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“I said you can’t sell it. I don’t think you should and I’m sorry I ever suggested it. Stay, and if the time comes when you need help there, we’ll figure it out together.”
Kathleen eyed her daughter. “I won’t wear an alarm.”
“I know.” Liza smiled. “Or lift the rug, or stop using the stepladder. It’s your decision. Your life. Your adventure.”
She’d never seen Liza so relaxed. “I might stop using the stepladder.”
As Martha pulled up outside a set of large iron gates Kathleen felt nerves flutter again, but it was too late for second thoughts because Martha had already spoken into an intercom and the gates swung slowly open and there, standing at the head of the drive, supported by a woman who was presumably her daughter, was Ruth.
She hadn’t changed at all, Kathleen thought. Not one bit.
Martha parked and Josh was out of the car in a flash but it was Liza who helped Kathleen. Liza who took her arm and didn’t let go. Liza who was by her side as they walked the short distance to greet her old friend.
And it turned out that Kathleen needn’t have wasted time planning what to say, or being anxious about it, because Ruth hurried forward and wrapped her in a tight hug, and she realized that sometimes words weren’t needed and that touch could convey everything.
It was only when she heard Ruth sniff that she realized her cheeks were wet too.
She’d displayed more emotion during this one morning than she had in the lifetime that preceded it.
“I’m Martha—” Martha held out her hand to the woman with Ruth who greeted her warmly.
“I’m Ha
nnah. Ruth’s daughter. We spoke on the phone. And you must be Liza. Welcome. We’re so pleased you could join us.” She shook Liza’s hand. “Why don’t you all come in? We’ve made tea. We can sit on the deck in the shade.” She led them inside and finally Kathleen and Ruth released each other.
“Look at you!” Ruth brushed her damp cheeks with her fingers. “So glamorous. You haven’t changed one bit. It’s like having a movie star in my home. I want to hear all the details of your life. You must have so many stories. I watched every episode of The Summer Seekers.”
The possibility that Ruth knew about her career hadn’t crossed Kathleen’s mind. “How is that possible?”
“Adam tracked down the videos for me. They were in the wrong format but he managed to get them converted.”
It felt strange and a little uncomfortable imagining Adam and Ruth sitting together watching The Summer Seekers.
Ruth tucked her arm into Kathleen’s and led her into the house. “Come on in. I have Earl Grey and Hannah made homemade shortbread.”
Hannah.
Ruth’s daughter. Adam’s daughter.
And there was Liza, her own daughter, watching her closely, giving her reassuring smiles, and Kathleen realized that this trip hadn’t only brought her back to Ruth, it had brought her closer to her own daughter. They had so much to talk about, and time to do it.
Her epic road trip had delivered her so many new experiences, but none so satisfying as sitting here with her old friend and her daughter, sipping tea while they gazed across the Pacific Ocean. The past had finally found a comfortable place in the present and she felt utterly content with her life.
Maybe that had been the destination all along.
* * *
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The story of The Summer Seekers popped into my head a few years ago as I was driving the car on a weekend away. My first and biggest “thank-you” must therefore be to my family who patiently stopped all conversation when I yelled, “Nobody speak for a minute because I just had an idea and I need to think” and patiently complied when I said, “Please can someone write this down so I don’t forget it.” I was busy writing a different book at the time, so I filed the idea away in my brain where it grew and grew until finally I knew the time was right to tell the story. The fact that I’ve been waiting to write this book for a few years may be part of the reason I enjoyed the writing process so much.
Every idea I have is made better by my talented editor Flo Nicoll who brings insight, calm and her special brand of positivity to each project we work on together.
I am immensely grateful to the publishing teams around the globe who handle my books with such enthusiasm and dedication. Putting a book into the hands of readers is a team effort and involves huge complexity with many people and departments involved. Listing everyone would probably mean this book would have to be published in two volumes, but particular thanks go to Lisa Milton, Manpreet Grewal and the whole UK team, and also to Margaret Marbury, Susan Swinwood and the team at HQN books.
I doubt I’d finish a book without the support of friends, and I’m sending an extra big hug to RaeAnne Thayne, Jill Shalvis and Nicola Cornick.
My final thanks go to my readers who are so endlessly supportive and continue to buy my books. I feel fortunate that with so many books on the shelves, you choose mine. I hope you love The Summer Seekers.
