Twice in a Lifetime Read Online Free PDF Page A

know you’re worrying about me. Tomorrow.”
    “Tomorrow what?” she asked, confused.
    “Matt is comin’ tomorrow to meet with me. You can sit in with us. I’ll explain everything then.”
    “But, Miz Callie…” She didn’t want to wait. And she certainly didn’t want to hear about it—whatever it was— in front of Matt.
    “Tomorrow.” Her grandmother’s voice was tired but firm. “I’m not goin’ over it twice, sugar, and that’s that. You’ll hear all about it then.”
    Georgia clamped her lips shut on an argument.
    Tomorrow. She’d have to be content with that.

    Chapter Three

    G eorgia sat in line for the drawbridge leading back onto Sullivan’s Island, glancing at her watch as if that would help. She’d be late for the meeting with Matt if she didn’t get moving, and she didn’t want Miz Callie to say anything to him that she wasn’t there to hear.
    It was a good thing Miz Callie had reminded her to bring the cooler for the groceries. The closest supermar-ket was in Mount Pleasant, across the Cooper River from Charleston proper, across the Intracoastal Waterway from Sullivan’s Island. Not far, but not just around the corner, either, so islanders tended to stock up when they went.
    At least once she got to the house, the secrecy would be over. Miz Callie would come clean with her so that she could resolve this situation, whatever it was, and get back to her own life, whatever was left of it.
    A tall sailboat moved serenely past, and the bridge lowered into place. With a sigh of relief, she rumbled across the bridge and back onto the island. Right, then left, then left again, and she pulled up to the house.
    She went up the stairs slowly, laden down by the many bags of groceries she was attempting to take in one trip.
    She fumbled with the door, staggered in and found that Matt was already there.
    He rose, coming quickly to help her with the bags, his dress shirt and dark tie reinforcing the fact that this was a business visit and not a neighborly call.
    “Where do you want these?” He followed her into the kitchen.
    She nodded toward the counter. “Let me put things in the refrigerator, and then I’ll join you.” She waited for an argument from him, but none came.
    “Good. I think you should be in on this.”
    He sounded sincere enough. Or maybe he was just accepting what he couldn’t change. She slid the milk and a bag of perishables onto the shelves and closed the fridge. Then she followed Matt into the living room.
    Papers were spread across the round table where she and her girl cousins used to play with their paper dolls. She sat down in the wicker chair opposite Miz Callie.
    Now that the moment had come, she wasn’t at all sure she wanted to find out what this was all about. She glanced at Matt, but he wore his stolid lawyer’s expression that didn’t give anything away.
    Miz Callie sat very straight in her rocker, hands folded in her lap. “I’ve made a decision about the Jones Island property. I’m afraid it won’t be popular with the family, but my mind is made up, and there’s no point in arguing about it.”
    “I’m not going to argue, Miz Callie.” The piece of property on the uninhabited small barrier island had come down to Miz Callie through her side of the family. It was hers to do what she liked with. Surely she realized nobody would contest that.
    “Good.” Her grandmother gave a short nod. She sounded very much in control, but Georgia could see her
    hands were clasped tightly to keep them from trembling. “Matthew is going to turn the Jones Island land into a nature preserve to protect it from ever being developed.” Georgia blinked. Whatever she’d expected, it hadn’t been this, not after all the secrecy. “Do you mean you’re
    turning it over to the state?”
    “Nothing so simple,” Matt said. “Miz Callie wants the land in a private trust, so that she controls what’s done there. That makes it considerably more difficult to navigate all the