Suddenly Psychic (Glimmer Lake #1)(48)

“Maybe,” she muttered under her breath.

She couldn’t read his eyes, but she could tell his earlier enthusiasm was gone. “So you’ve been unhappy with… that for years now?”

She didn’t say anything.

“And you didn’t say anything?”

She let out a frustrated sigh. “Could you really not tell I wasn’t having a good time?”

“Uh, no. I couldn’t. I’m not a fucking mind reader, Robin.”

He was pissed. More than pissed. He was actually angry. He got out of bed and crossed his arms. His boxers were still tented, but she could tell he was no longer in the mood.

“I can’t believe this,” he muttered. “You’re unbelievable.”

“I’m…” She sat up and held the sheet up to cover herself. “I am trying to communicate better, okay? It’s not easy.”

“It’s not easy to say don’t do that, do this?” He glared. “Really? What’s so hard about that? Is it harder than shutting me down in bed for years?”

The burning in her chest was anger. It was also embarrassment. And frustration.

“You didn’t exactly ask.” Her voice was tight. “You just assumed—”

“What else was I supposed to do when you don’t tell me anything?” Mark walked to the closet and emerged wearing a pair of flannel pants. He grabbed his pillow and walked to the door. “I’m sleeping in the guest room tonight. I have an early meeting tomorrow anyway.”

“On Saturday?”

“Some of us don’t get to only work when we feel like it.”

And with that, the door slammed shut.





Chapter 17





Robin sat at the diner in Modesto, waiting to meet the uncle she hadn’t seen in years. It had been a week since her disastrous date night with Mark, and he was still sleeping in the guest room. Emma had noticed, but she didn’t say anything. Mark muttered something about not wanting to bother her when he had early meetings, and all Robin could do was nod.

This is it. This is your life.

This is the rest of your life.

She hadn’t seen Billy’s ghost again, not even when she’d gone out to the lakeside at dusk. She hadn’t returned to Grandma Helen’s house. She didn’t know how to bring up her suspicions about Billy Grimmer with her ninety-five-year-old grandma, and she didn’t even know why she was meeting her uncle.

This is ridiculous, a voice in her mind whispered. You’re not special, Robin. You don’t have any special supernatural powers. What you have is an active imagination and a midlife crisis.

Midlife. What did that even mean? Halfway through, that’s what it meant. If she lived to be ninety, she was halfway done with her allotted time.

And what did she have to show for it?

A dead-in-the-water marriage.

Two kids who thought she was irrelevant.

A semisuccessful business that did nothing important.

She didn’t make anything. She didn’t create anything. She sold other people’s old things. How pathetic was that? No wonder Mark didn’t have any interest in talking to her. He probably had far more interesting people to interact with. Austin would probably change majors, study art, and become something amazing, no thanks to her. Emma would probably go on to do something glittering and fabulous, far away from Glimmer Lake, while Robin stayed forever, slowly becoming more irrelevant as she shrank into nothing.

You were stupid. There’s nothing special about you.

This is it. This is your life.

This is the rest of your life.

“Robin?”

She schooled her face and turned to see a handsome, silver-haired man walking through the diner door with a broad smile.

Robin had to return his smile. “Hi, Uncle Raymond.” She rose and walked into his hug.

“It is so great to see you.” His arms were strong and reassuring. Her own father was a kind man, but he was a bit aloof.

Raymond said, “I can’t believe how long it’s been.”

She put on her happy mask. “Same. It’s crazy, isn’t it? Sacramento, right?”

“North a bit. Roseville.”

“Right. Thanks for driving down to meet me. You know, Austin isn’t too far from you. He’s going to school in Chico.”

“Oh, that’s great.” Raymond smiled and sat in the booth across from her. “You know, Debby’s oldest has a daughter at Chico. She’s majoring in accounting. What’s Austin studying?”

Robin blew out a breath. “What isn’t he studying? He originally went in for business, whatever that means. And then he switched to forest management after the summer he worked with Jack—”

“Saw Jack last August,” Raymond said. “Debby and I were up in Tahoe for our anniversary. He’s doing great things with that company.”

“You think so?” Raymond had been left out of his father’s will, which had always struck Robin as horribly unfair. Her mother and grandmother had gotten everything, including Russell Lumber. “So there’re no hard feelings?”

“Between me and Jack?” Raymond frowned. “Definitely not. I have no interest in timber. I’m surprised he didn’t mention seeing me.”