Kate hesitated and then smiled. “Yes, for a long Christmas vacation. Same for you?”
“Oh, I live year round on the island. I was just visiting my father at Mass General. He had heart surgery.”
“I hope he’s alright?” Kate remembered Jack’s father as a big, strong man. A scallop fisherman.
“He will be. He’s in one of the best hospitals in the country. They did his surgery robotically, so instead of several months to recuperate, he’ll be up and around in three.”
“That’s good news. Are you still working with him?” Kate remembered that Jack worked with his father during their high school years. She hadn’t run into Jack much after that. It had been years since she’d seen him.
“I am. He retired a few years ago actually and I’ve grown the business a bit since then.” He spoke modestly, but Kate remembered that Jack had always done well in school, and she had a feeling his business was doing quite well. She was happy for him.
“That’s great. You’re lucky being able to stay here year round.”
“You live in Boston though, if I remember? That must be fun too.” Jack smiled as they walked into the baggage area and waited for their luggage to be brought in.
“It can be. But there’s no place like home,” she said wistfully. When she’d graduated from Boston College, it had been a given that she’d search for work in the Boston area as that’s where all the big newspapers and magazines were. She’d worked at the Nantucket paper one summer, but there were rarely any full-time openings as no one ever left.
“Jack!” They both turned to see a pretty blonde woman walking toward them. She looked familiar too as she wrapped her arms around Jack’s neck and gave him a kiss. She had stick-straight, shoulder-length, blonde hair, blue eyes, and was a size two maybe even a zero. Cissie Anderson looked like she’d hardly aged since high school. She’d been a year behind Kate and Jack.
“Cissie, you remember Kate Hodges? She was on the plane with me, coming home for the holidays.”
Cissie smiled, “Your sister is the artist, right? I see her painting down by the pier sometimes.”
“Yes, that’s Kristen. She always liked that spot.”
Kate spotted her bags and grabbed the carryon first. She turned to get the big suitcase, but Jack had already lifted it down for her.
“It was great to see you, Kate. Say hello to your family. And Merry Christmas!”
Kate smiled as Jack and Cissie walked off. Cissie was chattering as Jack looked amused. It had been nice to see familiar faces.
“Kate!” Her mother had arrived and pulled her in for a tight hug. Kate felt the tears threaten to come again, but fought them back.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you landed, honey. I got stuck in traffic, behind a school bus.”
Kate laughed. “No problem, we just got here, and I was chatting with Jack Trattel, you remember him?”
“Of course. Didn’t his father just have a heart attack? I hope he’s ok?”
“Jack was just visiting him in Boston, at MGH. He said his surgery went well.”
“Oh, that’s good. Well, let’s get you home, shall we?”
* * *
Kate’s mother chatted all the way home, filling her in on all the island gossip, which meant Kate just had to listen and nod, which was perfect. She wasn’t ready to talk about what happened with Dylan just yet. When they pulled into their driveway, she noticed that something was different.
“Did you paint the house?” It looked cleaner, fresher somehow.
“Just the trim. It was peeling in spots and that cleaned it right up.”
“Well, it looks great. You made that wreath on the front door, I bet?”
Her mother smiled. “Yes. I’m particularly proud of that one. Everything came from our beach.”
Kate got her luggage out of the car, and her mother grabbed her carryon. As they reached the front door, she said, “I made a few changes inside too.” Her mother unlocked the door and stepped inside. Kate followed her in and stopped short.
“What is this?” They were standing in the front hall, with the dining room to their right, the stairs to the second floor in front of them and on their left, where the entrance to the living room used to be, there was now a wall and door.
“It’s an experiment of sorts. Come in and have a cup of tea, and I’ll fill you in. Oh, and everyone is coming for dinner tonight. They can’t wait to see you, and except for Chase, they haven’t seen these changes yet either.”
* * *
An hour later, Lisa pulled a tray of her children’s favorite appetizer, sausage stuffed mushrooms, out of the oven. She’d also made the cheesy taco dip that Abby loved and had Kristen’s favorite, chilled shrimp cocktail. Chase already approved of her plan, but she’d made his childhood favorite too, because she knew they all loved the tiny hot dogs wrapped in puff pastry.
She had beer and chardonnay in the fridge and an open bottle of cabernet on the counter. They should all be arriving any moment.
“I’m ready for a glass of red, what can I pour for you, mom?” Kate asked.
“I’ll have red too.”
Kate had taken the news relatively well. She was always the sensible one, her oldest child, even if it was just by a minute over her sister. Like Chase, she’d been shocked to learn the truth about the family finances. Lisa suspected that there was quite a bit more to Kate’s story about her breakup with Dylan. But Lisa knew Kate was still dealing with losing her job too, and she didn’t want to push her. She’d open up when she was ready. And Lisa was sorry that her daughter was hurting, but she wasn’t sorry that the relationship had ended.
She’d met Dylan once and hadn’t been impressed. She understood why Kate was drawn to him. He was the typical beautiful bad boy that was impossible to resist. Lisa had known someone like that once and she’d been tempted but had resisted. She’d somehow known even at a young age, that it would go nowhere good.
Lisa settled onto one of the chairs around the island and reached for a shrimp and dunked it into a bowl of cocktail sauce. Kate was perched on another chair and was dipping a chip into the taco dip. A moment later, they heard voices. Chase and Abby had arrived and Kristen was right behind them.
They walked into the kitchen and Chase immediately came and gave Lisa a hug, then grinned and grabbed a handful of the hot dogs in pastry. “Thanks for making these.” He looked around the island at all the appetizers and laughed. “You made all of our favorites!”
Abby and Kristen looked confused. “What is going on here?” Abby asked.
“Chase, you knew about this?” Kristen asked.
“I did it. At Mom’s request of course.”
“Did you know about this too?” Abby looked at Kate who had a mouthful of taco dip. She shook her head and then nodded, swallowed and finally spoke.
“I just found out today. Pull up a chair. Mom has a plan.”
“What can I get you all to drink?” Lisa asked. “Chase there’s beer in the fridge. Kristen there’s red and white and Abby, I have your favorite chardonnay, Bread and Butter.”
Chase grabbed a beer, while Kristen poured herself a glass of red and Abby sat and looked miserable.
“I’ll just have a soda water, if you have any.” Everyone looked at her in surprise and she added, “My stomach is a little off.”
“I think I have a bottle of orange flavored seltzer, is that good?”
“It’s fine, thanks.” Lisa found the beverage and handed it to her youngest daughter. Once everyone was settled with the drinks and had plates of food in front of them, Lisa filled them in. When she finished her story, there was a moment of silence, and then Chase spoke.
“I think it’s a great way for Mom to earn money.”
“But it’s our house! Strangers will be staying in my bedroom. I hate the idea,” Abby pouted. Lisa was a little surprised at her reaction. She wasn’t usually so emotional.
“I don’t know how I feel about it either, to be honest. Is it eve
n safe for you?” Kristen asked.
“It should be perfectly safe. That’s why Chase put the walls up, so my living area is private from the rest of the house.
“I thought it was strange at first, too,” Kate admitted. “But the more I think about it, the more I really like the idea. It seems perfect for Mom. She loves to cook and take care of people, and she has this huge house by the water that she’s paying money to heat and not using all of it.”
“Thanks, honey.” Lisa looked around the table at all four of her children. “To be honest, I’m not entirely sure how I feel about it either. One minute I’m excited, the next I’m nervous. As you said, this is my house and strangers will be staying here. But, at the same time, it feels right and like a new adventure.”
She grinned and added, “Besides, I’m too old and unskilled to do anything else on this island. My options are limited.”
Kate stood and gave her a hug. “You are hardly old! But I do agree that your options are limited here. It’s not just you. I’d love to stay here year round, but there are no newspaper or magazine jobs either. It’s a beautiful place to live, but it’s best if you’re either rich or have some kind of business.”
“And now Mom will have that business. People will pay crazy money to stay on Nantucket,” Chase said.
“I can help you get ready too. Since I may be here for a while,” Kate said. The others all looked at her, and she took a deep breath and explained. “I just got laid off, and I broke up with Dylan. Double Whammy. So now I have no job and no place to live.”
Kristen and Abby jumped up and hugged their sister and when they finished, Chase stepped in and did the same. Lisa loved that her children were all so close.
“That sucks that they laid you off right before Christmas,” Kristen said.
“The bastards!” Chase said, and they all laughed.
“It is lousy of them,” Lisa agreed.
“Amanda said it wasn’t personal, just business. She said it was a difficult decision, but I don’t really think that it was. She’s always been all business.”
“What happened with Dylan?” Abby asked.
“It doesn’t matter what happened, just that it’s over,” Lisa said quickly. She sensed that Kate didn’t want to talk about it. Kate shot her a grateful glance and then took a big sip of her wine.
“He cheated on me. I had just been laid off, came home to curl up and go to sleep, and he was in our bed with one of his models.”
“Oh, no! Kate, I’m so sorry,” Abby looked horrified. Lisa’s heart went out to her daughter. What a truly horrific day she’d had. She put her arm around Kate’s shoulders and gave her a squeeze. “I always thought you were too good for him,” she said softly.
Kate’s eyes misted over. “Thank you. To be honest, it was always in the back of my mind, something I’d worried might happen one day. He had a reputation, and he was too good-looking.”
“Hey, now. Not all good-looking guys are cheaters!” Chase said and flexed his muscles. They all laughed. Chase had a way of lightening the mood.
“If you’re serious, Kate. I really could use your help. I think I want to put a website up and I’m not really sure where to start,” Lisa admitted.
Kate perked up. “Oh, I could totally help with that. You’ll need some brochures too. I can write the copy and we can get it up on the web and maybe bring some brochures to distribute on the Cape. Lots of tourists decide to come to Nantucket after staying on the Cape.”
“That’s a great idea.” Lisa turned to her youngest daughter, who’d been very quiet and had barely touched her seltzer water.
“How’s your stomach honey? Are you sure you don’t want a glass of wine?”
But Abby shook her head and sighed. “No, I’m actually not going to have any wine for a while. I’m pregnant and I told Jeff that I want a divorce.”
Everyone stared at Abby in shock, except Kristen, Lisa noticed.
“Congratulations on the baby, honey! That’s fantastic news. But are you sure about divorce? How does Jeff feel about all this? He must be over the moon about the baby.”
Abby was silent for a moment and then said, “He doesn’t know about the baby.”
“You didn’t tell him?” Even Kristen seemed shocked.
Abby shook her head. “I’m not telling him for three months. Until I know the baby is safe, that it’s real. If we’re going to work things out, I don’t want it to be because of the baby.”
“Do you want to stay here? You’re welcome to.” Lisa was overjoyed that Abby was finally pregnant, but she felt terrible that they were considering divorce. She’d always loved Jeff like a son. And she and Abby had been together forever it seemed.
“No, thank you. Jeff moved out yesterday. Besides, you need to rent my room out.”
That stung. “Honey, I’m sure all my rooms won’t rent out immediately. It is winter after all. The off-season.”
“You might be surprised mom. It’s not as busy, but people still come here,” Chase said.
Lisa laughed. “Well, I hope you’re right.” She turned back to Abby. “Honey, we’re here for you. Whatever you need. I really hope that you and Jeff can work things out.”
“I do too.”
After everyone was gone and Kate was in bed, Lisa stayed up, reading in her bedroom and reflecting on how the evening had gone. Somewhat better than expected actually. She’d suspected that Abby would be the one most resistant to change, but she wondered if it was mostly just her being overly sensitive due to being pregnant.
Lisa felt a mix of joy and concern for her youngest daughter. She knew how badly she’d wanted to get pregnant, but to even contemplate divorce and being a single mother. It was such a big decision and would be a huge lifestyle change.
If what was wrong couldn’t be fixed, then she’d fully support the divorce of course and try to help Abby as much as possible. She looked forward to babysitting and being a grandmother. But, she hoped that Abby and Jeff could get past this speed bump in their marriage. Every marriage had its ups and downs. Though as newlyweds, you never expect it will happen to you.
Chapter 4
The next morning, Lisa was up early as usual, and had just settled at the kitchen island with her morning coffee and a bowl of oatmeal when Kate bounced into the room full of energy. Lisa smiled when she saw her.
“Good morning. You’re up early.”
Kate went straight to the Keurig coffee maker and popped in a K-cup of dark roast coffee.
“I slept like a baby. There’s nothing like being home, in my own bed. And it’s so peaceful here. I left my curtains open and the morning sun woke me. It looks like it’s going to be a beautiful day.” When her coffee finished brewing, she added a splash of milk and joined Lisa at the island.
“What are your plans today?” Lisa asked her.
Kate laughed. “I have none. What are you doing? Can I help with anything?”
“I have to go downtown to do some grocery shopping. I thought I’d poke around the shops too and see if there are any good bargains. I’m not looking to spend much, but I feel like I need to decorate the upstairs bedrooms a little more. Any suggestions?”
“That’s a great idea. I’d love to help. And I know exactly what you need.”
“You do?”
“New bedding. Good quality, all cotton white sheets, soft beachy colors for the bedspreads and a few pretty throw pillows. We can check any estate or yard sales to see if there’s anything interesting to hang on the wall.”
“Hmm. I was wondering if I needed to get new bedding.”
“Definitely. And you don’t have to spend much. We won’t pay full price for anything.”
Lisa laughed. “Nantucket prices are the worst.” It was true, some of the shops downtown were ridiculously expensive. One of Lisa’s favorite shops to browse sold nothing but cashmere sweaters and most were $800 and up.
“We’ll be shopping for bargains and getting ideas. If we see things we like that we can’t afford
, we’ll search for something similar online,” Kate assured her.
* * *
They headed to town an hour later and spent the morning mostly window shopping in dozens of stores. The only thing they bought were four pretty, dried starfish at a yard sale. They got them for next to nothing as the woman having the sale was moving off island and was getting rid of everything.
“These will look perfect upstairs. You can hang them on the doors, right above the numbers. It will look awesome,” Kate said.
Lisa hadn’t thought that she’d need to put numbers on the doors, but it made sense, and she agreed that the starfish would give a pretty, welcoming look.
After they finished shopping, Kate insisted on paying for lunch at Black-Eyed Susan’s, one of their favorite breakfast and lunch restaurants. After they ate, they went home, and Kate hopped on the internet. In minutes, she’d found bedding that was very similar to what they’d seen downtown, but it was on sale for a fraction of the cost. And the colors were so pretty too. They ordered sheets, and cozy looking bedspreads in soft sea shades, pale blues and greens. They found some pretty throw pillows too.
“There, that’s done,” Kate said, after she clicked the button to confirm their order. “What’s next?”
Lisa laughed. “I’m not sure. I should make a list.” She found a notebook and a pen, and she and Kate made a checklist of everything she needed to do before opening.
“Do you need any kind of permit? Or is this like an Airbnb?” Kate asked.
“Oh, I’m not sure. How does Airbnb work?” Lisa had heard of it, but never used it as she rarely went off-island.
“Airbnb is great actually. Dylan and I used it last spring when we went to Charleston for a long weekend. We found a great place in an old Southern home. The owner had divided the building into six units. It was just like a bed and breakfast but didn’t have a sign. And it was much cheaper than a hotel or official bed and breakfast.”
The Nantucket Inn Page 4
