Page 51 of Harvest Moon (Riverbend 3)

She lifted Emma into her arms and whispered, “He forgot to take off the tiara.”

Emma giggled. “Gabin princess.”

“Silly Gavin,” Laurel whispered as the bathwater came on in the next room. She rummaged through Emma’s drawer, found herFrozenpajamas, and pulled them out.

“Oh, ha-ha,” Gavin called out over the sound of gushing water. “Very funny, Laurel.”

She burst out laughing, and Emma covered her mouth, giggling.

***

Laurel lifted a dripping wet Emma from the tub, and Gavin wrapped a thick, fluffy towel around her. He grabbed the thick-toothedcomb and ran it through Emma’s baby-fine curls while Laurel dried her off.

He listened as his ex-wife carried on a conversation about the things they’d done and seen today. The bunny in the orchard. The spider web on the deer fence. Emma listened intently, repeating key words and phrases, as Laurel helped her into her pajamas. She was so good with Emma. Always seemed to know just what to say, what to do.

Gavin grabbed the girl’s toothbrush from the medicine cabinet and was just about to squirt on a dab of toothpaste when his phone buzzed in his pocket.

He pulled it out and froze at the number on the screen. “It’s a Florida area code.”

Laurel sobered. “Take it. I’ll get Emma to bed.”

He slipped from the room and as he went downstairs, he answered the call.

“Gavin?” a woman replied. “This is Patty Dupuis—Mallory’s aunt.”

He sighed. Finally. “Of course. You got my message.”

“I’m so sorry I missed your calls. I was on a sailing expedition. I just arrived in Puerto Rico this afternoon and charged my phone.”

“Your neighbor filled us in. That sounds like quite an undertaking.”

“It’s quite exhilarating. Is everything okay? Is Mallory all right?”

He’d been so eager to reach the woman, he hadn’t given much thought to how he’d break the news. “I’m afraid I have some terrible news, Patty. It’s about Mallory and Mike. They were flying back from Charlotte and... their plane went down. There’s no easy way to say this—they both died in the crash.”

Shocked silence filled his ear. A moment later she burst into tears. “Oh no. No, it can’t be true.”

He ached for her. “I’m so sorry for your loss. I know this is a terrible shock.”

“When did this happen?”

“A week ago yesterday.”

“My sweet little Mallory.” She gasped. “Emma! What about Emma?”

“Emma’s fine. She wasn’t with them. She’s here at her house with Laurel and me.”

“Oh, that poor child. She must be so confused. Did Mallory—was it quick? Do you know?”

“My brother was present on the scene—he’s the sheriff. Mike was already gone by the time help arrived. Mallory was unconscious. They took her to the hospital, but she passed during surgery. I don’t think she was aware of anything. I don’t think she suffered.”

Patty wept quietly, and Gavin forced himself to wait. To let the news sink in before he had to hit her with the question about Emma’s future.

“I can’t believe this has happened,” Patty said a while later. “I was outsailingwhen my niece was dying in an awful plane crash.”

“You couldn’t have known. There’s no reason to feel guilty.”

“I—I should come in for the funeral. When will it be?”

---