Part Six - Einstein never did understand how a sailboat sailed into the wind.
On Sunday evening, when the skyline was exploding with
pinks and purples of an Autumn sunset, they sailed into the Milford marina. Dana and Grace
used the three days of the return trip becoming closer friends. They both enjoyed the cold
evenings, especially Dana, who learned all of the intimate things Grace would allow her to
do to her body. Grace made headway as well, managing to get to second base, only to be
thrown out whenever she tried to steal third or led off the bag too far. And when they
were not between the sheets fooling around, they were setting up a plan to investigate who
was framing Dana of the waitress' murder.
"So," Grace said when the boat was docked, and her belongings and dirty clothes
were packed in her car. "Where are you heading off to now?"
"I'm going to get a room and take a long hot shower," Dana said flinging her
small duffel over her shoulder.
"You don't want to come home with me?"
"I figured you wanted to settle in and get ready for work in the morning."
"No. You figured wrong, Smartypants."
"I'm certainly glad that you are here to set me straight."
Grace smiled. "Get in the Jeep," she commanded and Dana practically ran to get
into the vehicle. The fact was, she was dreading the separation. She knew it was
inevitable, but as a well practice procrastinator, later was always better than sooner.
Dana hopped into the shower while Grace checked her phone messages and watered her plants.
The digital memory of the recorder was nearly full with sixty-eight messages, most of
which were from her sister and mother, and the news they brought dreadful. By the fifth
message, her sister finally revealed that their father had had a heart attacked and to
call as soon as she received the message. Joy must have tried her at work as well, and
kicked herself for not calling from the sea at some point.
She put the replay on hold and phone Joy's house nine hundred miles away in Kentucky.
It rang several times and was picked up by the answering machine. Being Sunday, they were
likely at a church dinner. Grace left a brief message for Joy to call her and then tried
her mother's house.
"Wilson's," the soft Southern drawl of Faith Wilson came across the line.
"Mom, it's Grace," she said her throat tight from holding back tears. "I
just got in. How's Daddy?"
"He's bad, Gracie. We had to take him to the city. He wants you to come home as soon
as possible."
Tears began to flow down her cheeks and she sniffled. "I'll leave right away."
She imagined her father on life support waiting for her to arrive so that they could say
"goodbye" to each other. When Grace was growing up, he never left for the office
without kissing his daughters "goodbye", and she knew he would never leave life
without that.
The Nano Series Continued...Nano 2 Part 1