As the plane appeared overhead, Monica slid to the front of the pack—“Excuse me, excuse me”—and she didn’t let go of Josh’s hand at all, so she was dragging a six-foot-something thunderbolt of tension through the group, too.
The plane circled the harbour twice, then banked away and came in for the final approach.
A float plane.
Why hadn’t that occurred to her?
She caught sight of Seth out of the corner of her eye.
Right. She didn’t want to risk exactly this kind of heads up alert on her arrival.
She had planned to slide in and out of town super quiet.
This was the exact opposite of that.
Josh leaned over and murmured, “Your family orders up airplane rides the way other people call for a taxi.”
She laughed despite herself. So she was smiling as the plane turned and slowly approached the dock.
Was she still smiling when it was tied up and the pilot hopped out, then turned around helped his passenger out? She wasn’t sure. She couldn’t feel her face.
Bianca Fischer was forty-eight years young, and as she carefully climbed down to the dock, she could be mistaken as Monica’s sister. They had matching outfits on, even, which made Monica silently groan.
At least she was wearing Josh’s toque.
The pilot climbed back into the plane, then handed out one suitcase. Another suitcase. And athirdsuitcase.
Which was three too many for a drop-in visit from an overprotective mother.
“Mom,” Monica burst out, even before she waved or said hello. “What are you doing?”
Bianca sighed so dramatically, everyone behind Monica physically reacted. She could feel it. “Lovely to see you too, darling.”
“What’s with the suitcases?”
“I wasn’t sure what the clime would be, or how long we’ll be trapped here.”
Trapped. “You’re standing in front of a plane, mother. You can get back on it.”
“Get on it with me.”
“No.”
“No?” Beside her, Josh did a double take. And grinned.
Her heart went into free fall. Where didnocome from?
“Then we’re both staying.” Bianca looked south, at the dilapidated motel, then north, at the forest on the other side of the beach. “Where is your hotel?”
23
Monica’s brained stutteredover the question. Where was her hotel? She didn’t have a hotel, she was staying at Josh’s.
Which…her mother didn’t know.
And she wasn’tstayingthere.
She stayed there. For two nights.
