Page 20 of Find Me in California

Julia doesn’t touch the brochures. “I don’t want to move her,” she says, glum.

“I know. Promise you’ll think on it, though. Make some calls. I’m sure you’ll find a lovely place for Ruby Rose.” Lenore neatly stacks the brochures and hands over the folder.

Julia stands, holding the folder like she wants to burn it. “I should, ah ... I should go.”

“I’m here if you want to talk,” Lenore offers.

“Appreciate that.” But the thought of even considering moving Mama Rose, let alone discussing it with Lenore or making calls, makes her queasy. It’s not right, not for her grandmother.

She turns to leave only to turn right back when she remembers. She snaps her fingers. Liza.

“Matt Gatlin finally called yesterday, Liza’s grandson.”

Surprise brightens Lenore’s face. “How did you know?”

“I covered for Shelly when she was on break. I took his call.”

“You’re the one he spoke with,” she says with a head tilt.

“Briefly.” Julia wonders at Lenore’s hint of accusation. What did Matt say to her?

Oh dear.

She shouldn’t have mentioned Liza was broke. She didn’t have a right to share that information. Liza had told her in confidence.

“What did you two discuss?” Lenore collects their empty cups, and Julia follows her back into the office.

“He asked for you first, but when he couldn’t reach you, he called back asking for me. I’m sorry I didn’t mention it earlier—you’d alreadyleft. He wants to cover her fees, at least for the next month until he can get out here.”

“I know. I spoke with him this morning.” She drops the cups in the trash and sits at her desk. “Unfortunately, Liza’s room has already been reassigned. Matt’s flying in this afternoon.”

“He’s moving her?” Julia thinks of what she read in Mama Rose’s diary, the questions she wants to ask Liza before she loses the chance.

“That’s yet to be seen. Actually ...” Lenore points a pen at the folder in Julia’s hand. “If you’re around later, show him those. Since you’ve already got a dialogue going, perhaps you can look around together, cover more ground. He seems to be in a bit of a rush.”

Julia taps the folder against her thigh. “Sure, I’ll mention that to him.”

Then she remembers the jerk he was on the phone. Better to just give him the folder and let him have at it. She won’t be needing it.

CHAPTER 10

MATT

Matt glares at the departures screen as a heavy curtain of rain drenches the airport. Lightning flashes and thunder rumbles, shaking the building. Visibility is shit. All flights have been delayed or canceled, including his. Even if he catches a later flight with a connection in Phoenix or Las Vegas, depending on the delay, he won’t get into Burbank until late tonight.

His head pounds furiously at this massive inconvenience.

He searches for flights on his app. He could fly out tomorrow, which would get him to Rosemont after 4:00 p.m., but he loses a day in the process.

Or—he pulls up a map—he could drive. It’s twelve hours to Pasadena. Eleven or less given how he drives. He’d arrive by midnight, crash at a hotel, and be at Rosemont first thing in the morning, giving him and Elizabeth the entire day to coordinate her affairs and—he can’t believe he’s thinking this—talk about his mom. And what’s up with appointing him as her secondary? Barring hiccups, he could be back in Santa Fe by midnight Monday. He’d have all Tuesday to work on the Ford assignment.

That’s a shit ton of driving and miles he doesn’t need to put on his car. A lot of hours he’d be behind the wheel instead of editing photos. But he’s impatient and sees only one option.

Matt ditches the airport and heads west on I-40. The wipers chase sheets of rain across the windshield, but if his career as a professional automobile photographer and his frenetic love of road racing have taught him anything, it’s how to handle himself behind the wheel in extreme driving conditions. He isn’t stupid, but he rarely drives within the speed limit.

As his tires chew up and spit out the miles, Matt searches the backpack in the passenger seat for the edibles that would have been left behind had he flown. He pops one to quell the headache that’s been throbbing since yesterday. He then makes a call to Lenore to update her on the change of plans. He’ll be at Rosemont first thing tomorrow and wants to meet. But when the call goes to her voicemail, he hangs up and rings Julia instead. He needs to tell someone that he’s on the way.

“Matt,” Julia answers in a flat tone. She doesn’t sound pleased to hear from him. It throws him off.

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