Page 165 (2/2)
She led her group away fro, otherworldly presence behind They walked down a sloping ridge, into a stand of thin-trunked pines growing in tight formation Russet leaves and conifer needles from seasons past crushed on the da, topped off with a sweltering heat that kept many of the area's tourists away
The forest was quiet, peacefulexcept for the awareness of ghostly eyes following Dylan's every step deeper into the woods
"I'lad your boss let you have the time off to come with us," added one of the women from behind her on the path "I kno hard you work at the paper,up all those stories - "
"She doesn't ot to be some truth in Dylan's articles or they couldn't print theht, honey?"
Dylan scoffed "Well, considering that our front page usually runs at least one alien abduction or deet in the way of a good story We publish entertain journalism"
"Yourto be a fa Woodward or Bernstein, that's what she says"
"That's right," Janet put in "You know, she showedyour first newspaper job fresh out of college - you were covering some nasty murder case upstate You remember, don't you, honey?"
"Yeah," Dylan said, navigating the sandstone towers that rose out of the trees "I reo"
"Well, no matter what you do, I know that your ht a lot of joy into her life"
Dylan nodded, struggling to find her voice "Thanks"
Both Janet and Marie worked with her mother at the runaway center in Brooklyn Nancy, the other roup, had been Sharon's best friend since high school All three of the women had become like extended family to Dylan in the past fewar to need if she ever lost her mom
In her heart, Dylan kneas more a matter of when than if
For so long, it had been just the two of them Her father had been absent since Dylan was a kid, not that he'd been much of a father when he was present Her two older brothers were gone too, one of the cut all fao Dylan and her mom had been left to pick up the pieces, and so they had, each there to lift the other one up when she was down, or to celebrate even the smallest triumphs
Dylan couldn't bear to think of how empty her life would be without her mom
Nancy caave Dylan a warm, if sad, smile "It means the world to Sharon that you would experience the trip for her You're living it for her, you know?"