” Linda snorted, shaking her head vehemently. “Nope, uh-uh. Not happening.” She eyed her friend as if Maggie had grown two heads. “You know I’m not good at those things.”
“You don’t give yourself enough credit,” Maggie told her. “Now you can put your old gymnastics skills to good use.” Before Linda could complain further, Maggie's head turned toward Isabel. “You will be partnering with her.”
“I have absolutely zero balancing skills or even coordination when it comes to things like that,” Isabel told her. “There’s no way I’ll be able to balance on an inflatable chair in the pool.”
“You’ll do just fine,” Maggie encouraged her, ignoring Isabel’s protests. “Besides, if you fall you hit the lake.”
“Great,” Isabel shuddered. “Just what I wanted to hear. I’m going to be bouncing to my death on a big white inflatable that looks like a giant marshmallow before plunging into the dark grungy depths of the lake.”
“Yes, exactly.” Maggie’s grin grew. “Now go get your swimsuits on as you’re both up in forty minutes.”
As they walked past Sophia, Linda stopped and took her granddaughter by the arm.
“You’d better come up with a plan fast or Issy and I will have to do the old, collide and sprain something routine,” Linda hissed in her ear.
“Don’t fret, Gran,” Sophia said with a sly smile. “We’re already working on it.”
Before Linda could answer, she noticed Darius hurry back from the volleyball court. His phone was pressed to his ear. His head bowed and he stepped slightly out of the way. Linda guessed that the call must be to do with private work matters of the Wayne Group.
It wasn’t long before Darius hung up, shoved his phone into his pocket, and then walked back toward them. His face was no longer relaxed; it was set in a hard, stern line. He leaned in, ensuring the kids were far enough away to be out of earshot.
"I have to leave for an hour or two," Darius told them, his voice becoming low and intense.
"Why?" Linda asked, her concern instant. "Is everything okay?"
"Where do you need to go?" Isabel pressed.
"I have to go meet Baxter," Darius said, his gaze flicking toward the road. "I shouldn't be long, but this couldn't wait."
"Is it so urgent that you have to go now, in the middle of all this?" Isabel asked, gesturing to the starting line.
“Did I hear you right?” Maggie, Penny, and Michael descended on them. “Are you leaving?”
“Yes, Michael, could you take my place for volleyball?” Darius asked.
“Sure,” Michael said. “Has something urgent come up?”
"Yes," Darius told her. As he turned to walk back toward his SUV, a small, triumphant smile spread across his lips—a look of pure, calculated victory. "We have finally gotten exactly what we need to bring down the Winebergs.”
It’s all coming together now…join us for the final book in the Sweet Blossom Bay series, Finding Home at Hearts Hotel!
Yes, I want to read Finding Home at Hearts Hotel!