"Eagles, osprey, heron. You get all sorts there. Protecting that part of the island is something the government actually got right."
A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. She felt a political rant coming on.
"Your friend is from school, right? Tyler?"
Alexis nodded, surprised once more that he didn't follow his usual verbal path.
"He's a really talented musician."
"Been watching him play, huh?" He tapped the pencil on his temple. "An eleven letter word? Oh, c'mon." He pushed the crossword out of reach in annoyance.
She pulled the page toward her to read the clue. "Good one," she said, smiling.
"It's portmanteau. I learned that word from a book."
"One of your hundred dollar college books?"
She pushed the crossword back over to him. "Nope. Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll. I read it right here when I was a kid."
"Seems I should have been more interested in what you were up to. Do you think
Owen would like that book?"
Her face brightened. "I do." She loved that the idea occurred to her father. "I bet he would like it even more if you read it to him."
"Something to consider," he agreed. He then regarded her carefully, as though he was debating something. "You know, your mother and I have a deal."
"What kind of deal?"
"We both want to be cremated without a big service. Just a small get-together back at the house."
Alexis's brow furrowed. "Are you planning to go anytime soon?"
He smiled briefly. "No, but you never know." His eyes flickered to hers and she realized that her father was acknowledging her loss. Obviously, her mother had told him about Mark. Alexis expected that she would; she just didn't expect her father to bring it up. Greg MacAdams was not someone who spoke openly on emotional topics. Political ones, yes. Matters of the heart, no way.
"You have wills, right?" she asked. "Morris wouldn't let Mom get away without it, I imagine."
"We do." He hesitated. "We also have another deal that isn't in our wills."
"You really need everything in writing," she advised. "What is it?"
"Whichever one of us goes first, the other one is free to go out and find a new partner. No long-term grieving allowed."
Alexis stared at her father. "So if mom dies first, you're supposed to run out and marry the next woman you see?"
He set down his pencil and looked at her. "No. I'm supposed to find someone else who makes me happy, or at least someone whose company I enjoy. Life is too short to spend it alone, Alexis."