“He’s been busy with work.”
“Yeah, okay.” She rolled her eyes, and Oakley’s temper flared.
“What is your problem?”
“You started it! Why would you go throwing stones at my marriage when–”
“Laurie, I’m not throwing stones! Are you kidding me? I asked if you were okay, that’s it! And this? This whole reaction? It’s giving me a resoundingno.”
“Sorry we can’t all be perfect like you.” She turned away before Oakley could say anything else. Oakley tried waving and tapping her shoulder, but she pointedly ignored her. She took out her hearing aids, shoved them into her bag, and walked down to the water.
Every man in the vicinity turned to watch her as she strode down the beach. Laurie gave them no notice. She held her head high, eyes focused on the horizon until she dove beneath an oncoming wave.
“What is going on with her?” Oakley burst out.
“That was very… un-Laurie-like,” Anne agreed. She stared after their sister, eyes wide behind her sunglasses.
“I’m going to get to the bottom of this.”
Anne gave her a look.
“What?”
“You know what Halia would say.”
Oakley slumped back on the beach towel. “Undoubtedly something wise and measured.”
“You can’t help someone who doesn’t want help.”
“What if sheneedshelp?”
“You just… keep the door open. So that she can come to us when she’s ready.”
“Twiddle our thumbs and do nothing, you mean?”
“Show up for her where you can, like picking her up for a beach day.”
“Fat lot of good that did.”
“And stop pushing. It just puts her defenses up.”
“Sometimes people need a little push.”
Anne slid her sunglasses down her nose and gave Oakley a long look. “Howareyou and Trent doing?”
A harsh sound escaped Oakley’s chest, something between a laugh and a bark of surprise.
“Really, though. Are you okay? Do you need help? Should I sit down with Trent and give him a talking to?”
“Okay.” She held up her hands. “Okay, I take your point.”
“She doesn’t need a rescuer. Just a sister.”
“This sister has a hard time sitting back and doing nothing when someone is hurting.”
“Like it comes so easy to the rest of us?”
“That’s not what I meant.”
