her back and sweat dripped down her brow. “Just where are you going?” she asked herself. And then the tears started. She didn’t even have a Kleenex with her, or a simple bottle of water. Running away took planning.
All that talk about choices. Now all she had were choices, but none of them made any sense. She had nowhere to go. She wiped her tears with her arm and imagined Mrs. Warren telling her she was a smart girl and would figure this out. Shelby considered calling her grandmother and laughed at the absurdity of the idea. That was exactly where Dana and Gus were taking her anyway. She would be safe there. Suddenly the idea of being with her Grandma Alice seemed like a reprieve. At least she wouldn't have to be present when everything fell apart for her mother again, this time with Gus.
After a few moments of rest, suitcase in hand, Shelby stood up and started walking back the way she’d come. Hopefully, Dana and Gus wouldn’t see her and she could sneak back in before they returned. As she approached the apartment stairs with the flimsy metal railings, she spotted her neighbor out walking GiGi.
“Going somewhere?” the neighbor asked, glancing at the suitcase.
“Actually, we’re moving,” Shelby said. She leaned down and petted the dog one more time. “I’ll miss GiGi.”
“And we will miss you. GiGi adores you.”
The woman truly looked sad that she was leaving. Shelby could feel tears building. “I’m glad we got to say goodbye.”
With a last glance at the dog, Shelby hurried up the stairs and into the apartment. The first thing she did was crank up the A/C. They were leaving anyway, so what did it matter? She curled up on the sofa and waited for her mother to return. Maybe Moonwater Lake would be fun. She could swim in the clear water and get a little part-time job. She hadn't seen her grandmother in over a year, not since Grandpa Stan died and they’d gone back briefly for the funeral. Grandmother Alice had looked so sad and lonely. Shelby hated that Dana had insisted on leaving right after the funeral. They’d really had nowhere to be. Alice had always been there when they needed her. She deserved better.
There was her grandmother’s puppy, Scarlett, to keep her company. A few months before Grandpa Stan died, he’d surprised her grandmother with the curly doxie-poodle mix. A woman had been sitting outside a grocery store with the pups in a box and he couldn’t resist. Shelby remembered from their brief visit to Moonwater Lake that year that the puppy was a real cuddler. She imagined playing with it, taking it for walks. It was all in how you viewed things, she reminded herself. She would see this as a summer vacation at the lake, and maybe even enjoy it. She was used to starting over and making the most of things, and this would be no different.
Chapter 2
They had been driving for what seemed like hours since Dana had dragged Shelby out of bed at four o’clock that morning. Even at dawn, her mother had on full makeup and a low-cut shirt with white shorts. Her wavy blonde hair fell over her shoulders. Half asleep, Shelby had thrown on old jeans and joined them in the car. Finally, they were going to stop for some food. Shelby was curled up in the back seat of Gus’s truck, wrapped in her furry blanket. Her stomach had been growling for hours, but Dana was insistent they make the over-600-mile drive to Moonwater Lake in northern California before dinnertime today.
“Wake up, sleepyhead,” Dana said. “We’re going to drive through this fast food place.”
Gus chimed in, “Get whatever you want. It’s on me.”
“Can’t we go in?” Shelby asked. “I have to use the bathroom.”
Gus looked at Dana for an answer.
“We’re already in the line. And it will be faster if we just eat in the car. You can run into the bathroom before we take off. You’d better order plenty, because I’m not sure we’re going to stop again before we get there.”
Great, Shelby thought. Perhaps she’d better not order a drink either. She had no idea what the big hurry was and didn’t want to ask. Dana had instructed her that morning to be on her best behavior with Gus around. As if she wasn’t already doing that. Certainly Dana had been her most charming self with the man.
After ordering, Gus parked under a shade tree, rolled