“I turned my phone off last night and forgot to turn it back on.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ve been working, Mother.”And so I wasn’t distracted by your endless calls and texts.
“Well, your gentleman friend waited as long as he could for you. Magnolia Pearl, why on earth have you kept him a secret from me? He is just too adorable for words.” Then her mother eyed Naki, coming up the path behind Scout.
Scout caught the look on her mother’s face—surprise? Disapproval? Both. “We’re only here for a minute. Naki hurt his hand.”
“Naki?” Mother said in a vague voice.
“I’m sure you remember Naki. He was with Dad on the Baker Island tour.” Was that just this morning? It felt like days ago. Scout slipped around her mother and blinked when she looked at the little living area. Unrecognizable. But charming. “What have you done?”
“I just brought a few things along with me to ... spruce up your cottage.”
“Cabin,” Scout said. She tipped her head. “All this was in your suitcases? No wonder they were so heavy.”
The scent of something warm and spicy and delicious wafted in from the tiny kitchen. Ah. Of course. Mother would never admit it, but she was stressed. Sweets were her comfort food of choice.
“Hello, Mrs. Johnson. I’m not sure we were officially introduced on the tour boat. I’m Wabanaki Dana. I go by Naki.” He waited a few yards from the door, as if he sensed he may not be welcome.
But Mother stepped aside to let him pass. “Magnolia Pearl—”
Scout cut a glance at Naki, noticing how he was trying very hard not to laugh at her name.
“—your gentleman friend said you’ve been dating for months.”
“Gross exaggeration,” Scout said in a clipped voice, looking for bandages in the kitchen cupboard.Let’s change the subject.“Naki, come to the sink. I’m sure I’ve got bandages around here somewhere.” She opened another cupboard door and pulled out her first aid kit. “There they are.” She joined him at the sink, carefully unwrapping her jacket from his hand and setting it on the counter.
“Not on the counter, Magnolia Pearl,” her mother said, wrinkling her nose. “Shouldn’t this be somethin’ you do in the bathroom?”
Scout ignored her and turned on the water, gently rinsing Naki’s cut. “Mother, why don’t you offer Naki one of your triple ginger cookies?”
Naki sniffed the air. “Is that what smells so good?”
Mother beamed. “It’s my grandmother’s special recipe. A family secret, but I’ll let you in on it, Mr. Nabiwaki.”
“Naki will do.”
Mother lowered her voice, as though she were revealing classified information. “Crystallized ginger, grated ginger, and ground ginger.” She held a tray of cookies out to him.
“Perhaps just one cookie,” Naki said as he eyed the tray. He glanced past the tray to the living area, and he got a look on his face as though wondering if he’d wandered into the right house.
Scout gently dried Naki’s hand, then pressed a few butterfly bandages over his cut. It would definitely need stitches. When she noticed he was still taking in her tiny living room, she offered a quiet explanation. “My mother’s been redecorating.”
“I think you mean decorating, Magnolia Pearl,” Mother said.
Rolling her eyes, Scout excused herself to go into the bathroom to fix her hair. She studied herself in the mirror and cringed. She looked positively dreadful. Hopefully, Naki could survive alone in her mother’s company for a few minutes; she could hear the buzz of Mother’s voice as she nervously tried to make conversation. The more uncomfortable her mother became, the more she babbled, talking faster and faster.
A sharp knock on the front door made Scout pause, holding a hairbrush in the air.
“YOU!” Mother’s voice rang out, harsh and accusing. “What are YOU doing here?”
Scout winced, recognizing the tone her mother reserved just for her dad. This couldn’t end well.
The rumble of tires on gravel made Maisie spring to her feet. “Mom’s here!” She was already halfway out the door before Tim could say a word. He followed at a slower pace, pausing in the doorway as Maisie sprinted across the yard.
Thea barely had time to open the car door before her daughter barreled into her arms. They held each other tight, rocking slightly, the kind of hug that spoke of deep love and time spent apart. Tim folded his arms, watching. The timing wasn’t great—Thea’s timing was never great—but he was glad she’d come. Not just for Maisie’s sake, but for his too. They were theonly family he had, and with retirement on the horizon, he felt the weight of that more than ever.
