A Timely Vision Read Online Free

answered Jerry’s questions. The questions were simple enough: Where was Duck located? How long had I been mayor of Duck? What was the Fourth of July celebration like?
    After we’d talked, Jerry shook my hand and thanked me for the interview. I was kind of impressed since I’d watched him on TV most of my life. But I couldn’t wait to get back inside and change out of the mayor’s coat. Even though the breeze had picked up, carrying with it the scent of the ocean, the temperature was still in the high nineties.
    “How did it go?” Gramps swiveled on the tall stool behind the register to look at me.
    “It went okay.” I stripped off the coat, medallions and ribbons again. A person could learn to hate wearing that outfit. Thank goodness it wasn’t something I had to wear everyday. “Sell anything?”
    “Nothing important. You don’t have to worry. Nothing you’ll miss left the shop.”
    “Do you think you could manage for a few more minutes? I promised Miss Mildred I’d go check on Miss Elizabeth.”
    “I thought I saw Millie leaving the shop earlier.” He shook his head. “What is it this time? Did she and Lizzie have another fight?”
    “She’s looking for her mama’s watch. Miss Mildred loaned it to Miss Elizabeth and wants it back. Funny thing about that. She told me it was lost. I looked and saw it on Miss Elizabeth’s arm. At least I think it was her arm. I didn’t think I’d see it since it’s not really lost.”
    “I wouldn’t mess around with it, Dae. Let them hash it out. You know how they are.”
    “I know. But I already promised. And it might be something serious. Miss Mildred said she hasn’t heard from her for a few days. I’d hate to ignore it and find out it was i mportant.”
    “Go on then. Just don’t blame me if someone buys your Roosevelt jelly jar by mistake.”
    “Gramps!”
    He laughed. “You know I wouldn’t let a thing like that happen. While you’re down that way, you could stop in and welcome the new owner of the Blue Whale Inn. I hear he’s from somewhere up north.”
    I checked my hair in a mirror I’d found in Cape Cod. It was a modern piece, probably not more than a few years old. It had intricate African carving around the wood handle and frame. I didn’t know what the symbols meant, but I knew it was something special. I kept it behind the counter since I had no plans to part with it.
    My hair was a mess from standing outside in the strong breeze. I ran my fingers through it, wishing I had a matching comb to go with the mirror. “Up north? You mean like Virginia Beach?”
    “No. Like New York. Or Boston. I took him out for a cruise. He’s an interesting man. Joined the Dare County Chamber of Commerce this week too.”
    “By interesting, you don’t mean single, do you? I know you aren’t ever planning on doing any matchmaking again after that last fiasco.”
    “What fiasco? You’re too skeptical, Dae. And too picky. At this rate, you’ll be too old to care when you meet that perfect man you’ve been looking for.”
    “I’ll have to hope he’s old too.” I smiled and opened the door to the boardwalk. “You just mind the shop and don’t worry about me finding someone. It’ll take care of itself.”
    I closed the door before I could hear his retort. It was always the same anyway. I knew Gramps worried about me, especially about leaving me alone. I couldn’t complain because he loved me. I only wished he was a little more careful about the men he tried to set me up with.
    It was a short walk to the Atlantic side of Duck where Miss Elizabeth lived in a slightly less grand style than her sister. Of course, it was a short walk to everywhere in Duck. It’s not a big place.
    The roses swooned in the heat around the white clapboard two-story whose windows were shrouded with lace curtains. Johnny Simpson might’ve been wild, but he’d left a nice house for his abandoned wife. Atop the roof, spinning in the afternoon breeze, was an old lightning rod