“Sometimes...” Daddy’s tone was hard. “People keep a secret to spare other people’s feelings.”
Emma laughed, the maniacal sound of it drawing all eyes to her. “Secrets... Yes, you two know all about those, don’t you?”
Mama’s hand went to her throat. “What—what are you talking about, Emma?”
“I think we need to stick to the subject at hand,” Daddy said. “We have enough on our plate here already.”
“I heard you talking upstairs, Daddy,” Emma said. “I know you’re getting a divorce.”
Maddy gasped. No. It couldn’t be true. She searched her parents’ faces, but it was getting too dark to read expressions. Nobody was denying it, however.
“They were planning to tell us after the wedding.” Emma gave a blubbery snort. “But I guess that’s off now, huh? Just as well we all know the truth then!” She covered her face, weeping again.
A divorce? Maddy’s mind spun. Maybe Mama and Daddy had been acting a little strangely this summer. Mama harped. They fussed sometimes. But they didn’t have real troubles.
“I’m so sorry, Emma,” Nora said. She looked like a wilted flower, her shoulders stooped, her head hanging as if it were too heavy for her neck. “Truly, I’m sorry.”
“If you’re so sorry, you’ll leave and let Jonathan and me work this out!”
“Now, Emma,” Daddy said. “We all just need to simmer down a little and talk this through.”
Emma wept louder.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Stanley. You’re only making it worse!”
Daddy ignored her. “I know you’re upset, honey, but she is your sister, after all...”
“Shame she didn’t remember that earlier, isn’t it!” Mama threw an apologetic look Nora’s way. “I’m sorry, Nora, but what you did was indefensible, and I’m not going to stand here and pretend otherwise.”
“You haven’t even heard her side,” Daddy said. “Maybe you could just listen for once in your life. Who knows, you might learn something.”
“If all you’re going to do is aggravate the situation, Stanley, why don’t you just leave! Can’t you see our daughter is hurting?”
He gestured wildly. “Bothour daughters are hurting, Theresa!”
“Just go on now! I’ll handle this without you—like I do everything else around here!”
“Fine. Have it your way!” Daddy spun and jerked open the door. He shoved it closed so hard it bounced against the jamb. A moment later he pulled from the drive, his tires squealing on the pavement out front.
It was the last time they saw him alive.
Chapter 29
Present day
The next morning, news of the approaching storm was all over TV. It swirled out in the Atlantic now, and a likely path had it making landfall just south of Seahaven tomorrow night.
Maddy muted the TV and looked at her sisters. “Well, I guess we’d better start getting the house ready just in case.”
“It’s only a tropical storm,” Nora said. “We’ve seen far worse.”
“Does Gram have a battery-operated radio lying around?” Maddy asked.
“I think I saw one in the laundry room cabinet,” Nora said.
Pippy twirled in a circle and barked, seeming to sense that something exciting was afoot.
They could wait until tomorrow to pull the shutters closed on the windows. It was always possible the storm would weaken or head off in another direction.
