“Your bags are on the bed, Mom.” Peter came to Gran’s side. “Would you like me to hang your clothes for you?”
“For goodness sake, let me do something.” Gran clucked her tongue. “Thank you, but I’ll take care of that.”
“I’ll take the other bags upstairs.” Peter looked at him. “Is there a room designated for your mother and me?”
“Take whichever one you’d like. I’m fine with either.”
After they all were settled, his parents went for a walk to explore the property. Landon sat on the rear porch, listening to the rippling water. He glanced over and noticed the tired look on Gran’s eyes fighting to stay open. She often took a midday nap and riding always made her tired. He didn’t want her worn out on his account, thinking she had to entertain him. “I thought I’d run to the grocery store soon and give you some time to rest.”
A weary smile found its way to her mouth. “I have to admit, I didn’t sleep much last night. I felt like a little girl at Christmas again waiting for this morning to come.”
“Me too.” He chuckled quietly. “Well, like a boy at Christmas.”
“Thank you for inviting your parents. I know it wasn’t easy, but you’ll be glad you did.”
“Maybe.” He doubted it but wouldn’t spread his negativity.
“It might not be now, but I promise you, one day you will be.”
He stood from the chair and held out a hand. “Come on, I’ll walk you inside.”
“It’s okay. You go ahead.” She looked out, her gaze settling on the water. “I want to stay outside a few more minutes before heading in.”
“All right.” He went inside, found her cell phone Archer had bought for her last year and took it to her. “Call me if you need anything. Mom and Dad should have theirs on them as well.”
“I’ve made it eighty-two years in this life just fine.” She winked at him. “Don’t you worry about me sitting here by myself.”
Leaning over, he kissed her cheek. “Love you. I’ll be back soon.”
Before he left, he searched for his parents. He’d have more peace if they’d return to the house. He didn’t want to smother Gran, but after they almost lost her two years ago, he’d become even more protective of her.
He spotted his parents walking along the driveway, coming back to the cabin, and he jogged to them. “I’m heading to town for the groceries. Gran’s going to take a nap, but she’s still on the porch for now.”
“We’re heading in now.” Peter gave Violet a glance that Landon interpreted aswe weren’t planning to, but we will keep an eye on Mom. “I’ll make sure she gets to her room okay.”
“Thanks.” A moment of goodwill sprouted. “Any special requests for food?”
“A bag of those flavored pretzel nuggets if they have any, please.” Peter reached for his wallet.
Landon refused any money and experienced a surge of connection he wasn’t comfortable with. No one else in his family liked those snacks and teased him about the bad breath they caused. It never stopped him from enjoying them. Could tastes be hereditary? He shook off the feeling, refusing to go soft over something as inane as pretzels. “Anything else besides the normal?”
His mom shook her head. “I’m good.”
“Call if you think of anything.” He spun on his heel and strode to the car, eager to put some space between him and his parents.
The last time he’d had this much close interaction with them, he’d been … he couldn’t even remember. He had to give them credit—they played a good game. Any bystander would think they were loving children, putting their life on hold to care for their aging parent. Little did anyone know they lived rent-free in Gran’s house. Dad worked a sales job while Mom took care of Gran during the day, but Landon doubted that job would carry them financially if they had to pay for housing.
Few cars occupied the grocery store’s lot. Jasper Lake in the offseason turned out to be drastically different than during the summer and fall foliage weeks, which were the only times he’d been there until now. He opened the memo app on his phone and started making a list.Probably should have done that before now.
He went into the store, assessed the layout before making the rounds. Most grocery stores had the same basic arrangement, didn’t they? He started in the aisles, and once he’d located all the items he needed after circling a few times, he shopped the perimeter of the store. To his surprise, he found a wide selection of brands and flavors to choose from. Though small, the grocery packed quality and quantity onto its shelves. Jessa had told him they’d recently renovated. Props to the owners for a job well done.
After he’d checked off everything on his list and added a handful of additional items, he went to the register, loaded it all on the conveyor belt, and paid his bill. Rather than push the buggy to the car, he maneuvered all the bags into his hands and lugged them outside. Ready to head home, he checked his phone before leaving the parking lot. No important missed calls or messages.
He backed out of the spot and saw a gas station on the other side of the road. The car had half a tank.I’m sure it’s enough to get us through the weekend, but I might as well fill up now. A car pulled in before him, causing him to have a wait. He played with the radio to find a station he liked. Gran’s car didn’t have any of the Bluetooth technology that his truck had or even satellite radio access. Since he didn’t bring any CDs with him—he hadn’t bought one in years, not since the advent of digital music—he was at the mercy of whatever radio station he could find. By the time he settled on a pop network, the car in front of him moved, and pulled up to the pump.
After swiping his credit card and typing in his zip code, he unscrewed the gas lid and inserted the pump nozzle.
“Landon, is that you?”
