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"Dad’s different," Annie continued, alhts

"We both are"

"Dad’s learned his lesson He’s humbled You know that can’t be easy for him"

What Annie said was true With Grant’s pride, it had taken a great deal for him to admit he’d made a mistake and seek a reconciliation

"You don’t mind if I call him, do you?"

"Not at all"

Annie reached for her cell and punched a couple of buttons After a e here"

"It can wait In fact, if you call hias?"

"Okay"

By the time they returned to the car, Ruth had cleaned up their leftovers and they were ready to go back to the highway

"I’ll drive," Annie said

Bethanne was happy to relinquish the wheel If she was going to finish the wedding gloves, she’d need tiress their first day on the road, but none today She was counting on the trip to afford her knitting tienerally have

Ruth clier seat next to her daughter Annie inserted the key and the engine turned over once and then quit

Frowning, Annie looked at Bethanne "What’s wrong?"

Bethanne’s heart slowed as she reas station in Wells "Try again"

Annie did, and the engine caught right away Bethanne relaxed, giving her daughter a reassuring set stuck in the middle of nowhere with a broken-down vehicle and no cell coverage

The car lurched forward and died again

"Is there a problem?" Ruth asked anxiously from the backseat

"I’ When it beca to start the engine, Bethanne placed her hand over her daughter’s

"Nohat?" Annie asked

Bethanne’s head was spinning They didn’t have a lot of options "How far are we from the main road? Isn’t it about five miles?"

"Yup Farther than I’d want to walk," Annie said, "especially in this heat"

"I agree It’s too far to walk in this heat," Ruth said e" Annie dropped her hands fro cars?"

Bethanne shook her head

"Not me," Ruth said "I left all that to Richard After he died I had to learn how to fill as tank But that’s about all I can do"

"We could be here for days," Annie moaned

"Why don’t ait until it cools down and then walk to the highway"

"This is all er for adventure that I put us in danger"

"I was the one who suggested we eat lunch by the lake," Annie said

"Stop," Bethanne told them both "This isn’t anyone’s fault We’ll be fine There’s nothing to worry about Besides, there are worse things than being stuck by a beautiful lake on a su up "Let’s go swi one," Ruth confessed "I didn’t want anyone to seeher eyes She was on her way to Florida and some of the most beautiful beaches in the world--and she orried about showing her thighs "Who’ll even notice?"

"What about you, Mom?" Annie asked

Bethanne’s s"Okay, you two, I don’t care if you have your bathing suits or not, we’re going swi"