Farewell to Cedar Key Read Online Free PDF Page B

on.
    â€œSomebody that she met at that fancy advertising firm in New York where she works. They’ve been together for about a month now, and since the relationship is still going on, she wanted me to know and asked if it would be all right if she brought him here during her Christmas visit.”
    CC was divorced, had no children, was sixty-eight years old, and I was still failing to see the problem.
    â€œMom, I guess I’m missing the point here. So maybe she’s happy.” I took a bite of my sandwich as my mother continued to pace.
    â€œHappy? How can she be happy with somebody young enough to be her son?”
    â€œHow much of an age difference are we talking about?” I asked between bites.
    â€œOh, I don’t know.” She waved her hand in the air. “About twenty years, I guess. And what does that matter anyway?”
    Excuse me? I thought the age difference was the problem. But I had to admit that I was a bit surprised at this revelation. CC had always struck me as an elegant, well-put-together career woman, so I did think it was a bit out of character for her.
    â€œOh,” was all I said as I continued to wolf down my sandwich.
    â€œThis is just insane,” my mother continued. “Don’t get me wrong, I do think CC should finally be out there dating. After all, she’s been divorced for five years. But dating a kid? I can only imagine what the others will think.”
    I took the last bite of my sandwich and smiled. I had a feeling that it wouldn’t bother the rest of the group nearly as much as it seemed to be bothering my mother.
    â€œWell,” I said, standing up and wiping my mouth with a napkin. “I don’t think you need to be so upset about this. CC is a grown woman. She’s always been responsible. So let her be.”
    I headed toward the front door. “I need to get back to the yarn shop. Thanks for lunch. I’ll call you later, but cut CC some slack. It might be just a fling.”
    â€œI should have known better than to think you’d agree with me,” were my mother’s parting words.
    I couldn’t argue with her on that.

5
    B y the end of the following week, I’d given up on Simon Mancini calling me for a job interview. I figured if he was interested, I would have heard from him by now. But gossip was circulating the island about a new doctor coming to town.
    I was in the yarn shop with Dora when Raylene Samuels—known as the island busybody—walked in.
    â€œHave you heard?” she asked, while swiping a tissue across her brow. “Have you heard we’re getting a doctor here on the island?”
    I wasn’t about to divulge what I already knew, and Dora remained silent, both of us certain that Raylene would continue.
    â€œYup,” she went on. “It was just confirmed to me. He bought the house on the corner of Twenty-Fourth and D Streets. There’s a contractor in there now doing all kinds of renovations. He told me. Seems the new doc is going to live upstairs and his office will be on the first floor. After all these years . . . now why would a doctor want to come here to Cedar Key?”
    â€œTo heal the sick?” Dora asked, and I caught the smile on her face.
    I had to admit that Raylene did have more information than I did, since I hadn’t known where Dr. Mancini would live or set up his practice.
    â€œOh, I don’t know,” she said. “Just seems mighty strange to me. And I wonder how his wife will take to living in such a small town.”
    How on earth did she know he had a wife?
    â€œRaylene.” Dora shook her head. “Why must you always lean toward the negative? Are you saying he has a sinister reason for coming here to set up a practice? Don’t you think it could simply be that he likes the location, realizes we have no doctor on the island, and might want to help the community?”
    Raylene remained silent for a moment, giving an