She reached back and grabbed it for me.

“Savannah and Tybee Island are steeped in history and I’m excited about the chance to write about some of the sights.” I’d almost forgotten my writing assignment with the murder investigation.

I parked in the sandy lot and we walked across the road to join the other curious tourists. A family with three children in tow walked around the lighthouse. The man took pictures as they posed by the giant structure. I ran my hand over the historic plaque and read it out loud.

“A lighthouse on Tybee was one of the first public structures in Georgia. It was completed in 1736 by William Bilthman, built of cedar piles and brickwork.” I continued to read aloud. My heart skipped a beat when I read Union soldiers burned it down. Years later, renovation would restore it to its original grandeur. I snapped picture after picture.

“We need to bring Nana and Mama to see this.”

“That’s a great idea.” I clicked a few more pictures before we left.

We drove back to Seaside Cottage without incident, but if I’d known what awaited us I’d have driven the other way. I swanny, Nana was going to turn my locks gray one hair at a time.

She met us at the door. “Hi, girls. What ‘cha been up to? Betty Jo and I have been on our own adventure.”

I expected her to say na-na-na boo-boo any minute.

“You should see what I bought to wear tonight. George is going to be in for a treat.”

Mama walked into the room. Her hair was uncombed and her clothes askew. She looked like she’d been through the wringer. “I’m so glad you’re back. I need to rest for a while. Could you can keep Nana company?”

I gave Mama a questioning look. It all became crystal clear when Nana dropped her surprise on us.

“Look what I got.” She lifted the pant leg of her jogging outfit, flooring me.

“Nana! A tattoo! Why in the world would you want to get a mermaid tattooed on your ankle?” I glanced over at Mama. I couldn’t believe she agreed to Nana’s indulgence.

Mama held out her hands, palms up. “We were shopping for something new to wear when she slipped away from me.”

“Now, Betty Jo, don’t you worry about this. I’m plenty old enough to make decisions for myself. I’ve always wanted a tattoo, and when I saw the Inked Tattoo Parlor, I thought why not? A mermaid is perfect to remember our trip by.”

I loved Nana, but I knew her antics took a heavy toll on Mama. When Mama was a little girl she had lost both of her parents and Nana had stepped in to raise her. She loved her like a mother. Now the tables were turned, and Mama felt like she was the parent. I tried to imagine what it was like to be in Nana’s shoes. She was plenty old enough to make her own decisions, but she didn’t always make the best ones. I’ve tried to tell Mama, in Nana’s case “you need to pick your battles.” I guess Mama lost this one.

“I’m going upstairs to take a nap. Nana, why don’t you come with me?” Mama looked like she would drop any minute.

“I’m not tired. Come on, Trixie. Let’s go sightseeing.”

“Nana, how about we all take a nap? You want to be fresh for George tonight, don’t you?”

“Fresh? Of course I’ll be fresh with George.” Nana laughed at her own wit. I rolled my eyes.

“I saw that, Missy. Don’t think you can sneak an eye roll by me.” Nana has an uncanny sense of knowing when I do that, even if we’re talking on the phone. “Okay, I’ll retire for a nap if all of you are going to rest, too.”

I no sooner put my head on the pillow when Dee Dee shook me. “Come on, Sleeping Beauty. It’s time to get up. You don’t want to be late for our big date tonight.” I rolled over and pulled the covers over my head. Dee Dee promptly pulled them off. I slowly made my way from the bed to the bathroom. I returned to find Dee Dee ready to go.

I’d always heard if you have red hair there are certain colors you shouldn’t wear. Dee Dee has never followed this rule. Today was no exception. She wore a bright orange jumper covered in yellow starfish. She’d complimented the outfit with a yellow short-sleeved shirt under the jumper. A yellow and orange necklace laced with seashells hung around her neck. She completed her outfit with a comfortable pair of Hush Puppies. She looked stylish and cute as she twirled around.

I settled on a pair of black slacks with a white button up blouse. I needed comfortable shoes for supporting my knee. I slipped on a pair of black Clarks. I stuck my left hand in front of me and peered at my empty ring finger. Would I have an engagement ring on the naked finger in a few days?

“Hey, what are you doing?” Dee Dee startled me.

“Uh, nothing.” I changed the subject. “Wow. You look great. I need to add some color to my wardrobe.”

“I’ve been telling you that for some time now.”

I took one last glance in the mirror and recalled a necklace Beau had given me. I dug in my makeup bag and found it. A black butterfly hand-painted on the surface of a sand dollar was the perfect touch. Not too bad. I wished Beau could see me. I missed him and my heart ached. God, please help me to make the right decision. Soon.

I grabbed Dee Dee’s arm and pulled her toward the door. “Come on, girlfriend. Let’s go see what Nana’s wearing.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

This was the first time in several years I’d seen Nana decked out in a dress on a day other than Sunday. “Nana! You look gorgeous.”

“Don’t I though?” She twirled in her new outfit. “Do you think George will like it?”

“He’ll love it.” Dee Dee modeled for Nana. “What do you think of this?”

“Well, it won’t be hard to find you when it’s time for Cinderella to leave the ball.” Dee Dee laughed and gave Nana a hug. It warmed my heart to see how patient Dee Dee was with Nana. I knew from experience that patience became a rare commodity after spending much time with her.

The front door opened and George stuck his head in. “Anybody home?”

Nana ran to the door and threw it open. George studied Nana and rewarded her with a whistle. She turned around for him and grinned ear to ear.

“You ladies ready?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s go.”

“I’m ready.”

A chorus of voices answered. We followed George to his car. Nana sat in front while the rest of us squeezed in the back. We had directions to the Crab Shack, but we made several wrong turns before we discovered the hidden restaurant. The parking lot was full; we hoped it was an indication of a good place to eat. I grabbed my camera and brought it along to snap pictures for the family album.

George put our name in for a table. We sat on comfortable seats, surrounded by other tourists, and waited. I looked around at the motif. Sea creatures covered the walls, along with anything connected to the ocean. I watched a family of four laughing and joking with each other. It appeared that every table accommodated people having a good time. I was glad George had invited us to tag along with him and Nana. Which reminded me, I needed to covertly get the information Beau needed.

In about fifteen minutes the waiter seated us and handed out menus. They were adorned with colorful sea critters drawn as cartoonish characters.

Nana commented. “Aren’t these the cutest menus you’ve ever seen?” Then everyone started talking at the same time.

“Look at all the selections.”

“I can’t decide what I want.”

“Look at this. They have Snow Crab, Alaskan King Crab, Blue Crabs, Dungeness Crabs, and Stone Crabs. A crab for every palate,” Dee Dee said.

We talked back and forth several minutes before we decided on our fare. The waiter took our orders. We sat back, relaxed and ready for a good time. After orders were taken, I popped the question.

“George, where did you say you lived? I know Nana would love to exchange addresses so she could keep in touch with you.”