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Ruby sighed heavily. “Okay, Ill come. ”
“Ill call Alaska Airlines and put a ticket on my card. Theres a flight at five forty-five. You can pick it up at the counter. ”
“Uh . . . you dont have to do that. I have money now. ”
“You? Oh . . . well, thats great. ”
“Ill be there by noon. ” Ruby hung up the phone. Crossing her arms tightly, she paced her apartment, back and forth, back and forth, unable to stop.
She had been angry at her so-called mother forever. She couldnt really remember not hating her . . . and the past few days had only added fuel to the fire.
But now . . . an accident. Horrible images slammed through her mind. Paralysis . . . brain . . . death.
She closed her eyes. (it took her a moment to realize that she was praying. ) “Take care of her,” she whispered, then added a single, unfamiliar word, “Please?”
When Nora woke up the next morning, she had a moment of pure, heart-pumping fear. She was in a strange bed, in an austere room she didnt recognize.
Then she remembered.
Shed been in a car accident. She recalled the ambulance ride . . . the flashing red lights . . . the metallic taste of her own blood . . . the surprise on the young paramedics face when hed realized who he was treating.
And the doctors. The orthopedist whod spoken to her just before and after the X rays. A severe break above the ankle; another, small fracture below the knee . . . a sprained wrist. Hed said she was lucky.
When hed said that, shed cried.
Now, her leg was in a cast. She couldnt see it beneath the blankets, but she could feel it. The flesh tingled and itched and her bone ached.
She sighed, feeling sorry for herself and deeply ashamed. Drinking and driving.
As if the Tattlers photographs werent enough to ruin her career; shed added a crime to the list.
It wouldnt be long before the media picked up her scent. Someone would figure out that there was a buck to be made in telling the world that Nora Bridge was in Bayview. The accident report was probably worth thousands.
There was a knock at the door; short and sharp, and then Caroline swept into the room. Her back was ramrod straight, her pale hands clasped at her waist. She wore a pair of camel-colored cashmere pants and a matching sweater set. Her silvery blond hair was cut in a perfect bob, one side tucked discreetly behind her ear. Huge diamond studs glittered in her earlobes. “Hello, Mother. ”
“Hi, honey. Its nice of you to come. ” Nora recognized instantly how distant she sounded, and it shamed her. She and Caroline had worked hard in the past few years, trying to come back together in an honest way. Nora had treated her elder daughter with infinite care, always letting Caro make the first move. Now, all that progress had been blown to hell; she could see how far apart theyd fallen again. There was a coldness in Carolines eyes that Nora hadnt seen in years.
Caroline glanced at her quickly, smiled-or winced. She looked vulnerable suddenly.
Nora couldnt stand the awkward silence that fell between them. She said the first thing that popped into her mind. “The doctors say Ill need to be in a wheelchair for a few days-just until my wrist gets strong enough to make crutches possible. ”
“Who is going to take care of you?” “Oh . . . I hadnt thought about that. I guess Ill hire someone. Shouldnt be difficult. ” She kept talking--anything was better than that silence. “The big question is, where will I go? I cant go back to my condo. press has the place staked out. But I need to stay close to my doctors. ”
Caroline took a step toward the bed. “You could use the summer house. Jere and I never find time to make it up there, and Ruby wont set foot on the island. The old house is just sitting there . . . ”
The house on Summer Island. A stones throw from Eric. It would be perfect. Nora looked up at her daughter. “Youd do that for me?”
Caroline gave her a look of infinite sadness. “I wish you knew me. ”
Nora sagged back into the pillows. Shed said the wrong thing again. “Im sorry. ”
“God, Ive heard that from you so often, I feel like its tattooed on my forehead. Quit saying youre sorry and start acting like it. Start acting like my mother. ” She reached into her purse and fished out a set of keys. Pulling a single key from the ring, she set it down on the bedside table.
Nora could see that her daughter was close to breaking. "Caro –“
Call me when youve settled in. " Caroline stepped back, putting distance between them.
Nora didnt know what to say. Caroline was right; Nora hadnt had the courage to act like a mother in years.
