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“I have an idea and I'd like your opinion,” Austin said.
Grandmother Basil waved him off.
“You want an old woman's opinion? You've made more money in your lifetime than I'm ever going to see. What can this old woman do for you?”
Austin put his coffee cup down and looked at his grandmother.
“She'll tell me the truth.”
Grandmother Basil smiled, then she turned and gave the basket she was holding to Sinclair.
“Well then go on and tell your grandmother story.,” Grandmother Basil said to Austin, as she took a seat at the table.
Chapter Two
“Iknow better, andI should be running the opposite direction from that man,” Claudia said as she and her two best friends, Tamara and Tanya, went walking along the beach. Whisper and Smoke walked alongside them. It was a June evening, and it was perfect. The breeze was just right. The companionship was perfect. The only thing that was messing up this evening was that man.
Claudia didn't think she was a coward. She may have self-esteem issues about her looks, but she knew she had the strength to survive. Losing her sister at a young age, Claudia had always been looking for family. When Larry came along, he seemed like he was going to be the answer to all of her dreams. It wasn't long thereafter, though she found out that Larry wasn't the answer to her dreams, but the beginning of a nightmare.
“He says he's a Brogan. Does that mean anything to either one of you?” Claudia asked her friends.
Tamara shook her head.
“Claudia, you know I don't leave the house in the daytime, so I'm not even sure what this man looks like.”
Claudia turned to look at Tanya.
Tanya held a hand up in self-defense.
“Hey, listen, I know my sister Margo knows everyone and everything but that's not me and I don't know who he is. If you want, I can always ask Margot, though, if she doesn't know, she can find out.”
Claudia was getting so desperate she knew she was going to ask her older sister Olivia. It wasn't that Claudia didn't get along with Olivia, it was that Claudia didn't want to be a burden to Olivia. When Claudia had been at her lowest moment, Olivia had come to the hospital and helped her to start a new life. When she wasn't sure what she would be able to do, or if she would ever be able to get out of the bed again Olivia had been there and helped her to set up her business. After all of the problems she had because of a man, she felt uncomfortable going to Olivia to ask her about one.
As if Olivia hadn't done enough for Claudia when her friend, Tamara showed up Olivia welcomed her into her home. Olivia knew that Tamara had a violent past and the knife scar on her face was just one of the more obvious signs. Claudia and Tamara had met in a women shelter for abused women. They had met and then became the best of friends. In some places they were referred to as the mouse and the monster. Leaving Tamara was never an option.
Now that they were living in Cooper’s Sand as roommates Claudia wondered about her friend. The town was so understanding that Claudia thought that sometimes they were too understanding. Tamara only went out at night. She claimed it was because she worked all day on her paintings, but Claudia suspected that it had more to do with her scar. Claudia was scared they had waited too long, and Tamara had decided to settle in this new world of night and silence. Claudia wasn’t sure how she was going to help her friend out, but she was going to stick with her just like she had stuck by her side in the beginning.
