Unexpected Odds (Unexpected Arrivals 5)

I hold up my notepad and close the cover, sliding it into my purse. “Never leave home without it.”

“You know, the iPad I bought you would be so much more efficient than all those paper lists.” She furrows her brow. She can’t grasp that I prefer putting pen to paper. “I mean, aren’t I the one who’s supposed to be afraid of technology?”

“I’m not afraid of technology, Mother.” I hold up my e-reader as proof. “I just prefer the paper method. There is just something about being able to mark items off a list and then tossing it in the trash once it’s complete.”

“To each their own, I guess.” She sighs heavily. “I still don’t understand why you insist on going. I hate that town, and that house for that matter.”

“Because Grandma and Grandpa left it to Dad, who left it to me, and it’s only right I’m there to oversee the renovations. And you never have told me why you hate the house, and the town so much.”

“Small town living isn’t for me. The house, it’s too… I don’t know… I just was never fond of it. And I still can’t believe your father left it to you. I tried to get him to sell years ago.”

“Because Grandma and Grandpa owned it? Is that why you never liked it?” I ask, even though I know I’m right. She never really got along well with my father’s parents. They passed away when I was in high school, and as soon as I graduated, Dad was able to somehow convince Mom to move. It didn’t last long.

“They always looked at me as being beneath them.” I raise my eyebrows in surprise at her words. “You’ll never know how that feels until you experience it for yourself. To know the family of the man you love thinks you’re not good enough. It’s tragic,” she says dramatically—in a way that only my mother can.

“You hardly seem traumatized.”

“You don’t know,” she says, giving me a pointed look.

I hate it when she does that. Always dropping reminders. “Well, I didn’t expect for the renovators to start this week, but it’s worked out. You’re coming this weekend, right? I scheduled your flight.”

“And where are we staying?” She sighs. She’s acting as if the world is coming to an end.

“At the house of course.”

“What? Why would we do that? There used to be a decent hotel. Surely we can stay there.”

“Mother, why would we? Grandma and Grandpa’s house is huge. There’s plenty of room for us to stay there.”

“During renovations?” she asks, appalled.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t we do the same thing here after Dad died? You went through some kind of ‘must change my surroundings’ thing. We survived and this house isn’t half the size as theirs.”

She rolls her eyes. We both know I’m right. We lost Grandma and Grandpa within a few months of each other. I swear Gramps’s heart was broken without Grams and that’s why we lost him. I’m a romantic at heart, and I probably read way too many romance novels, but that’s what I like to believe.

“Fine.”

“Perfect. Now I need to do one last check that I have everything, then head out so I don’t miss my flight.”

“Delaney,” my mom whispers. I look up to find her wringing her hands together and what looks like dread on her face. “Those people in that town, they never liked me. Just… stay away from them, all right? Do what you need to do with the attorney and the construction crew and just… lay low. I don’t want you having to deal with what I did.”

“Mom, you’re paranoid. Everything is going to be fine. Besides, that was years ago and since when has it been the ‘people’ in town? You just said it was Grandma and Grandpa?”

“It’s everything. Just promise me. Hang out at the house, and don’t—” She stops as if she’s trying to find the right words. “Just… don’t venture out alone. At least wait until I arrive on Thursday”

“You know you could come with me now.”

“Oh, and miss bridge with the ladies next week? I couldn’t. Besides, Martha is having a knee replacement, and we’re not going to be playing for the next several weeks. This is my last chance to see them all together until we pick back up.”

I fight the urge—and it’s a strong one—to roll my eyes. Heaven forbid something more important than hanging out with the ladies to play bridge comes up in her life. However, it works out for other reasons as well, so I can’t be too upset with her. “Fine. I’ll see you on Thursday” I lean in and give her a hug. Grabbing my suitcase, I exit the room. I need to see the girls and then bust ass to the airport.