Treasure Beach: Chapter One, Part One
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Treasure Beach: Chapter One, Part One
"There she goes wandering down the road again." Wanda faced her husband and hiked her thumb behind her toward the front window of their concrete block cottage. "What did I tell you? These days that girl looks as low as a stuck duck in a dry pond. Camp's over till next summer, and now she's got nothing to do. It's hitting her, you better believe it, that Lizzie's never coming back. Nothing to think about but that until school starts again."
Ken nodded, the way he always did when his mind was someplace else. He looked like the cop he was, salt and pepper hair cropped short, demeanor that gave nothing away. Luckily he wasn't yet the victim of middle-age spread, despite the quantities of pie he consumed. The cops in Palmetto Grove weren't getting fat off doughnuts. They had pie from Wanda's own pie shop to thank for their extra pounds. Along with her neighbors and the residents of a local homeless shelter, PG cops devoured every pie Wanda's Wonderful Pies didn't sell.
"We ought to do something for Olivia," she said.
Ken got to his feet and looked at his watch. He was heading to work, and even though it was Monday and Wanda's day off, she would be heading into the shop soon enough to make sure all was well for the week ahead. Unfortunately her newest assistant was as useless as a sore thumb.
"You can't fix everything," he said.
"Maybe not, but that girl's had enough heartbreak. I just wish I could do something."
"Everybody here on the key's watching out for her. She's got her pick of women to talk to. She'll let you know if she needs you."
"It's just like a man to think a woman shouldn't interfere."
He leaned over and kissed her, then he pulled her close, even though she pretended to squirm. "And it's just like a woman to ignore him. Just don't go making things worse. She's what, eleven now? She'll figure things out, just like Maggie always did at that age."
"I wish I knew Maggie was figuring things out right now."
"How much of your worrying is about Olivia, and how much about our daughter?"
Wanda wasn't really sure, but she didn't admit it. She just gave up and hugged him back. It never paid to let a man know a woman was unsure of anything. Let a man stick that foot in the door, and all the pie in the world wouldn't set it to rights.
