Page 3 of The Summer Inn on Plum Island
“Do you see your mother?” Dawn asked.
“Yes, she drops in whenever she can,” Lila told Dawn. “She always sends me gifts on my birthday, Easter, Christmas, and even New Year.”
“But you must miss her,” Dawn pointed out.
“I get asked that a lot,” Lila told Dawn and frowned. “But I basically grew up with just my father, and my mother was the one that was barely around, so I got used to that.”
“I see.” Dawn nodded. “Your Aunt Jennifer and Great-Aunt Betty are good female role models.”
“They are,” Lila agreed. “They’ve both always been there for me and Dad.”
“It’s nice to have a close-knit family,” Dawn stated. “My Aunt Faith was the one who stepped in for me and my brothers when my mother died.”
“Oh no.” Lila’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry your mother died.”
“It was a long time ago,” Dawn told her. “And I was already an adult when she died. My older brother, Scott, was twenty-eight, and my younger brother was only nine.”
“That’s quite an age gap between your younger brother and older brother,” Lila noted.
“Yes,” Dawn agreed. “Wade was a bit of a surprise to my parents. My mother battled with all her pregnancies. Especially with Wade.”
“Where is your younger brother?” Lila asked.
“He captains luxury yachts for a company that hires them out to celebrities and other high-profile people,” Dawn answered. “So he’s usually sailing around the world somewhere.”
“How awesome,” Lila said. “It sounds like such a cool job.”
“Not if you get horribly seasick just thinking about getting on a boat.” Dawn shuddered. “Like me.”
“You get seasick?” Lila looked at Dawn questioningly. “I’ve been out on Uncle Finn’s boat a few times, and it was such fun.”
“Yes, I get horribly seasick,” Dawn confessed. “I’ve tried everything to keep it at bay because I actually enjoy sailing.”
“Just your body doesn’t cope well with it.” Lila sat back in the seat and looked out the front windshield. “I get motion sickness on rides at the fair.”
“Well, that’s something you’ll have in common with Harper.” Dawn grinned. “She gets horribly sick on those rides.”
“Tell me a bit about Harper,” Lila prompted.
“Well, let’s see…” Dawn thought about it. “She has shoulder-length brown hair and blue eyes. She’s a bit shy but tries to overcompensate for it by barging through her shyness.” She laughed. “It can sometimes come across as her being very abrupt or even rude.”
“We all deal with being shy in different ways,” Lila said. “I tend to just go quiet until I feel I have something to say. That’s why my friends sometimes call me mouse.”
“We just call Harper brat!” Dawn laughed. “No, we don’t really, although lately, I’m sure her parents have thought it on more than one occasion.”
“Is that why Harper is spending the last of her summer vacation with you?” Lila was quick to ask. “Because she’s been acting up?”
“Something like that,” Dawn admitted. “Although, I’m pleased to have her come to stay as I’ve missed her this past year while I’ve been in Plum Island.”
“Are the two of you close?” Lila turned to look at Dawn curiously.
“We were,” Dawn told her. “When I was at my apartment in New York, Harper would often come to spend a long weekend or holiday with me.”
“I hope Harper likes Plum Island,” Lila said. “It’s so quiet at the moment with everyone away on summer vacation.”
“With you there, I’m sure she’s going to love it,” Dawn assured her.
The time passed quickly, and two hours later, they arrived in Boston. Dawn was a bit worried about seeing Harper again and not knowing what to expect. But to Dawn’s surprise, her niece seemed to be the same young girl she’d been the last time Dawn had seen her a year ago.
