Free Pinky Promise (Riverbend Romance 2) by Valerie Comer

Sophie to be my twin again.”
    So did Kelly.
    Her mother’s ring tone chimed. They hadn’t talked often lately with Grandma so sick over in Castlebrook’s nursing home.
    “Hi, Mom.”
    “Hi, Kelly. How are my two best girls doing?” She sounded tired.  
    “We’re good.” And lying was acceptable. “How about you? How’s Grandma?”
    “Not well. The head nurse pulled me aside today and told me to prepare for the end.”
    “This isn’t the first time.”
    “No, I know. But when I think how she looked even a week or two ago, I have to agree. Is there any chance you can come this weekend? It will probably be the last chance you have to say good-bye.”
    The thought of cooping Elena up for hours or even days in a dim, quiet nursing home room was not appealing. Kelly thought longingly of the sunshine outside, the daffodils and tulips blooming beside her sheltered back door. Or the zoo in springtime. “I’m not sure, Mom. I don’t even know how I’d get there.”
    Her mother sighed. “Surely you know someone whose car you could borrow, or who is coming to Castlebrook sometime this weekend. Once you’re here you can drive my car, if that helps.”
    Ian would be going right past on his way to Calgary. Uh… no.
    “It would mean a lot to me, Kelly. The end is near. I can feel it.”
    Kelly didn’t want to think how her mother knew that, or if she really did. Seemed freaky. “I hear you, Mom. But I still have Elena to juggle. Does your friend have room for us?”
    “Yes, you both can stay with Lorraine. She has a double fold-out bed in the basement.”
    Sounded comfy, especially since Elena tended to sleep sideways. “I’ll see if there’s a car I can borrow and come over for the day at some point, rather than the entire weekend.”
    “Kelly, please...”
    Kelly’s eyebrows rose. It would help if her mom would meet her halfway. “I’ll see what I can do.”
    “She’s the only grandparent you have left.”
    Nice guilt trip. Kelly had great memories from when she was a child, but Grandma had a stroke five years ago. It had been a rare visit since then when her grandmother had recognized her, let alone Elena. Yeah, she’d still be sad if Grandma died, and she hadn’t said good-bye. She hadn’t been over since just after Christmas.
    “I’ll let you know what I can arrange. Take care of yourself, too, Mom.”
    When the call ended, Kelly turned to Elena, who sat slumped in a chair beside the table, with a scowl on her face. Kelly knew how her daughter felt.
    “I don’t want to go see Great-grandma.”
    “I know you don’t, baby girl.” She didn’t, herself. “But sometimes we have to do things even if we don’t want to.” Like calling Ian… or giving up on him? Which would it be?
    She wakened her tablet and searched for the local car rental place, dreading whatever the price would be. Terrific. They weren’t accepting one-day reservations over Easter. She’d have to take a car for four days or not at all.
    Not at all was the winner. Even one day would tax her carefully-constructed budget. She wasn’t going to jeopardize Elena’s birthday for a trip to see Grandma. She simply couldn’t do it.
    Her elderly landlady had sold her car last year when she’d failed the vision test for her driver’s license. Who else? Someone from church? Vanessa?
    Kelly couldn’t do this. A person didn’t randomly phone everyone she knew asking to borrow a car. But just because her mother was a professional guilter didn’t mean Kelly shouldn’t go. The truth was, Kelly hadn’t seen her grandmother in nearly four months. The truth was, closure would be good.
    The truth was, Elena would go crazier than the Mad Hatter sitting quietly in that nursing home for hours every day. Kelly could download some new games and picture books to her tablet, but that wouldn’t hold her daughter for long. Besides, she’d want the tablet herself sometimes. She was still in the midst of that great Farm Fresh Romance