A Road Trip to Remember - Judith S. Keim Page 0,14
the next few days, I plan to nap on the beach in between working on a paper. Can’t wait!”
“Good girl.” Aggie got to her feet and headed into her room. Talk of Donovan would wait.
###
Rain had moved into the area and was still falling when Aggie got out of bed. The apprehension she’d kept at bay crept into her thoughts. Was she crazy for making a trip like this and pulling Blythe into this secret escapade? They both knew Constance would make a fuss about it. Worse, Donovan might ruin all she was trying to do by remaining aloof at best, bitter at worst. She studied the palm trees outside her window. Their fronds tossed about in the wind and reminded her of their resilience. She decided not to second-guess her actions. Time would tell if she’d been right to do this.
Quietly, so as not to disturb Blythe, Aggie stepped into the bathroom and took a shower. As the water sluiced over her body, she recalled how thrilled she’d been with Blythe’s birth. The situation wasn’t ideal, with Brad feeling forced to marry Blythe’s mother as a matter of honor, but it had been a wonderful event anyway. And now, knowing Blythe’s willingness to take over the business in due time, it seemed right for Aggie to step down. Blythe was smart and innovative, good attributes for a woman moving into the business world. She’d already proved it with summer internships.
By the time Aggie had dressed and was ready to begin the day, she was eager to move forward. When she stepped into the dining room, another couple greeted her with warm smiles.
She sat down, curious to learn about them.
Sandy, the perfect hostess, offered them all coffee, tea, and juice, then announced the breakfast that morning was a cheese-and-veggie omelet, sausage casserole, and blueberry muffins.
Blythe and four other guests joined them in the dining room, dispelling any of the gloominess outside with cheerful talk.
After breakfast, Aggie went into the kitchen to say goodbye to John, who was cooking breakfast for the guests who kept arriving in the dining room.
“John, I want to thank you for being a friend all those years ago. This trip has brought back such happy memories of all of us being together.”
“Good to see you, Aggie,” John said, giving her a quick embrace. “Stay in better touch. And be sure to tell Donovan he should visit us.”
“Will do,” she responded before turning to Sandy, who’d joined them. “Thank you so much for a wonderful stay. I’ll be telling all my friends back home that when they need a perfect escape, they should come and stay here. It’s charming. And as I told John, thanks for your friendship. It meant and means so much to me.”
“Thanks. I hope you come back for a longer stay. And as John says, Donovan needs to come for a visit. He’s not that far.” Sandy threw her arms around her. “Aggie, I hope everything works out between you and Donovan. I remember that day when he came to see you. He never should’ve done that. It wasn’t fair.”
Aggie gazed at her friend. “It’s something I need to resolve. That is one reason I’m making this trip.”
“And the other?” Sandy asked, grinning at her.
“To prove that I still have the power to live my own life as I see fit.”
Sandy chuckled. “That’s my friend, Aggie. I say go for it!”
Before Aggie returned to her room, she stepped out onto the front porch. The sun was peeking through dollops of white clouds even as a fine mist continued to fall. A vivid rainbow made a colorful arc over the water, sending a silent message that all would be well.
Smiling, Aggie turned away to see if Blythe was ready for this last leg of the trip.
###
On the road again, Aggie settled in the passenger’s seat and stared out the window at the passing scenery.
“Gran? What is all this talk about Donovan? Who is he, and what is he to you?”
Aggie knew it was time for her to tell Blythe the real reason she’d chosen Florida for her escape.
“I thought I was going to marry Donovan. We’d dated steadily, lived together our senior year in college, and had talked about marriage. No serious plans, no official engagement, mind you, but the topic came up more than once. I’d made plans to bring him home to Springfield to meet my parents after graduation. At the last minute, he backed out, informing me that his grandmother had