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“Bingo,” she said, quickly navigating back to the Hilton Head rental site.She put in the first date as Monday, and stretched it to the following Wednesday.“Ten days.She can go straight from there to Austin.”
“She won’t like that,” Lauren warned.
“Something new for her list,” Cass said, hitting theBOOK MEbutton.The cost came up, and Cass started to hurry.Insurance,no.Pets,nope.Because the dates were so close, she had to pay in full.Got it.
The browser spun; Bea started walking toward her; Bessie straightened.
Cass leaned forward, willing the Internet out here on the remote farm to hurry the heck up.Just as Bea arrived, the screen popped up a receipt, with a hugeCongratulations!We’ll see you on the beach!at the top.
“Cass,” Bea said, her voice mostly air.“You didn’t.”
Cass slapped the laptop closed and jumped to her feet.“Bessie is right.You need to get out of Sweet Water Falls.”
“I love it here.”Bea’s voice sounded like a child trying to say how sorry they were for letting go of the string connecting their balloon to the earth, and now it drifted up, up, up through the sky as sadness poured through them.
“I would’ve made you go on Sunday,” Cass said, hoping she didn’t come across too cold.“You don’t need to be sitting in church with all those ladies looking down their noses at you.”She met Bea’s eyes, practically daring her to contradict her.
She didn’t.Couldn’t.She dropped her eyes to her hands, then looked at Joy.She smiled with those pretty blue eyes and said, “This will be so good for you, Bea.You love the beach.”She put one hand in Bea’s and squeezed.
“It was on your list,” Sage said, holding it up.“I agree with Joy.You’ll love it in South Carolina.”
“I’ve been there,” Bessie said.“It’s gorgeous, and you’ll feel so renewed right before you have to go help Meredith with her…wedding.”That last word really drove home how awful the situation would be between Bea and her daughter.Cass knew Bea loved Meredith to bits and pieces, but that didn’t mean planning a wedding wouldn’t drive a knife slowly into her lungs.
“I want to go,” Lauren said.“Can someone book a beach cottage for me?”She gave a light laugh and then offered Bea a supportive smile.
“There’s two bedrooms,” Cass said.“Maybe Lauren could come next weekend.”
Both Bea and Lauren brightened considerably at that, and Bea took a deep breath and sighed it all out.“Okay,” she said.“When am I leaving?”
“Monday,” Cass said while another round of cheering lifted toward the raw wood beams in the rafters.She grinned at her best friend.“Come home the next Wednesday.Ten days of sun, sand, and sleeping in.”
They laughed together then, because out of the six of them, Bea would be the least likely to sleep in.
“Sun, sand, and sweet tea,” Joy said, and Cass nodded emphatically.
“Sun, sand, and shrimp,” Lauren tried, getting another round of agreement.
“Sun, sand, and smoothies,” Sage said.“You love smoothies, Bea.”
“I do,” Bea said, clearly warming to the idea.
“Sun, sand, and sanctuary,” Bessie said, and the look of pure gratitude and understanding they exchanged wasn’t missed by Cass.She saw it, and her heart tore and bled for Bea.Before she could get too emotional, her friend turned toward the desk.
“All right,” she said.“If I’m leaving for a ten-day beach vacation in only three days, I need to make a list.”
“Thank the stars I made this second pitcher of margaritas,” Sage said dryly, and Cass joined in laughing along with everyone else.First, at Bea’s obsessive list-making, and secondly at Sage’s quick wit.
Help her to have a good time, she prayed as the conversation continued and the second pitcher of margaritas emptied.
Then Bea jumped to her feet and said, “My goodness.I forgot about the piñata.”She darted toward the back door.“Come on, everyone.Out onto the patio.This isn’t a kids piñata, and trust me, you’re going to want to bust it open.”
