Page 48 of Summer Longing
“If you want to leave your car here, I could drive it to New York one day next week. We could have lunch,” Ruth said.
Olivia looked at her. Suddenly, all the conflicting feelings she’d felt for the past few days crystallized. “I don’t think you understand how painful it is for me to see the mother you could have been.” She closed her laptop and eased to her feet.
“Could have been? It’s the mother I am—today. Why do you insist on punishing me for the past?”
“I’m not punishing you, Mother.” Olivia felt a surge of anger. She’d worked very hard not to need her mother. It had been painful, but she’d gotten there. She wasn’t about to undo all of that now just because her mother was having a midlife crisis. “I just…look, thanks for the offer about the car but I’ll be back for it at some point.” Was this something she could hire someone to do? She’d figure it out once she got back to civilization.
Her mother stood up. She reached out to hug her and it was awkward but mercifully quick.
“Well, I’m glad you came,” Ruth said. “I really am. And even if the only reason you’re coming back is for the car, I’m looking forward to it already.”
Don’t,Olivia thought.Don’t look forward to it. Don’t expect anything.Olivia knew in that moment she had to make a clean break. There would be no leaving the car and coming back for it, no meeting her mother in the city. She would have to just drive off today, even if it meant stopping every half hour to relieve the pain in her back.
“I’m actually feeling okay to drive,” she said. “Can you help me get my bag into the car?”
“This is not a good idea. It’s not safe. What’s your rush?”
“I have to get back to work, Mother! You of all people should understand that.”
Her mother followed her outside, dragging her suitcase, protesting even as Olivia eased into the front seat. The angle of her body behind the wheel triggered a fresh round of spasms, but she did her best to hide it. She took deep breaths and asked her mother to close the door for her.
“Call me from the road. Let me know you’re okay,” Ruth said.
Olivia would have liked to sit there for a few minutes, to acclimate to the position and maybe make a few phone calls. But her mother continued to stand there, and Olivia knew she wouldn’t go inside until Olivia drove off.
She backed out of the driveway and drove one block on Commercial. She pulled over to check her phone. To her left, she glimpsed the bay between houses. Three days in this town, and she hadn’t even made it to the water.
Still no e-mail connection.
“What the hell?” She dialed Dakota’s office line. It went straight to voice mail. Strange. She should be at her desk at ten in the morning. She tried Dakota’s cell phone.
“Hello?” Dakota said.
“Oh, good! You’re there,” Olivia said. “I’m driving back to the city now but I can’t get into my e-mail. Can you ask the IT department to see what’s going on?”
“Um, you should talk to Peter.”
Why would she bother Peter with her e-mail issues? Before she could ask, her assistant hung up.
It was suddenly very hot in the car. Olivia turned up the air-conditioning and dialed Peter Asgaard’s assistant.
“Hi, it’s Olivia. Is Peter—”
Immediately, she was put on hold. While she waited, two women walked in front of the car, one holding a colorful bodyboard and the other with a large cooler. Olivia looked out the window at the cloudless sky.
“Peter Asgaard here,” her boss said on the other end of the line.
“Oh, Peter, hi. It’s Olivia. I’m sorry to bother you. I’m on my way back to the office but there’s a problem with the e-mail server.”
“There’s no problem with the e-mail server,” he said.
“Well, yes, there is, because I can’t log in.”
“I’d prefer to discuss this in person. When will you be back in the office?”
“Discuss what in person?” Olivia’s heart began to pound.
“Please report to HR first thing tomorrow morning.”
