I followed the sound of water until I reached the shore, then I stomped back to the dock.

Willie was there, tying up.

“Morning,” he said. “Early for a walk.”

I just nodded. The last person in the world I wanted to talk to about my problems was Willie…except maybe Carla. I’d die of thirst before I told my mother I needed a drink.

As if my thought of her caused her to materialize, the Mercury pulled off the main road and headed toward the store. It didn’t look quite as shiny as it had yesterday and there was no smile on Carla’s face as she stepped out. Her clothes seemed worn, as if she’d slept in them.

I waved good-bye to Willie and walked toward the store. It wasn’t full light yet and I decided this day could not get any worse.

Chapter 34

As I walked toward my mother, the thought crossed my mind that I could run and keep running. Maybe if I disappeared she’d never find me again. After all, I was fifteen years younger than her. There was a good chance I’d outlive her. Another thirty or forty years in hiding didn’t seem so bad if it meant never having to speak to her again.

But I couldn’t leave Nana, so no use thinking about it.

I walked straight toward Carla Daniels, mentally shoving aside all the dreams I’d had of her coming home and caring about me. Once the dreams were gone I realized there was very little about my mother that I liked.

“Good morning, Carla,” I said as I stepped on the porch.

She pouted. “What happened to ‘Mommy’ or ‘Mother’?”

My smile was no more real than hers. “I’ve often wondered that.”

She smoothed her skirt and straightened as if preparing to make a sacrifice. “Look, Allie, I’ve come to offer you a deal that I think will help you out.”

I waited, trying to decide what she was up to.

“I know that I’m the one Jefferson meant to leave this place to. I’m sure he didn’t even know about you until I told him.” She kept her voice soft, almost caring. “I don’t want to have to fight my own daughter. Garrison Walker said it would be hard to prove the truth, but he’s willing to take my case for a fee. He seems to think I have a good one since I’m the only one who talked to Jefferson.”

I knew she was lying, or maybe Walker was lying to her. If Carla believed she had any chance of winning, she wouldn’t be offering me a deal.

She didn’t give me time to say anything. “So, because you are my daughter and Nana is my mother, I’m willing to split the sale of this place with you. You and Nana will get forty percent and be able to go wherever you like.”

“How much is this place worth?”

“Walker called around and he thinks we can get over a hundred thousand for it. If it were cleaned up and fixed up it would be worth twice that, but I vote for an immediate sale.”

That prickly feeling in the back of my brain sounded again. Carla wasn’t playing straight. She reminded me of a child cheating at Monopoly. “I’m not interested in selling.”

“But you only have forty percent of the say. I’m the majority holder here.” Carla wiggled her head back and forth slightly as if I didn’t know the facts.

“Wrong. I own this place. All of it. And I’m not selling.”

“I could get the sheriff to remove you. Walker said if we fight over it we’ll both lose because the lawyers will get the biggest piece of the pie.”

Now I knew she was lying. Walker wouldn’t try to get her to settle. It wasn’t to his advantage.

“We’d both end up with nothing and you wouldn’t even get forty percent. So, my dear, I’m through discussing the matter. We sell.”

“Not when the deed is in my name.” I walked past her into the store and began opening up for the day.

She followed me in, all sweetness gone from her voice. “You don’t know what I’m capable of, Allie. If I have to I’ll…”

“No.” I fought to keep from yelling. “You don’t know what I’m capable of.”

I held the remains of yesterday’s coffee in a twenty-cup pot. She backed away as if I had flashed a weapon.

“You ungrateful brat.”

It crossed my mind for the first time that my mother still saw me as a child. She hadn’t been around enough in the past ten years to realize I’d grown up. I almost felt sorry for her. I’d bet she still told people she was in her mid-thirties, and if so that would make her having had me when she was nine.

Like a chameleon, she shifted. “Think, Allie, you wouldn’t even have this place if it wasn’t for me. I’m the one who came here to talk to Jefferson.”

I sat the coffeepot on the counter and asked, “Why did you come here, Mother? Was the search for a new ‘boss’ getting harder as the wrinkles came?”

“Stop it,” Carla snapped. “I won’t put up with you running me down. I came out here to make you a fair offer. I wanted to help you both out. But I can see you’re as self-centered as always. Even when you were a baby you were selfish.”

“You left when I was three,” I pointed out.

“I’m surprised I stood it that long.”

We both stared at each other in silence as we heard Nana’s footsteps on the stairs.

“Morning, girls.” Nana always sounded cheery in the morning. “I’ve got to get biscuits made and sausage fried for the men.” She glanced at Carla. “You’d best get that cow milked.”

Chapter 35

After Carla stormed through the door, almost taking the screen off its frame, I thought she’d left for good, but when I stepped onto the porch to sweep, I found her waiting for me. She looked out of place in the old green lawn chair, her high heels making her knees reach almost to her chin. She’d been staring at the shed and not at the lake.

I knew she had more to say, so I took a seat opposite hers. The sooner I heard her out the sooner she’d leave.

“What’s wrong with that woman?” She didn’t look at me, but her voice was raw, not with worry, but with rage.

“What woman?” I said just to aggravate her.

“Nana, you idiot.” She twisted to face me. “I thought something was strange yesterday, but I don’t think she knew who I was this morning and I’m pretty sure you two didn’t buy a milk cow.”

I shrugged. “You’ve been gone so long, maybe she forgot you.”

“A mother doesn’t forget her child.”

“You did.”

Carla’s face wrinkled, showing every age line. “Don’t be smart with me.” She stood and paced, her high heels tapping against the wood. “Something is not right. I never thought Nana too bright, but she seems to have slipped a notch even for her standard.”

“Nana’s getting old.” I almost felt sorry for my mother. The one person Carla could always twist around her finger wasn’t there to be twisted. Carla mentioned once that her father quit listening to her about the time she started school.

After two more laps through an obstacle course of chairs, she stopped in front of me. “You’re not saddling me with a crazy old woman. So don’t even think of leaving without her. I’m young. I’ve got my life. I…”

It crossed my mind to argue that she wasn’t the only one who was young, but Nana mattered too much. “She’s not crazy. She just forgets sometimes. I’ll watch over her.”

Carla relaxed a little. She straightened her suit. “Well, all right then, I’ll give you fifty percent of the sale of this place, but Nana stays with you.”

Before I could question who was crazy, Luke stepped onto the porch. He’d given up all signs of being a fishing bum. His hair was combed, he’d shaved, and his clothes fit perfectly. I couldn’t help but smile. I’d seen him nude, diving into the lake, and even in the shadows I’d swear there wasn’t an ounce of fat on him.

Though Carla frowned at his arrival, I didn’t miss the way her eyes ate up every detail of him.

He frowned back at her and gave me a wink.

I don’t think she saw the wink. If she had, I have a feeling she would not have handled it well. She was a woman used to being center stage around men.

“Before you start waiting on customers, Allie,” she began with a glare in Luke’s direction, “you should think over my offer.”

I turned from Luke to Carla. “I have thought about it. I’m not selling and we’re not partners.” Then, I added, “And Luke is not a customer, he’s a guest. Nana invites him to breakfast every morning.”

“You’ll never survive in business giving it away.”

I forced myself not to comment.

“I’ll be in Lubbock when you come to your senses. Walker will know where to find me.”

“I won’t be calling,” I whispered.

“Then it will be your loss, dear. I’ll give you a little time to think it over. You’ll wise up or suffer.” She said the last word as if it were a curse. Plopping down on one of the metal chairs, she stared at the lake, but I knew she wasn’t really seeing it. If I could paint my mother’s mood, it would be a black canvas.

Luke and I left her on the porch. A few minutes later, I heard her car drive away, but I knew we hadn’t seen the last of her. If she thought she could get something out of us, she’d be back. I thought of my early days when I’d waited for her, excited that she was coming home. I remembered she never brought presents and sometimes, after she was gone, Nana cried.

The memory shadowed my soul for only a moment, then I heard Luke saying good morning to Nana and bragging on how the kitchen smelled like heaven. Nana’s laughter made me smile. It was always so easy to brighten her day. I wondered why Carla never tried.

Luke found me in the little office counting out money for the cash drawer. Today would be busy. Mrs. Deals would be in for her cookies and Micki had said she was dropping off new stock within the hour. The shelves would be full, even though as the days cooled fewer people came out.

I looked up to find Luke watching me.

“I tossed the letter from Garrison D. Walker in the trash.” I guessed what he might be thinking.