She took her phone off speaker. “I would love to go spend a week in Colorado with you, but not in April. It still snows in April. I am not prepared for that.”
“Believe me, I’m right there with you, but her grandparents want more than a long weekend with her. They asked to take her to Alaska with them this summer, but she’s not on board with six full weeks in a camper with them.”
“Can’t say I blame her. That wouldn’t have been my idea of fun as a ten-year-old either.”
She checked the clock on the wall. “I need to get Will up and to my mom’s. I’m taking Lindsey to the airport before my coffee date.”
“Do you think we should put a tracker on her? If anyone was going to end up the basis for a CSI episode, it would be her,” Naomi said.
“She’ll be fine. It’s a week in Vegas for her cousin’s wedding—her whole family will be there. How much trouble can she get in?”
There was a moment of silence.
“Maybe slip it in her purse,” Naomi said.
“I’ll see if it will fit in her phone case,” Abby said.
Abby sighed and walked into the aquarium. Her mom and Will would either be at the touch tank or the ocean tank. They could spend all day in the aquarium, and they’d go back and forth between those two exhibits. She waved to Frank, one of the employees, and he pointed in the direction of the touch tank.
Yeah, they were regulars. Sure enough, Will was bent over the short wall, elbow deep in the water.
She kissed her mom on the cheek. “Been here the whole time?”
“Pretty much. They have a new starfish.”
Abby squatted next to Will. “Hey, Buddy.”
He popped his head up and grinned. “Look. A new sta’ fish.”
“Maw Maw told me. Does it have a name yet?”
He shook his head.
“Maybe we can think of one tonight. About fifteen minutes and then home, okay?”
She kissed him on the head and stood, joining her mom at the bench around the pool.
“How was your coffee date?” her mom asked.
“It was good.”
Alan, her date, had been perfectly lovely. Attractive, polite, humorous, asked her questions about herself, her family, and her job. He was also a single parent, divorced, and spoke kindly about his ex.
“Are you going out with him again?”
“He invited me to dinner next week. I said I’d check with you to see when you’re available to watch Will, if you don’t mind.”
She’d accepted, willing to give it another chance, but she knew it wouldn’t lead to anything. He was too nice of a guy to cross off after a single coffee date.
“I never mind,” her mom said. “Tuesday or Thursday work best. I have wine night on Wednesday and Mahjong on Friday.”
“Book club, Mom. It’s book club, not wine night.”
She waved a hand. “Whatever. We never talk about the book we’re supposed to have read. Half of us have given up the pretense and don’t even bother. We’re there for wine and to gossip about our kids. I’m excited to finally have something to contribute.”
Abby rolled her eyes. Her mom had been a major proponent of the Abby should get out and date movement. “What about Monday?”
“You can’t go out with him on Monday.”
