Secrets Whispered from the Sea (Sandover Beach Books Book 1) by Emma St. Clair

Author:Emma St. Clair [St. Clair, Emma]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-09-17T18:30:00+00:00

When Ann came to pick up the girls later, they were in the last third of a princess movie on Nana’s couch. I’d gotten a few free trials for different streaming services so they could pick something. It was shocking that they’d agreed on the same movie, and now were shoveling their faces full of homemade popcorn. I wasn’t a chef, so this felt like quite the accomplishment.

I’d actually found the recipe in her journal, along with mistake number fifty-two: don’t burn the oil when making popcorn on the stove, and always remember a lid. I’d managed to avoid both mistakes. But I had forgotten how good real popcorn with fresh melted butter was. This needed to be a new staple in my life.

Ann shook her head when I offered her some, and I gestured to the screened-in porch, flipping on the fan but not the lights. I’m not even sure the girls noticed she was there. Thankfully, Emily had sent someone by earlier in the week to replace the torn screens, so we wouldn’t be eaten alive by mosquitos. That was something we didn’t need the Crud’s approval for, thankfully.

For a few minutes, Ann and I didn’t speak. It was surprisingly pleasant. The insects and frogs weren’t at full summer volume, but I could tell they were gearing up. If I tilted my head just so, I could imagine the crash of the waves.

“How are things going? The house is looking better,” Ann said.

“Almost finished cleaning things out. Let me know if you need any old lamps, Cosmos, or newspapers.”

Ann made a face. “Hard pass.”

“That’s what I thought. I actually donated or threw away most things already. And I saw a new set of plans today that has me hopeful.”

Ann set down the bottle of water she’d had when she arrived. “I still think it would be better to sell as is. We stand to make more. Less time and money spent on getting this place into shape. Someone might still bulldoze it, you know. Even with all the work you put in.”

She wasn’t wrong. The thought made me feel sick. “I can’t let it go without at least trying. Even if …” I couldn’t bring myself to say the words.

“You’re not usually sentimental,” Ann said.

“I’m the first to admit to that. But something about this is different for me.” I spread my arms, gesturing to the porch and the house beyond. “I mean, my only good memories growing up were here. You know?”

“So, why don’t you stay?”

The question shocked me. Not because I hadn’t thought about it. I had, at least in fleeting thoughts that I pushed away. But it was shocking that Ann asked. I hadn’t gotten the impression she wanted me to stick around the last time we talked.

Maybe we didn’t have an easy relationship. But she was family. And I adored the girls. I hated to think of how much they’d grown since the last time I’d seen them. I didn’t want to miss out on so much.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.