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She briskly shook her head—winced from the pain
in her ears—and glanced around, as if embarrassed that someone had seen her
staring at him.  She gave a sheepish chuckle, and then nearly jumped out of her
skin, when a droll voice said, “Take a picture.  It’ll last longer.”

“Oh!  You’re awake!  I wasn’t…”  She laughed. 
“Yeah.  Okay.  I was.”

“Your honesty is admirable,” he said, chuckling,
as he swung his legs over the bed.  He rose with a weary sigh and crossed the
room.  He paused in front of her and checked her forehead.  “You’re burning up
again.  I should have made you go to the doctor.”

“If it’s any consolation, no one can
make
me do anything.”

“Yeah, well, I suppose we could test that
theory.”  He appeared to be weighing their options.  “Should we go to the
hospital now?”  He watched her with concern.  “I really am worried about that
high fever.”

“Well, don’t be.  I’m sure I’ll live through the
night.”

He turned around and visually searched for the
over-the-counter pain pills he’d purchased earlier.  He found them beside the
television.  He tipped out a couple and passed them to her.  She took them,
thanked him, and headed to the restroom.  After brushing her teeth and readying
for bed, she opened her carry on and pulled out a short night gown.  She
stepped into the bathroom again, slipped into the nightie, and returned to the
comfort of the bed.

  Brady watched her as she slipped beneath the
covers.  “Are you feeling any better?”

“Not really,” she admitted.  “I’ll probably need
a course of antibiotics.”

He nodded.  “Heck of a way to spend your first
couple days in Florida.”

She gave a weary nod.  “I’ve always wanted to
visit Florida.  Wish it was under different circumstances…”  She was quiet for
several seconds, but perked up.  “Hey, any word on the fugitives?  Do we know
where they went?”

Brady shook his head in frustration.  “Nope. 
Granddad hasn’t used a credit card since the last time, so we haven’t been able
to track him that way.  It seems he made a large cash withdrawal from his
savings account.”

“Oh.  Wow.”

“Yeah, it makes me wonder if they plan on being
gone for quite a while.”

“They have to come home soon…”  Her words
trailed off.  They didn’t
have to
do anything.  They apparently had the
funds, and the time, to do whatever they wanted.  Amanda cocked her head in
thought.  “I hope they’re having a good time,” she mused.

Brady gave a surprised laugh.  “You do?”

“Well, sure.  I mean, they’re here.  They might
as well make the most of it.”

“Uh huh.”  He gave her a speculative glance. 
“So … tell me about your grandmother…”

She watched him suspiciously.  “What exactly are
you asking me, Brady…” 

He gave a shrug.  “Has your grandmother gone off
with…”

Amanda flew out of the bed and stared at him,
indignant.  She swayed from side to side, struggling to find her balance.  How
dare he imply her grandmother was some sort of…?  What exactly was he
implying?  “Are you suggesting my grandmother is some … some femme fatale who
preys on old rich guys?”

“You tell me,” he said.  “I mean, come on. 
You’d be concerned if your granddad, who it happens is a wealthy man…”

“Hey, so you know, I don’t like what you’re
suggesting!”  She continued to glare at him, with her hands on her hips.  “Tell
me, Brady.  Does your precious granddad make a habit of running off with naïve
elderly women?  This isn’t the first time, is it?”

“Of course it’s the first time,” he scoffed.

Amanda felt a piercing pain stab her right ear. 
“Oh, my ear hurts,” she moaned, dropping onto the side of the bed.  The pain
was so intense, tears sprung to her eyes.  Without looking at him again, she
laid down, with her back facing him.

“Amanda…”

“Shut up.”

“I’m … sorry,” he said contritely.  “I’m sure
your grandmother is a perfectly…”

She turned over with a wince, and glared at
him.  “She is!  She’s an angel!  She worked hard all her life, supporting her
two daughters.  When her husband left her with two little girls, every decision
she made thereafter was made with them in mind.  She put their needs before her
own, and really, continues to do it to this day.”  She rose slightly and
pounded her pillow, imagining it was his face.  “I’m glad she’s finally thinking
about herself.  I hope she’s happy!  I hope she’s having a wonderful time,
because she deserves it!”

“Oh, Ike,” Liz cried, “I don’t deserve this!”

“I think you do,” he countered, beaming. 

“How did you…?”  Her words trailed off.  When
had Ike managed to make arrangements for the two of them to take a three-day
cruise to the Bahamas?  She searched her brain, and realized he’d probably done
it after they’d arrived at their hotel the day before.

They were currently enjoying breakfast in the
hotel restaurant.  The seafood omelets were divine.

“Ike, I know a cruise is expensive.”  She
reached across the table to take his hand.  “I can’t tell you how much I
appreciate this, and you’re so sweet for wanting to do this for me, but you
can’t pay for me to go on a cruise.”  She patted his hand.  “You’ve already
shown me such a wonderful time.  But a cruise too?  It’s just too much.”

He shook his head briskly.  “What’s stopping us,
Liz?  We have the time and the funds…”  He sat up taller in the chair and
spread his hands expansively.  “We’re here!  Just think about that.  If we were
back home, we’d be looking forward to …
breakfast
.”  He made a face. 
“Imagine, breakfast as the highlight of the day!  And we’d be making a selection
from that heart-healthy rot they call nourishment.”  He shook his head
briskly.  “And then we’d either head off for some planned excursion to the
mall, or off to a doctor’s appointment, or off to a recliner, where we’d while
away an afternoon.”  He gave another shake of his head.  “We’re old.  We’re not
dead.  No!  I realize I’m not ready to pack it in.  I’m not ready to be told
what to do—have my every moment choreographed by someone who doesn’t even know
me.”

He sat back in the chair and continued, “I sit
around, waiting for family members to come…  Liz, I’m done waiting.”  He
sighed.  “I just … am.”

She watched his face, his eyes imploring her to
say yes.  She had always wanted to take a cruise.  “Will you let me pay you
back?  It’ll take me awhile,” she said.

“You don’t have to…”

“Yes!  I do.”

He cocked his head to the side and sighed.  He
knew she wouldn’t go, unless he agreed to her terms.  “All right.”

She smiled.  “When do we leave?”

Delighted that he’d won her over, he leaned
forward across the table.  “Okay, I figure we’ll drive back to Cocoa Beach, see
that doctor—since you’re so insistent—then catch a shuttle to the cruise
terminals.  They’re not far away.  Of course, we’ll find a hotel first, where
we’ll be staying when we get back from the cruise.  They’ll let us leave the
car parked at the hotel while we’re gone.”

She nodded.  “Okay.  Will we be going home the
day after we return from the cruise, then?”

“Heck, no!  We still have to visit the Kennedy
Space Center.”

“Oh, Ike!  Thank you!  I’m so eager to go
there.”

“What about Disney World, Liz?  Do you want to
go?”

She gave a wan smile.  “I was afraid it might be
a bit too much to ask, considering everything else we’ve been doing.”

“We’re here!”  He gave a shrug of his
shoulders.  “I say, we pay a visit to that mouse.”

“Oh, Ike,” she laughed.  “I’m so happy!”

***

“I’m so miserable,” Amanda moaned.

Brady gave her a commiserating glance.  “Well,
on a positive note, you lived through the night.”

“Really?  You call this living?”  She clutched her
ear.  “Please shoot me.”

“Get yourself ready.  We’re going to the urgent
care clinic.  ASAP.”

“I don’t want to get out of bed.”

“I know you don’t, but you need medicinal
help.”  He grimaced.  “I need you to have medicinal help.”  He abruptly
frowned.  “Hey, did your grandma ever reply to that text you sent about my
granddad’s need for blood work.”

Amanda gave a surprised glance.  “No, I don’t
think she did.  Oh, shoot, Brady, I should have texted her again.  I’m sorry.”

“It isn’t as if you don’t have other things on
your mind,” he conceded, watching her feverish face.  “I’ll text granddad.”

He sent the text, inquiring if he’d remembered
about his blood work.  If nothing else, if he received acknowledgement that his
granddad intended to follow doctor’s orders, he could justify heading home.  If
not, the chase would still be on.  He couldn’t live with the fact that Ike
might have a catastrophic health episode if he didn’t manage to get a hold of
him.

Amanda groaned as she rose from the bed.  She
nearly teetered over, since her balance was decidedly off. 

“Careful there,” Brady said, watching her with a
sympathetic frown.  The poor woman had tossed and turned all night from the
pain.  He’d actually risen to the challenge, and had been an attentive
nursemaid.  She’d been so feverish, he wondered if she even remembered.

Amanda stepped into the bathroom and started the
shower running.  Stepping under the spray, she was careful to keep the water
out of her ears.  As much as she would have liked to remain under the warm
water, she hurried out and got dressed.  The sooner she got to the doctor’s
office, the sooner she would be feeling better.

When she came out, she found the room empty. 
She hurriedly dressed, dried her hair, and gave her face a light application of
makeup, in an attempt to cover up her flushed cheeks. 

When Brady returned a moment later, with bagels
and coffee, she smiled her thanks as she eased back onto the bed.  She fought
the inclination to fall back against the pillow and go to sleep.  She felt as
if she actually could sleep now.  Perhaps her fever had dropped somewhat.

After their breakfast, Brady sat down and
checked his phone for messages again.  Why was his granddad ignoring his
calls?  Was he that angry with him?  Was he so upset with him for neglecting
him, that he was intent on ignoring him all together?

The thought that his granddad, the one person
who had always been in his corner, was upset with him broke his heart.  Had
their relationship sustained irreparable damage?  Would they ever be buddies
again?

Amanda noticed the pained expression on his
face.  “It’ll be all right,” she assured him.  “We’ll find them.”

He gave a shrug.  “Yeah, but will they ever
forgive us?”

***

“Gosh, I hope the kids are okay and not too
worried about us,” Ike said with a guilty smile, as he climbed into the
driver’s seat of the rental car.  “I do feel bad about worrying them.”

Liz gave him a suspicious glance and then
reached for his cell phone on the seat beside them.  “Ike, you never charged
your phone!”

“Didn’t I?” he asked, seemingly genuinely
surprised.  “I thought I had.”  He reached across the seat and squeezed her
hand.  “I guess I’ve been having so much fun, I haven’t thought about it.”

“What if the kids or grandkids are trying to
reach us?”

He gave a shrug.  “Well, what if they are?”  He
gave her a searching look.  “Liz, it’s our turn for some fun.  I don’t want to
worry my children or grandchild, but this getaway is about us, not them. 
They’ve essentially ignored us for months, even years—and that’s okay.  It’s
their choice.  I’ve realized over the past few days that I can’t force anyone
to want to spend time with me.  Heck, I thought I could help Brady and Amanda
see the error of their ways—but you know what, it’s not my job.  It’s not your
job.  But this trip is our choice, and nobody has the right to tell us what to
do.  We’re adults.”

“You’re right,” she said crisply.  “And like
you, I do understand that our kids and grandkids have a right to their own
lives.  And, by the same token, we have a right to ours.”  She glanced off into
the distance, her eyes lighting on the beautiful Atlantic Ocean.  She watched
it for a moment, but finally turned back to him.  “Ike, is it so wrong to want
a little fun for myself after all these years?”

“No!” he said adamantly, “it’s not.  And we’re
going to have some.  Fun, that is.”

“Doctor’s appointment first,” she reminded him.

“Business before pleasure,” he agreed, “but
after, it’s all about pleasure.”  He grinned triumphantly.  “Ours.”

She grinned gleefully.  “Bring on the fun!”

***

Amanda clutched her right ear.  “Oh, this isn’t
fun at all,” she muttered.  “Please shoot me, Brady,” she implored once again.