Page 72 of Sunny Skies Ahead
“Same old, same old.”
“Have you heard from your family recently?”
I pressed my lips into a thin line. Of course Mari would know that my mother was back in town. I honestly didn’t know if my mother had come in loud and obnoxious, wanting everyone to know that the great Carmen Phillips was back in town so that she could shove her so-called success in everybody’s face, or if she had kept a mostly low profile.
People definitely saw us that day at Blackbeard’s Coffee, but other than that, I didn’t know much about what my mother was up to now that she was back in town. But I knew how people in Watford talked.
“Has she been by to speak with you?” I asked.
Mari shook her head. “Good Lord, no, she wouldn’t put herself in the line of fire like that.”
I let out a surprised laugh. “You two didn’t end things on good terms?”
Mari frowned.
“It’s safe to say that many women have found solace in the aisles of Forest Grove over the years, including your mother.”
My jaw dropped open. Out of all the stories I’d heard about my mother over the years, I never imagined that she came here often.
“I’ve had a lot of wonderful conversations with girls like you and Abbie, sitting where you are right now. Your mother, however, is a reminder that no matter how much you talk to someone, try to make them see reason. Sometimes they’re not able to see anything beyond themselves.”
I swallowed tightly.
“Yeah,” I whispered. “My mother is a complicated woman.”
Mari chuckled. “That’s putting things lightly. I’ve made my peace with not knowing everything about her and the decisions she’s made. But enough about her. How are you doing?”
Just as I opened my mouth to tell her about Kameron, because Mari was probably the only person in my life right now that I could confide in about our weird “situationship” and trust that it wouldn’t leave this room, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
I pulled it out to check the notification, surprised to find I had a missed call from Abbie. I glanced back to Mari, who had retreated back to the checkout counter. I looked back down at my phone, frowning as I hit the redial button.
“Where are you?” Abbie asked quickly, picking up after the first ring.
“I’m at Mari’s place, reading.”
“You need to get to the Roadhouse.”
I sat forward, closing my book, using my thumb as a placeholder. “What, why?”
Abbie swallowed audibly. “Just get here, please.”
Abbie broke off the call. My skin was clammy as my nerves kicked in. Abbie and I didn’t call each other often. We much preferred text and sending podcast-style voice memos. I grabbed one of the free bookmarks from the side table and slid it into place.
“Leaving so soon?” Mari asked.
“I just got a weird call from Abbie,” I said, frowning. “Could you hold this for me? I’ll come by to pick it up tomorrow.”
Mari took the book from my outstretched hands and nodded.
“Of course. Hope everything’s alright.”
“Me too,” I said, giving the older woman a tight smile before I retrieved my bag and opened the door, stepping out into the crisp mountain afternoon.
The Roadhouse was just across the street, and I was surprised to see Abbie hovering in the doorway with her arms crossed, talking heatedly to Connor.
“Hey,” I said. “What’s wrong?”
Connor’s expression was unreadable, but Abbie was fired up.
