Page 87 of To Catch a Thief

“The doctor was right to only have you work part-time.” She sipped on a glass of water. “And the headaches?”

He paused. Assessed, wanting to answer truthfully. “Bearable.”

“Good. I worry about you.”

A news ticker raced across the bottom of the TV screen. The new path was going to hit Georgia. A hurricane watch had been declared for all islands east of Savannah. “Damn.”

She frowned. “What’s wrong?”

He shouldn’t have sworn aloud. “Looks like the hurricane is going to hit Georgia.”

“Oh, dear.”

“At least the islands.”

“Doesn’t Carolina live on an island?”

“Tybee.” He paced to the sliders and stared out at the gunmetal-gray clouds.

“How are Carolina and her mother doing?”

“I… I’m not sure.” He sank against the sliding door. “We aren’t together anymore.”

“What?” Disappointment slid across Mom’s face. “Please tell me it wasn’t because she didn’t tell you who her father was.”

“No.”

“Then what happened?”

“She took something from the Fitzgeralds.”

“Oh.” Mom frowned. “Was there an explanation?”

He set his hand on the glass and walked through Carolina’s excuses.

“That poor girl!” Mom exclaimed.

“She stole from her half sisters.”

“For her mother,” Mom shot back. “And it was a family heirloom.”

“It was wrong. Her lack of…of honor keeps hurting the Fitzgeralds.” And him.

Mom pushed some stray hairs back into her braid. “Is this about your father?”

“No!” He shoved away from the view of the dark clouds. “It’s about you. All I can think of is what if Dad had had a child with that woman. How would I feel? How would you feel?”

“Honey. You can’t blame Carolina for her parents.”

“What she did was wrong?” His statement came out as a question.

“Take a walk in her boots.” It was something Grandpa had always said. “What if I was the one with cancer? What would you do?”

Would he ignore his morals for his mother?

He wanted to say no. Life was black-and-white to him. There was a hard line between right and wrong.

But this was his mother. “I…don’t know.”

“Then don’t be such a hard-ass.”

He smiled. “I love you, Mom.”

But now he was even more confused.

* * *

“LAWRENCE IS CHANGING paths again.” Naomi jerked her head toward the bar television. “I don’t think the hurricane will miss us.”

The weather station had been on since Carolina had arrived for her Thursday bartending shift. People jammed the front of the bar, watching the coverage.

A man sitting in front of her said, “When it hit the Bahamas, it altered the path. Actually they said it ‘bounced.’”

“Bounced?”

The man winked. “It’s a highly technical hurricane.”

Carolina smiled. “Of course.”

A ticker scrolled across the bottom of the TV screen. “They’re closing SCAD tomorrow night,” someone called from the group.

The college was closing Friday night?

“Evacuations won’t be far behind,” someone else said.

Tybee was always evacuated because of storm surges. When was high tide? She handed a customer their receipt. “Do they know where it will hit landfall?”

The customer passed her credit card and the receipt back to Carolina. “North of here.”

Ella was driving back to Savannah from Hilton Head tomorrow. Would her friend make it? Let Ella stay safe.

“What was the rainfall in the Bahamas?” she asked. She needed to pay more attention, even though she was working.

“Over a foot in twenty-four hours,” a woman answered.

If they evacuated Tybee, where would she and Mamá go? She sent a quick text to Lorraine, the legal assistant who had volunteered to stay with Mamá tonight.

Everything all right?

We’re having a great time catching up. We finished the champagne I brought with me, although I suggested we not sit out on the porch since it was raining like a banshee. Sitting down to dinner now.

Thank you.

Carolina worked the counter, pouring drinks and placing meal and appetizer orders, all while listening to hurricane talk. If they evacuated Tybee, she had to prep the house.

Abby came out with a couple of orders for the people sitting at the bar and set them at the server station.

“Thanks.” Carolina took the plates from Abby. “I’ve got this.”

Abby nodded, then turned to watch the weather. “This is awful.”

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