Page 110 of Happy Harbor
“You know what I recently learned?”
“What?”
“I learned my daughter is a genius not only at school but in life. She gave me some of the best advice today. I think it might’ve been the coma, but still...”
“Coma? What on earth are you talking about?”
CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR
By the time Josie got home from the hospital with her mother, the sun had already set. She was starving, and she smelled the food that Kendra and Scotty were cooking immediately when they walked through the door.
Her daughter had never been much into cooking, so she was surprised that they were preparing dinner. She had called Kendra before leaving the hospital to let her know they were on their way home and explain what had happened with her grandmother. Kendra had avoided saying “I told you so,” but Josie knew she thought it.
A part of Josie felt really silly and stupid for overreacting and thinking the worst of her mother, without even giving her a chance to explain. And the way she had treated Walker was almost worse. This man who had done nothing but care about and help her, she had pushed aside in order to have an absolute hissy fit.
There was a good chance he wouldn’t want anything else to do with her. The thought of not having him around, even just as a friend, made her stomach ache.
“What are you cooking in here?” Diane asked as they walked into the kitchen. Her mother was surprisingly spry for somebody who had spent the night in the hospital.
“Grandma! I’m so glad to see you up and walking around. How do you feel?” Kendra hugged her tightly.
“I feel just fine, sweetie. No big deal.”
“Glad you’re feeling better. Are y’all hungry? Kendra found a great recipe online for chicken casserole. She’s been working really hard,” Scotty called from the stove.
Josie smiled at Scotty. “I bet she had some help.”
Kendra followed her mother’s gaze. “Scotty’s an excellent cook, actually. He made the biscuits.”
“I’m starving, but before I eat, I really wanted to talk to Walker. Have you seen him?”
Kendra looked at her, her head tilted slightly to the side. “He didn’t text you?”
“No. Why would he text me?”
“That’s where I got the recipe for the biscuits, actually. I walked over to the guest house, and he was packing.”
“Packing? Where is he going?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “I’m not really sure. He just told me he was going to be away on a boating trip for a while. He left a check for rent over on the table.”
Josie ran to the table and looked at the check as if it was going to give her some kind of clue as to where he was going. Of course, it didn’t. She noticed it was a check for the next two months of rent, and that made her nervous. Her hands started to sweat. Where was he going? Was he even coming back?
“This doesn’t sound good. He didn’t have any kind of trip planned when I talked to him yesterday.”
Diane reached over and took her hand. “I’d bet everything I have that he’s down at the Riverwalk right now.”
“What if he’s already left?”
“There’s only one way to find out.”
Josie nodded. “I hate to skip out on dinner. Save me a plate!” she yelled, grabbing her purse and running out the front door.
* * *
Josie drove quickly down to the Riverwalk. The restaurant was already closed for the evening, and the area was eerily silent. All she could hear was the occasional frog in the bushes near the water.
She looked around but didn’t see anyone. There was no sign of Walker, and she didn’t even see his truck.
