“Mom.”
Frankie looked over. Willa was on her feet again, wading toward her. “What, honey?”
“Do you think I’d be able to get a job around here after I graduate? Wouldn’t that be amazing if I could live close to you guys?”
“That would be wonderful. As far as jobs are concerned, you’d just have to look, but I’m sure you could find something.”
Willa nodded. “I might do a quick search later, just to see what’s out there. Give myself an idea, you know?”
“Definitely.”
Archie paddled to the steps and climbed out. He went straight to Harper, then gave himself a big shake.
“Archie, quit that, no!” Harper held her tablet up to shield her face as she laughed.
Willa snorted. “Archie, you naughty thing.”
Harper wiped her tablet off on her towel. “You are naughty. Good thing I love you.”
Archie looked pleased with himself.
“Hey,” Willa said. “What are we having for lunch and when are we having it? I’m getting hungry.”
Harper looked at Frankie. “What do you think? Sandwiches?”
Frankie nodded. “I’m good with that.” She smiled. “You making them?”
Harper rolled her eyes but got up and pulled on her coverup. “I guess I am. Be back in a bit. Keep an eye on Archie.”
“We will,” Willa said. As Harper went inside, Willa sighed. “I really don’t want to leave, Mom. This time here with you guys has been just the best. I know I have to go back to school, but if I didn’t, I wouldn’t leave.”
Frankie pulled Willa into her arms and kissed the side of her head. “You’ll have that doctorate before you know it, then you can come back here and find a job.”
Willa nodded. “I just wish I didn’t have to wait. I love being here with you guys.”
“We’ve loved having you, too, sweetheart. But just think—now you’ll be able to visit both of us in one place.”
“Yeah.” Willa nodded. “That’s true. And what a beautiful place it is.”
Frankie smiled. “Isn’t it?”
She appreciated that her daughter wanted to be close to her. It made her feel like she’d raised Willa right. Jason, too. She was blessed to have such loving children.
And soon, maybe Willa would be a more permanent part of her life.
Chapter Forty-Two
Mitch had joined Kyle and Ruthie for lunch but then gone straight back to his office, because Joyce and Beryl had commandeered the kitchen for their big dinner. Much better to be secluded, away from all that female energy. It was nice, but a little exhausting.
But also, he was nearly at the end of Kyle’s book and was eager to find out who the killer was.
Kyle was leaving to take Ruthie to the Mommy and Me class at the community center, anyway, so there was no reason for Mitch not to work. Except he wasn’t working, he was reading.
He’d taken his tablet to the couch and stopped pretending he was the slightest bit interested in his own story at the moment. All he wanted to do was read. Mitch dove back into the pages. He was soon lost in the story again, oblivious to the time.
So far, the end of Kyle’s book was definitely holding up to the beginning. And the middle. How had Kyle learned to write like this? Mitch didn’t think it had anything to do with him. He’d never actively taught Kyle about writing, although Kyle had asked some questions now and then.
He stopped trying to figure out where his son’s talent had come from and went back to reading. When the killer was finally revealed, he gasped.
