“Hawaii,” Claire said, her voice amazed, and Bridget felt a prickle of satisfaction at being the sister going on an adventure. “It’s just like one of your books.”
“Have you told Dad?” Frannie asked.
Bridget’s bubble of excitement dissolved. “No, but...” She looked down to see herself wringing the dishcloth. Dad looked like he’d aged ten years since the earthquake, how could she add to his burden by going so far away? “Maybe I shouldn’t take the job. Dad’s been through a lot.”
Claire took the towel out of her hand. “Bridget, this is something you want to do, I can tell.”
Bridget nodded, unable to answer. She really did want to do it, but... poor Dad. She didn’t want to see him sad.
“We’ll help you break the news.” Frannie tucked her arm through Bridget’s elbow. “It’s about time we started talking about things that are real in this family.”
Bridget wasn’t sure she was ready for that. It sounded hard. But if Claire and Frannie helped her... they’d had more practice with disappointing Dad.
Claire linked her arm on Bridget’s other side. “He’ll be fine.”
“He’ll have a conniption fit,” Frannie contested. “But then he’ll be fine.”
Bridget blinked as her vision got cloudy. Maybe, with her sisters beside her, she could be brave, even with Dad.
Claire looked out the window. “Here they come. Are you ready?”
Bridget felt a rush of alarm. “Right now?”
“Right now,” Claire said with an encouraging nod.
Frannie linked her arm through Bridget’s. “You bet your sweet patootie, right now.”
chapter 68:FRANNIE
Frannie had her own news to break to Dad, and she couldn’t put it off any longer.
She’d taken pity on him and given him a day to recover from the whole dying-in-an-earthquake thing and Bridget’s I’m-going-to-Hawaii thing. She still couldn’t believe her big sister was going to the land of hula dresses and surfboarding.
What a lucky duck.
Frannie was in Dad’s hotel room at The Nest. He was packing to catch the train home and thought Frannie was going with him. Poor Dad. Maybe she should have broken her news to him sooner.
Dad had taken the news about Bridget better than expected. He’d gone a little pale, and asked a boatload of questions, but in the end he’d agreed that it would be good for Bridget’s career. Then Paul gave Dad a ride to The Nest in West Yellowstone, because—as much as Dad loved Claire—he wasn’t going to sleep on a couch.
Frannie and Claire and Bridget stayed up late talking about the earthquake, and Hawaii and all sorts of stuff, then Bridget and Frannie tossed a coin for the couch. Frannie lost and had to sleep onthe floor, but she didn’t mind. Before they went to sleep, they all said their prayers together like they used to.
It was nice to pray again and really believe somebody could hear her.
Now Dad fastened the last clasp on his monogrammed luggage. “Where’s your suitcase, Frannie?”
Frannie took a long breath. She’d rehearsed what she had to say—and was positive this wouldn’t turn into the usual knock-down-drag-out. She was going to be an adult and stay reasonable.
She just hoped Dad would, too.
“Dad,” she said carefully. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m not going home with you.”
“Don’t take it the wrong way?” he said, turning on her with his brows pulled down. “How exactly am I supposed to take it?”
This wasn’t starting out well.
“They need my help at the Red Cross Center,” she told him.
“You’ve done enough,” Dad objected. “You’ve been at it for a week.” He used the voice that said he was right and she was wrong, and she felt the aggravation that always came when she tried to talk to him about something important.
