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“Me, too,” said Livy. “That’s why I’m being careful about getting his approval for the changes we make in the kitchen. He’s been here so long he thinks of the kitchen as his. I get it.”
“Seems like things are moving along. Be sure and give me all your receipts because we’ll need to reassess. I’m going to the consignment shop today.” Brooke waved and left them at Gran’s house to go back to the office.
“I’ll call Jed and reconfirm the new arrangements for Saturday. Thanks again for covering for me on Sunday morning,” said Livy. “Jed says he’s taking me out of town somewhere special. He’s already made plans through Shane to spend the night at Granny Liz’s.”
“Is it getting serious between you and Jed?” Charlotte asked, unable to hold back.
Livy shrugged. “I don’t know. Like you, I just want to have fun.”
Charlotte returned Livy’s smile but wondered if she genuinely felt the same way. She was so confused.
###
The following day, as planned, she carried a small suitcase over to Granny Liz’s house. Shane had insisted on taking his car to Miami. Charlotte understood his need for independence.
Granny Liz greeted her on the porch. “Shane is packing now. I want you to convince him to come back here. I’m not sure what’s going on, but some childhood memories he’s tried to bury in his subconscious have resurfaced. Unhappy things. Maybe his injury is at the root of it. But I think it’s important for him to be here among friends and family.”
Charlotte had no chance to do anything but nod when Shane appeared with his duffle bag.
“Ready?” he asked her and bent to give Granny Liz a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks for everything. I need to get back home.”
“Your true home is here, Shane. Like always,” Granny Liz said softly, cupping his cheek with her hand.
He sighed before turning away.
Charlotte followed him to hiscar, a white Lexus coupe, and placed her suitcase into the trunk along with his. “I’m driving,” she said with a firmness he couldn’t deny.
He studied her and then reluctantly handed her the keys.
She got behind the wheel and waited while he got settled in the passenger seat.
“Pretty fancy car,” she said, studying the dashboard, getting used to it.
“A real splurge with money from my mother and Ricardo.” As he spoke, a shadow crossed his face, and Charlotte wondered what was behind it.
“That’s a nice gift,” she said.
“Yes, but I told them I didn’t need it.”
Her curiosity piqued even more. Charlotte knew Granny Liz was right. Something was going on with Shane—something to do with his family.
They pulled out of the driveway and headed down I-275 to I-75, where they could connect to Alligator Alley, which would take them from the Gulf Coast across the peninsula to Miami.
Charlotte was glad for the opportunity for them to be alone. They’d vowed to be honest with one another, and this was an excellent time to test that resolution.
She broke the silence in the car. “Granny Liz thinks you’re dealing with old issues in your family. Is that right?”
He clasped his head in his hands. “You’re going to think I’m crazy, but in the water after the accident, my mind filled with memories. They flashed before me like camera shots, just as some people have reported before they died.”
Charlotte clutched the wheel so hard her knuckles turned white. “So, you had a near-death experience?” Her heart plummeted at their close call. “I almost lost you.”
“This is even stranger. At the end of those dreams or whatever they were, I saw a mermaid. And it was you,” said Shane.
“That’s what you said on the boat,” Charlotte said. “I thought you were dazed.”
“Yeah, I finally realized that no one would believe me and decided not to tell anyone what happened. But those things, those images did run through my brain.”
“I believe you, Shane,” Charlotte said calmly. “From what I’ve been reading about head injuries, it can happen. They will go away as a part of the healing process. You’re not crazy.”
