Watch for the Dead (Relatively Dead Book 4) by Sheila Connolly Page A
Authors: Sheila Connolly
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need sunscreen,” Abby told her. “The water may still be rough. We can all go swimming tomorrow, okay?”
They were sorted out quickly, and after checking that everything was closed up tight (against what? Abby wondered), they headed back up the highway and turned off at the next exit. The beach was, as Ned had promised, easy to find. This early in the morning—it was barely past nine—there were few people there, and those were mostly older people without children, who enjoyed a peaceful stroll along the sand. Alone.
“This is nice,” Abby said. “Ellie, I brought a bag, in case you want to collect anything.”
“Thank you, Abby,” she said in a lilting voice and darted off toward the waterline.
“Take your shoes off if you’re going to get wet,” Abby called out after her, not sure if Ellie heard. Oh, well—shoes dried, as did clothes. “Ned, is anything wrong?”
He had to drag his attention back to Abby, since he’d been watching Ellie skipping along the water, as so many children had done for so many years. “What? No, nothing. I’m not hiding anything, if that’s what you’re worried about. Nothing new on George and Leslie, but I think they’re both exhausted from all the stress. Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise, because it’s given you—well, both of us—a chance to spend time with Ellie and get to know her better.”
“She’s quite a kid. I hope Leslie doesn’t hate me for the cat, but I really had nothing to do with it. She just appeared during the storm.”
“Maybe Ellie should call her Stormy?” Ned said.
“That’s an idea,” Abby replied. “Ned, there’s something else . . .”
She was interrupted when Ellie called out, “Ned? Come see this!”
“Hold that thought,” he told Abby, then loped across the sand to join Ellie. They knelt side by side, examining whatever it was Ellie had found—it was too far away for Abby to see what it was. It tore at Abby’s heart, seeing the two of them like that. They were so alike. If she and Ned had children, who would they take after?
Whoa, Abby, where did that come from? Way too soon to think about children. They’d only been sharing a home since the beginning of the summer. Nobody had mentioned the word marriage . She had expected to marry her former boyfriend Brad, the one who had dragged her up to Massachusetts and told her to get a life because he was too busy at his oh-so-important job . . . hold on, Abby—that’s ancient history . Ned was nothing like Brad. But he hadn’t proposed.
But if things kept on the way they had been, it would happen sooner or later. She loved Ned, no question, but the idea of the two of them getting married and having children terrified her. It was bad enough sharing this connection between the two of them, but having a child of their own who no doubt would also have it? Combine Ned’s and her abilities and they’d create . . . what? A child who really could read minds? And from the inside? She was so not ready to deal with that. It was enough for now to get to know Ellie and see if they could somehow guide each other through this discovery process. Particularly without hurting anyone else.
But Ned looked so happy, out there on the sand with Ellie. His daughter.
She knelt and untied her shoes, then hurried to catch up with them as they strolled along the shore.
Chapter 11
Ellie collected a bag full of shells and miscellaneous beach detritus, which she spent much of the afternoon sorting through and categorizing, after they’d gone to Woods Hole to look at the Oceanographic Institute and had lunch at a funky small restaurant. Watching her both at the exhibits there and while sorting her shells, Abby wondered if Ellie might have a real scientific leaning. Of course, she hadn’t seen her writing or drawing, so maybe she had multiple talents. It would be nice if she had an analytical and curious mind, because that would equip her to deal with her “seeing” ability as she
They were sorted out quickly, and after checking that everything was closed up tight (against what? Abby wondered), they headed back up the highway and turned off at the next exit. The beach was, as Ned had promised, easy to find. This early in the morning—it was barely past nine—there were few people there, and those were mostly older people without children, who enjoyed a peaceful stroll along the sand. Alone.
“This is nice,” Abby said. “Ellie, I brought a bag, in case you want to collect anything.”
“Thank you, Abby,” she said in a lilting voice and darted off toward the waterline.
“Take your shoes off if you’re going to get wet,” Abby called out after her, not sure if Ellie heard. Oh, well—shoes dried, as did clothes. “Ned, is anything wrong?”
He had to drag his attention back to Abby, since he’d been watching Ellie skipping along the water, as so many children had done for so many years. “What? No, nothing. I’m not hiding anything, if that’s what you’re worried about. Nothing new on George and Leslie, but I think they’re both exhausted from all the stress. Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise, because it’s given you—well, both of us—a chance to spend time with Ellie and get to know her better.”
“She’s quite a kid. I hope Leslie doesn’t hate me for the cat, but I really had nothing to do with it. She just appeared during the storm.”
“Maybe Ellie should call her Stormy?” Ned said.
“That’s an idea,” Abby replied. “Ned, there’s something else . . .”
She was interrupted when Ellie called out, “Ned? Come see this!”
“Hold that thought,” he told Abby, then loped across the sand to join Ellie. They knelt side by side, examining whatever it was Ellie had found—it was too far away for Abby to see what it was. It tore at Abby’s heart, seeing the two of them like that. They were so alike. If she and Ned had children, who would they take after?
Whoa, Abby, where did that come from? Way too soon to think about children. They’d only been sharing a home since the beginning of the summer. Nobody had mentioned the word marriage . She had expected to marry her former boyfriend Brad, the one who had dragged her up to Massachusetts and told her to get a life because he was too busy at his oh-so-important job . . . hold on, Abby—that’s ancient history . Ned was nothing like Brad. But he hadn’t proposed.
But if things kept on the way they had been, it would happen sooner or later. She loved Ned, no question, but the idea of the two of them getting married and having children terrified her. It was bad enough sharing this connection between the two of them, but having a child of their own who no doubt would also have it? Combine Ned’s and her abilities and they’d create . . . what? A child who really could read minds? And from the inside? She was so not ready to deal with that. It was enough for now to get to know Ellie and see if they could somehow guide each other through this discovery process. Particularly without hurting anyone else.
But Ned looked so happy, out there on the sand with Ellie. His daughter.
She knelt and untied her shoes, then hurried to catch up with them as they strolled along the shore.
Chapter 11
Ellie collected a bag full of shells and miscellaneous beach detritus, which she spent much of the afternoon sorting through and categorizing, after they’d gone to Woods Hole to look at the Oceanographic Institute and had lunch at a funky small restaurant. Watching her both at the exhibits there and while sorting her shells, Abby wondered if Ellie might have a real scientific leaning. Of course, she hadn’t seen her writing or drawing, so maybe she had multiple talents. It would be nice if she had an analytical and curious mind, because that would equip her to deal with her “seeing” ability as she
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