Captiva Ever After (Captiva Island Series #7)

Sarah had moments of dementia brought on by urinary tract infections that continued to plague her. Lauren worried that the illness had progressed beyond the remedy of regular antibiotics.

“I’m going over there,” Lauren said to her husband, Jeff. “I’ve left two messages and I’m not waiting for her to call back.”

“Do you want me to come with you?” he asked.

“No, you stay with the girls. I’ll text you when I get there.”

Trying to remain calm, she put her coat on and grabbed her handbag and car keys. Her grandmother lived in the next town and it took Lauren only fifteen minutes to reach her house.

Both Lauren and Beth had been given the key to their grandmother’s home just in case she needed anything, and so, Lauren had no trouble getting inside.

“Grandma? It’s Lauren.”

All the lights, except a small lamp near the front window, were off and the house was eerily quiet.

“Grandma…where are you?”

No answer. Lauren opened the door to the garage and saw that her grandmother’s car was still there.

Well, at least she’s not out driving somewhere.

Lauren checked every room, but there was no sign of her grandmother. She dialed her grandmother’s cell phone once more and this time she picked up.

“Hi, honey. How are things back home?”

“Back home? Grandma, where are you?”

Lauren could hear music and laughter in the background.

“Wait a minute and I’ll ask.”

Ask? Why does she need to ask someone where she is?

“We’ve just docked in St. Thomas.”

“What? St. Thomas? What are you doing in St. Thomas?”

“Well, that’s where the captain drove the ship. How else would I get here?”

Lauren fell into the living room chair and sighed.

“You’re on a cruise, aren’t you?”

Her grandmother laughed. “Silly, of course I’m on a cruise. I don’t own a boat.”

Lauren had many conversations like this over the years. It didn’t do any good to lose patience with the woman. She’d tell her story in good time, you just had to wait for it.

“Grandma, did it ever occur to you to tell your family that you were going on a cruise? We’ve been worried sick about you.”

Her grandmother must have found a quieter spot on the ship to talk because all of a sudden the laughter and music stopped.

“Grandma?”

“I heard you. Hold on, I’m trying to find a better chair so I can hear you. What did you say?”

“I asked you why you didn’t tell anyone that you were going on a cruise. We’ve all been so worried when you didn’t answer our calls.”

“Well, I don’t get very good reception here on the ship. You’re lucky that you got me this morning. I can’t talk long though because I want to go ashore. That’s what they call it when you get off the boat. You know how they always say that you deplane when you get off a plane? Well, getting off a boat means that you’re going ashore.”