Free Ghost Moon by Karen Robards Page B

excited about. At the end of this past July, I went in for a routine checkup, and they told me that the disease had become aggressive. That’s when I wrote to you to come home. I should have done it sooner, I know. All these years that you’ve stayed away, I’ve thought of you often, but I always thought that there would be plenty of time to get you back here and mend things between us all. Now time has started to seem a little precious to me, and I didn’t want to wait any longer. I’m glad you came.’’
    ‘‘Oh, Aunt Callie.’’ Olivia’s fingers tightened around the older woman’s, and she felt breathless, as if she had just had the wind knocked out of her. ‘‘Are they treating you? What . . .?’’ Olivia’s voice trailed off.
    ‘‘I started chemotherapy the first week in August,’’ Callie said. She smiled a little. ‘‘The regimen is three weeks on, one week off, for six months. I actually felt fine until then, except for being tired. Now I feel like I have cancer. But it’s working, they tell me, so I can’t complain.’’
    For a moment Olivia stared at the older woman in appalled silence. Then she burst out with: ‘‘I’m so sorry! I’m sorry you’re sick, and I’m sorry I stayed away so long. As soon as I saw LaAngelle Plantation—and Big John—and you—and, and everyone again, I realized how much I had missed you all. But . . . but . . .’’
    ‘‘But you were too proud to come scooting home with your tail between your legs. I know.’’ Callie squeezed her fingers. ‘‘It’s all right, Olivia. But it’s time to put all that behind us. There’s a good chance that I’ll live a long time yet, the doctor says. I’m going to do everything I can to still be around for Chloe’s wedding, and some great-grandchildren. But no more family rift! That nonsense has gone on long enough! I asked you to visit because I missed you and wanted to see you, of course, but also so that you could make up with Seth and Big John—and the rest of the family while I’m around to make sure it happens. I didn’t even tell them you were coming, because they’ve been so ridiculous about the way you left. But whatever happens with Big John—and I pray to God that he’ll be fine—we’re all going to be a family again now. And I expect you to do your part to make that happen.’’
    Olivia stared rather helplessly at Callie. ‘‘Seth said tonight that all I do is cause trouble, and I’m afraid in this case he may be right: I’m almost certain that I’m the reason Big John had the heart attack. I—’’
    ‘‘Nonsense.’’ Callie shook her head at Olivia. ‘‘Big John has—wandered a bit in his mind from time to time the last few years, and his health hasn’t been all that good. The man is eighty-seven, after all. I don’t want you to blame yourself for what happened. It could have come at any time, for any reason. As for Seth—he’s had a difficult few years of his own, you know. He’s running the Boatworks completely now, and that’s a lot of responsibility. And of course there’s Chloe. Seth has sole custody of her. That bitch—pardon my French, dear, but there’s no other word for Jennifer Rainey—that Seth married ran off to California five years ago. She took Chloe with her. Seth was—well, he was upset, to say the least. Last year Jennifer remarried and sent Chloe back to live with Seth. Just like that. She travels a lot with her new husband, she said, and having Chloe with them all the time made things awkward. She has seen Chloe once in the last year, two days before Christmas, when she and her husband just happened to be in New Orleans. I had to drive Chloe in to see her. Jennifer couldn’t be bothered to come out here.’’
    Callie paused, and Olivia had the impression that she was once again feeling poorly. Before Olivia could do more than squeeze her hand, Callie rallied and went on.
    ‘‘Seth had a house in town, but when Chloe came to live with him he