Page 39 of The Beach Cottage
“Ready to go up?” she asked.
Dani nodded.
Harry smiled. “You going to miss us, Mum?”
Bea laced an arm around his waist. “More than you can possibly know. But I’m glad you’re happy in your dorm and with your friends. Please call me if you need anything. I can be in Sydney in no time at all.”
“It’s a long way.”
“I don’t mind. I’ll be there in a flash if you need me.”
They walked slowly up the path together, talking over the semester ahead and what each of the children would study, what they’d need and how they felt about it all. By the time they’d showered, packed and eaten a light meal, Bea was ready to drive them to the ferry and had pushed her emotions down so she could tell them goodbye without crying.
She waved as the ferry left the shore, then sighed as the boat accelerated across the bay. When she could no longer see them, she climbed back into her car and sobbed for a few moments against the steering wheel. She pulled herself together and drove home to the cottage.
There were a few hours for her to rest before she had another task to complete — she’d promised Aidan she would come to his house to help him through a visit from Grace’s mum, Kelly. And tonight, Kelly was having dinner with them all at Aidan’s. Bea had agreed to cook and to host so Aidan could spend his nervous energy managing the conflict he’d already predicted might erupt between the mother and daughter.
With her feet up and a book in her hands, she sipped a cup of coffee in her living room, enjoying the quiet of the cottage, the whisper of the ocean, the twitter of birds weaving through the trees around the structure. A light breeze floated through the open windows. Bea relished those moments to relax her tired body and her overstimulated mind. As much as she loved having visitors, there was a certain satisfaction in having the cottage all to herself once again.
She’d only made it through a few pages before the phone rang. With a groan, she stared at it on the table next to her chair. Maybe she could simply ignore it. But what if it was one of the kids with a problem catching their flight? She turned the phone over and saw Aidan’s name on the screen.
“Hello?”
“Bea, I don’t know what to do. Can you please help me find Grace?”
She sat up straight. “What do you mean? Where is she?”
“I don’t know.” His voice was panicked. “We had an argument about the dinner tonight. She said she hates her mother and never wants to see her again. I tried to smooth things over, told her she shouldn’t say ‘hate,’ that she should give her mum a chance. After all, she’s raised her…”
“And she didn’t take that well, I’m guessing.” Bea rubbed a hand over her face.
“No, she didn’t. She stormed out of here, slammed the door and took off in my car. I don’t know where she’s gone, and I don’t have a vehicle to follow her in and she doesn’t have a license. If Kelly gets here this afternoon and I tell her I can’t find our daughter…”
“It could go badly,” Bea finished.
“And I’m worried about her. She was really angry.”
“I’m sure she’s fine. She just needs a little break to cool off.” Bea had a sudden thought flit through her mind. “I have an idea about where she might be. I’ll go looking for her. You just relax and prepare for this evening. I’ll let you know how I go.”
“Thank you, thank you… I really appreciate it. I don’t know what to do here. I’m going crazy.”
“Welcome to parenting a teen.” She sighed. “There’s only so many places she could go on the island. Try not to get too upset. Teens can have big emotions, but they usually come around once you explain things to them in a loving and sensible way.”
“I hope you’re right.”
She hung up the phone and stood to her feet with a grunt. So much for her alone time with a good book. She gulped down a mouthful of coffee as she carried the cup to the kitchen, then rinsed it out. It didn’t take long to pack the car with the things she’d need to make dinner that evening, along with a change of clothes and some makeup. Then she drove to Betsy’s fishing hole, hoping the whole way there that she was right about Grace’s movements.
When she pulled up alongside the road, she saw Aidan’s truck parked a little farther down.
She texted Aidan. I found her. Will bring home as soon as I can. The phone only had one bar, and as soon as she stepped out of the car and began the climb down the winding track to the hidden cove, that bar disappeared. If Aidan responded, she wouldn’t know until she was driving again.
Grace was seated in exactly the same place, behind the large black rock, that she had been the last time Bea saw her there. She had her legs bent up, her arms hugging them, and her chin rested on her knees as she stared into the water lapping at her toes.
“Hi, Grace,” Bea said.
Grace glanced up at her, startled. Her eyebrows knit together when she saw who it was. “What do you want?”
“I came here looking for you. Aidan’s worried about you.”
