She stared across the river. It was because Kathleen was interested in her, and never judged. Not once, even about the driving, had she made Martha feel like a failure.

“You have such an easy relationship I assumed you were her granddaughter.”

Martha felt a pang of loss. Spending time with Kathleen had made her realize how much she missed her grandmother. And she realized that there was nothing wrong with her life. Her unhappiness stemmed entirely from the people she was spending time with. Her family. Steven. She’d never be who they wanted her to be, and she didn’t want to be that person.

“If I could have a second grandmother, I’d choose her.” With her own family she was defensive the whole time and braced for conflict. She didn’t talk to them the way she talked to Kathleen.

On this trip she was able to be herself, and she felt happier than she had in a long time.

Josh smiled. “She’s lucky to have found you to drive her. And now I understand why you’re doing it—but why is she doing it?”

“Route 66?” Martha forced herself to concentrate on the conversation. “She was a big traveler of course—a pioneer. But you already know that. Route 66 happened to be on her wish list I think.” Although she was starting to wonder now if Ruth hadn’t had something to do with Kathleen’s choice. She said she didn’t want to get in touch, but she was driving to California and she had to wonder, surely? It had to be on her mind. Maybe Martha would prompt her again. But it wasn’t something she could discuss with Josh. “Will you come with us today?”

“It would be my pleasure.”

The sense of relief was as welcoming as a cold shower on a hot day. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I’ll talk to the staff at reception, and then I’ll help you load the car.”

She wanted to hug him, but after the conversation they’d just had she was afraid her gesture of gratitude might be misconstrued so she settled for a friendly punch on the arm.

“Oklahoma, here we come.”

Kathleen wasn’t wrong about his muscles, she thought. But that didn’t mean she was interested.

That was one bad decision she was not going to make.

15

LIZA

“It’s been nineteen years since we saw each other. Can you believe that?” Angie sat on the picnic rug, a large sun hat pulled down over her eyes as they dried off after an invigorating—freezing, Liza had called it—swim in the sea.

Liza lay on her back, staring up at the cloudless blue sky. Why had it taken her so long to do this? And how lucky was she to be having her escape time in the middle of a heat wave?