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Josh picked up the rental car while Maggie freshened up. Although she'd met them a few times, it wouldn't do for Josh's parents to see her uncombed and unkempt.
"What did we get?" she asked, as they met at the exit. "I hope it's the blue Jaguar XE." She flashed a quizzical smile.
"Close. It's a red Ford Mustang V6."
"Perfect." She took his arm, and they strolled through the line of cars with numbered sections until they found the car that matched their ticket. They loaded up and put the top down before heading out the exit.
Tampa airport is well marked, and they quickly found their way to the George J Bean Parkway and I-275 and over the Skyway Bridge.
"My parents came to Florida a lot when they were young. They drove or flew sometimes. In the 80s there were twin bridges here," Josh began. "One day a barge missed the opening and hit the base somewhere in the middle. The twins were so steep that drivers couldn't see that the road had dropped away. Several went over and into the water below. They have a picture taken on their way back. All the traffic had been rerouted onto the surviving twin, and the shot is of the broken bridge. It looked like a giant had taken a bite out of it. Mother was so frightened by the sight that she refused to retake the Skyway Bridge, until after they replaced them."
"When did they move here?"
"They sold the house in Atlanta and moved to Sarasota," he said, "sometime in the 90s. It was well after this bridge was built. They bought a great place behind the Ringling Museum that overlooks the bay."
Maggie laid her head back. The evening air was warm, unlike Atlanta in March. "I can't wait to see it." Suddenly, she seemed to remember something, took off her watch and reached for her purse.
"What are you doing?"
"Our vacation started when we landed..." She dropped it inside and put the purse on the floor again. "...and from this point on there will be no appointments or schedules; therefore, no clocks or watches."
"What if we make reservations at a restaurant?" he asked, aware that he was thwarting her plan.
"I hate it when you do that devil's advocate thing. However, in that case - we will make an exception." She laid her head back drawing in a long refreshing breath of the warm atmosphere.
Gary and Jean Beaumont had been able to retire early, thanks in part to very successful real estate businesses; first in Atlanta and then for several years in Florida. It was easy for them to sell sunshine to Floridians and northerners alike. They joined the local country club early on to meet, make friends and build an acquaintance base; potential clients. Now they were officially retired and spent their free time playing golf, boating, fishing and traveling.
Josh merged onto I-75 south. The sky was clear and once away from city lights Maggie could see the stars.
"You'll like staying with my parents. We can spend as much time on the beach as we like. My parents are always in and out. They keep a very active schedule."
"I look forward to relaxing, too. We can lie around the pool or take a dip in the ocean in the evening. There are a lot of choices. The sun will feel wonderful after Atlanta's cold winter.
"I called Mom and Dad and told them we had a late flight and not to wait up for us. But they will be there with the house lights on.
"Good. Maybe they'll some white wine chilled, too."
"No doubt."
It was almost 1:30am when they spotted the house.
"Let me guess," Maggie said. "It's the house with all the lights on; inside and out."
"You're good. I don't know how you do it." They both laughed.
The front door opened before they could get the key out of the ignition. By the time they opened the doors, they could hear the happy chatter of the two senior citizens rushing toward them.
"Oh, good, you made it. How was the trip?" cooed Jean, who was still dressed in spite of the hour.
"Here, Son. Let me help you put the top up. You can never be sure if it'll rain this time of year."
The next half hour or so was filled with friendly conversations over white wine. Josh grinned, smiled at Maggie and cocked a perceptive eyebrow as if to say 'Told ya.''
"I'm sure the kids are tired. Why don't we show them to their room and call it a night?" Gary suggested. "Tomorrow is almost here, and we've got golf scheduled with the Bakers at 10am."
"That's a good idea," Jean agreed before bounding into her characteristic soft-spoken, but a rapid-fire way of speaking. "I left some brochures on the bureau for you to look through. Maybe you'll see something you like. Soap and towels are on the vanity in your bathroom. We won't wake you, in case you want to sleep in. Help yourself to anything you find in the fridge. Coffee will be ready for you on the counter."
"If you need anything, you can call us on our cells," Gary added, as he gently guided Jean out the door.
