“You can’t just leave this all—”
“You don’t want my help, then fine. Do it yourself.” She headed toward the front door where she’d stashed the container she’d been using for Louisa’s walks.
“Go out the back way—”
“I KNOW!” She set Louisa inside it, her hands shaking with anger.
She went out the back door, barely refraining from slamming it shut, and stomped all the way around to the front of the bungalow just to spite him. If the blinds had been open, he’d see her there.
They weren’t open, of course, because he lived in a box-riddled cave filled with old underwear and magazines. And apparently that was how he liked it.
She stuck her tongue out at the house. It made her feel just a little bit better.
“What are you doing all the way down here?” Grandma Winnie called out. She whirled around to find Grandma, Nancy, and Rosa walking toward her.
It took all of Eliana’s self-discipline not to panic-glance at Asher’s bungalow. Had they seen her leave? She was angry at Asher—the ungrateful ambiguous grunter that he was—but she didn’t want him to get caught.
“Taking Louisa for a walk,” she said.
“Did you park at my place? I didn’t see your car.”
“I’m on the street.” She waved in the vague direction of the neighborhood she’d been parking her car in, beside Asher’s motorcycle.
“I’m glad we ran into you,” Nancy said.
Grandma Winnie slid her arm through Eliana’s. Could she tell Eliana was fuming? Was her skin as hot as it felt? Eliana led the women away from Asher’s house.
Nancy opened her notes app on her phone. “We’re organizing a family day fundraiser for sea turtles.”
“Oh. Do you need a donation?”
“In a way. It’s a week from Saturday. Everyone’s kids and grandkids are invited. It’ll be filled with games and activities, and we’d love to have you participate.”
“What kind of games?”
“Outdoor games. We’re still figuring it out,” Nancy said.
“But they’ll be really fun,” Rosa interjected.
Eliana frowned. The fundraiser was in less than two weeks, and they didn’t have the activities nailed down? “Do you need help planning?” she asked, despite her better judgment.
Luckily, Grandma Winnie shook her head, and squeezed Eliana’s arm closer. “You’ve got enough on your plate with work and Julia’s wedding. We’ll take care of it. We’d love for you to attend. I think you’ll enjoy it.”
“Of course I’ll be there.” Her anger lessened every moment she was in the presence of these ladies. How could it not? They were so filled with love and a clear desire to cheer her up, even though they had no idea what was pulling her down.
“Did you know sea turtles have an internal magnetic system that helps them navigate over hundreds of miles of ocean to migrate and then get back home again?” Nancy asked. She looked up from her phone. “And scientists estimate that only one in every ten thousand is born live?”
Nancy continued to read off facts while they walked, and Eliana’s temper cooled. She thought through her conversation with Asher again. Maybe his gruntwasn’ta clear yes.
And maybe she’d been out of line to go through his grandpa’s personal belongings. She’d tried to push the issue, and he’d gotten upset. It had been more than anger though—that had been raw grief.
She was going to have to apologize.
She hated apologizing.
They went inside Grandma Winnie’s bungalow to get drinks. While Grandma Winnie and her friends chatted about the fundraiser, Eliana perused her grandma’s bookcase. Grandma Winnie had an extensive collection of self-help books. Perhaps one of them could help her navigate this situation.
A book on grief caught her eye, as well as a book about coping with the loss of a loved one. She snagged them off of the shelf, along with a book about healthy communication.
