The horizon and then the sky put on a show of such spectacular dimensions that all the color of my family story paled. I wasn’t embarrassed. What was I supposed to do about them? The good news was that Ted seemed much more amused than horrified. And when he took me home, there was an extended period of time spent in the car saying good night. I floated into bed that night. This was love, and I was astonished by its power. More than that, I was happier than I’d ever been. Where was Leslie? Her bed was empty. Hmmm.

“Did you know honey never goes bad?” I said.

Ted said, “No, I did not know that. That’s amazing.”

“You’re amazing,” I said.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Forever Bee

I got up on the early side of morning, as I usually did. To my surprise, Suzanne was in the kitchen. She had made coffee. Suzanne in the morning, reading the paper wearing a terrycloth bathrobe, was a lot less theatrical than Suzanne in the afternoon or evening. Her gray hair was all spiky, and without all that eyeliner and mascara, she looked more like a kindly grandfather.

“Good morning,” I said.

“Good morning. There’s coffee.”

“Thanks! Did you sleep well?”

“I did, but your momma had a bit of a night.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, we might have overdone it yesterday. I’m guessing she doesn’t get a lot of exercise.”

“You could say that,” I said. “Want a little more?” I filled my mug and was ready to top off Suzanne’s.

“Sure. Thanks,” she said. “She was full of aches and pains. I found some ointment in the bathroom and rubbed her legs. Then she slept well after that. She’s still asleep.”

“Well, I’m sure she’s still getting over the surgery, too.”

“That’s what I thought also,” Suzanne said and refolded the front section of the paper. “Did you have fun last night? Who was that nice-looking man you didn’t introduce me to?”

“Oh, Lord, Suzanne, I’m sorry! That’s Ted Meyers. He’s the chief of police on the island. I think I’m going to marry him and have his babies. I’ll be sure to introduce you to him the next time he’s here.”

“I see. And how long have you two been seeing each other?”

“Last night was our second date,” I said, knowing she’d think I was jumping the gun.

“You Jensen girls don’t mess around, do you?” She was smiling. “Get right down to business.”

“Nope. No flies on us.”

Leslie tootled in.

“G’morning!”

“There’s coffee,” Suzanne said. “So, when everyone’s caffeine intake has been satisfied, there’s something we should discuss.”

“Fire away,” I said.

“Lay it on me, baby,” Leslie said.