“I like driving,”Isaid, cutting her off. “Ithelps me brainstorm.”
Unfortunately,Ihad been on a twenty-nine-hour brainstorm drive and had yet to come up with anything usable.
Just my freaking luck.
“I know, but that car isn’t the best.I’vebeen sick to my stomach thinking about you breaking down in the middle of the road, somewhere inKentucky, and getting kidnapped and sliced to pieces.”
“You’ve been watching too manyLifetimedocumentaries,”Isaid.
TheGPSchirped again, taking me onto a narrow road.Crispblue water sluiced along the horizon like a single stroke from a paintbrush.Isat higher in my seat to try to get a better peek, but the grassy dunes were too tall.
Mom’s sigh could have been heard all the way fromColorado—without the call being connected. “I’mstarting to think it’s a bad idea for you to be all the way out there by yourself.CedarIslandis kind of remote.Maybeyou should just come back and we can figure something else out.”
I pulled into a barely marked, overgrown driveway and sat back in my seat as a wilting beach-front mansion loomed in front of me.
I had been here as a child, butIhad little recollection of it.Icertainly didn’t remember it beingthatteal or the shutters beingthatgreen.
Half of the siding was in the yard, being swallowed up by tall grass.Thehouse sat high on stilts.Iwasn’t entirely sure how to get up to the door since half of the stairs were missing.Ihad a key, but from the looks of things,Ididn’t need it.Thewind could open the doors and windows all on its own.
“Aurora?”
“Huh?I’mhere.”
“You made it to the house?” she asked. “Howis it?”
I took another look. “It’s...something.”
“You can always turn around and come home.Thiswhole thing...Idon’t know whatIwas thinking.Maybeyou can find someone local to deal with the property and come back.Ican send you money for a hotel, thoughIthink you’d have to drive an hour or so to get to a room.”
My phone beeped, signaling an incoming call.
Saved by the bell.
“Hey,Igotta go.I’mgetting another call.”
“Okay,” she said with a sigh. “Becareful.Ilove you.”
“Love you too,Mom."Itapped the end call button and swiped to jump intoWhitneyandWillow’sgroup call.
“ThankGod!She’salive!”Whitneyshouted when my face filled the third box of the video call.
“Did you make it, or are you still on the road?”Willowasked.
I let out a deep sigh asIcrawled out of the cramped interior and slammed the door. “Ijust pulled in.Yousaved me from a call with my mom.”
“Your mom’s so sweet,”Willowsaid.
“It’s only been two days, and she’s already calling you?”Whitneywrinkled her brows. “That’sweird.”
“Some people have a good relationship with their moms,Whit,”Willowteased. “Imean, not us.Butsome people.”
I snickered. “Shecalled to make sureIdidn’t get diced up by a serial killer inKentucky, and then freaked out about me coming out here to work on the house.AfterIdid the whole drive.”
“So how’s the house?”Willowasked, propping up her hand on her chin as lavender hair spilled over her shoulders.
“And when can we come visit?”Whitneychimed in. “Milesis out of town andI’mlonely.”
I looked up at the house.
