The Nantucket Inn

by Pamela M. Kelley

  “So, I hate to ruin what’s been an otherwise fantastic night,” Rhett began. He suddenly seemed nervous, and Lisa couldn’t imagine why. She waited for him to go on.

  “You know how I’ve told you about my ex?”

  Lisa nodded. Rhett hadn’t said much about her only that they’d been divorced for over five years now and it was fairly amicable. Which she’d been glad to hear at the time.

  “Well, Gina and her latest boyfriend recently broke up.” He paused and Lisa waited, wondering why this mattered. “When she’s ended past relationships she’s reached out to me, hoping to rekindle something. And I’m not proud to admit that I’ve allowed it, more than once.”

  Lisa’s jaw dropped. Was Rhett telling her that he was going to get back together with his ex-wife?

  He shook his head though and rushed to reassure her.

  “It never lasts. We’re always reminded why we ended things. And it’s not going to happen this time. I have no interest in going back.”

  Lisa relaxed a little, but wondered why he was even bringing it up. He looked decidedly uncomfortable as he tried to explain.

  “Thing is, a while back I may have mentioned to her where I’m staying. She emailed just before we left for dinner tonight to let me know that she’s coming for a visit. She wants to be here for the opening of the restaurant, to support me.”

  “And she knows you don’t want to start something with her?”

  “She knows.”

  Lisa didn’t see what the problem was then. “It’s nice of her to want to support you and the new restaurant.”

  “It would be. Except that it’s a bit too close for comfort. She booked the room next to mine.”

  “What? When is she coming? I don’t remember seeing a new reservation.”

  “She said that she booked it right before she sent me the email. So you probably haven’t seen it come through yet. I’m really sorry. I know it’s a bit awkward.”

  “Have you told her about me?” Lisa wondered out loud.

  “Yes. I told her that I’ve met someone that I’m enjoying spending time with. When she emailed saying she was coming, I told her it was you and that I thought she should stay somewhere else.”

  “Oh, so she’ll go elsewhere?” That was a relief.

  “No, she refused. She said there are no other acceptable places. But I think once I told her that the woman I was interested in was you, it made her even more curious and determined to stay. She always did like a challenge.”

  “Oh. Well, I guess we’re stuck with her, then, aren’t we.” Lisa joked about it but the lovely mood of the night was tarnished.

  When they arrived home, Rhett stopped at her door and the butterflies came back briefly as Lisa wondered if he might be considering a good-night kiss. He did look as though the thought had crossed his mind, but after pulling her in for a hug, he simply took a step back.

  “I had a wonderful time tonight. I hope to do it again soon and again, I’m very sorry about having to share that news. But I thought you should know.”

  “I’m glad you did. And it was a lovely night. I’d be happy to go out again too.”

  “Good night, Lisa.” Rhett smiled and gave her a mischievous wink as he turned to go upstairs.

  When she let herself inside, she pulled up her laptop and sure enough there was a new email reservation from Gina. She had paid fully in advance and was arriving in two weeks, on a Sunday and staying for just over a week, through Daffodil weekend. Lisa had a sinking feeling that this woman was going to be trouble.

  Chapter 14

  As the weeks went by, Abby missed Jeff more and more. She alternated between being strong and fine that he was gone and feeling independent to missing him like crazy. Missing him like crazy was starting to win. Especially as the hormones began to kick in.

  And especially after the date night that they’d had the night before. Jeff had shown up to pick her up at 5:30 sharp. It was the earliest that she could ever remember him being home and ready to go to dinner. He said that he went in early so he could leave earlier. He’d showered and showed up at her door with a bouquet of flowers.

  They went to their favorite Italian restaurant, and she had what she always had when she went there—the Eggplant Parmesan. Jeff had the Chicken Parm and a glass of wine while she had a Shirley Temple. It was awkward at first, but after about ten minutes or so, it almost felt like normal. Jeff told her all the crazy stuff that was going on at work, and she almost told him that she was pregnant.

  It was a good start. And it gave her a glimpse of how things could be if Jeff took it seriously and if he really was able to change his schedule. He said that he was, and he seemed sincere which gave her hope.

  Abby had just finished eating a bowl of tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich and was about to slip into her pajamas and curl up and watch the latest episode of The Bachelor, when there was a knock at the door.

  It was early only six-thirty, and she wasn’t expecting anyone to come by. When she opened the door, she saw that it was Jeff and looked at him in confusion

  “Did you try to call me? I don’t think I heard the cell phone ring?” she asked.

  Jeff looked good. He was holding a paper grocery bag and leaning against the side of the door. “I wasn’t planning on coming by. I just ran out to the store to get milk, and I got a gallon of our favorite ice cream. I was heading home and had to drive right by here and just thought maybe you might want to have a bowl with me?” He smiled at her with that grin that used to melt her heart. She felt her stomach do a little flip, and she really loved that ice cream. Funny enough, she’d been craving it more than usual lately

  “Well, since you have it with you, how can I say no to that? Come on in.” Jeff went straight to the kitchen, got two bowls out of the cupboard and filled them with several generous scoops of ice cream and then added spoons. They went into the living room and settled in their usual spots on the comfy sofa. And ate their ice cream in mostly silence.

  “I had fun last night,” Jeff finally said. He looked as though he wanted to say something else but instead took another bite of ice cream.

  Kate was enjoying living at Paige’s house even more than she’d expected to. She felt very at home there and had settled in quickly. Each morning, her routine was the same. She woke up, made coffee and went straight into the office, where she turned on her favorite Norah Jones station on Pandora, and opened her manuscript. She read over what she’d written the day before, making little tweaks here and there. It helped her to get her head back into the story. And then she’d dive in and write for several hours before taking a break.

  She usually went for a walk around the neighborhood at some point, for a half hour or so, to get some exercise in and stretch her muscles. She also found that the walking and listening to music helped her mind to relax and shake loose at least one or two new ideas. So that when she returned to the house, she was ready to write her next scene.

  She was almost half-way through her story and was excited to send it off to Philippe when she finished. It felt like it was coming along pretty well, at least she hoped that it was. She planned to have Kristen read it before she sent it to Philippe, to make sure it wasn’t awful. She knew that Kristen would tell her the truth. She knew it probably wasn’t that bad, but she was always nervous that whatever she wrote might not be as good as it seemed while she was writing it.

  When Sunday afternoon rolled around, she wrote until two, then went for her walk before heading to her mother’s house for Sunday dinner. Everyone was meeting there around four to catch up on the week and enjoy their mother’s famous pot roast. Kate was looking forward to it.

  She went along her usual route and was almost back at her house when Jack Trattel ran by. He waved, then stopped in his driveway and started to stretch.

  “Did you have a good run?” she asked as she slowed to a stop.

  “Not too bad. It’s finally starting to warm up a bit, and the sun was shining. How was your walk?�
��

  “Good. I think I worked out who the murderer might be.”

  Jack looked confused for a moment, then laughed as he realized what she was talking about.

  “Sounds like the book is going well?”

  “It is coming along. I just passed the half-way point today. Living here seems to help. It’s so quiet, and peaceful.” Half of the houses on the street were only occupied in the summer and the residents were older, so it was a quiet area.

  Jack stopped stretching and stood tall. “Oh, I need to thank you. I appreciate that you put a good word in with Rhett Byrnes. If his restaurant does well, that could be a nice account for us.”

  Kate smiled. “We just told him where we buy our seafood. And then he had a taste of your lobster. My mother put it in her quiche. That sealed the deal.”

  He laughed. “Well, that’s something I haven’t tried. It sounds great.”

  “My mother gave me the recipe. I should make it one of these days.”

  “Tell you what, I’ll give you the lobster, if you promise to make it soon and share?”

  “That’s an offer I can’t refuse.”

  “Great, I’ll stop by one day this week on my way home from work with a bag of shucked lobster for you. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

  Kate watched him walk toward his house as she continued on. She couldn’t help noticing that he was in really good shape, with muscular legs, lean stomach. She’d never really looked at Jack that way. He’d never been on her radar as she’d moved off-island as soon as she graduated from college, and she hadn’t kept up with people that had decided to stay on Nantucket. All of her close friends had moved off-island too. She reminded herself that she didn’t know how long she’d be able to stay there either. So, it was probably best not to get too close to anyone anytime soon.

  “You and Jeff are back together? That’s marvelous.” Lisa was thrilled for her youngest daughter. Abby was finally smiling again as she told them the good news. Kristen, Kate and Abby were all sitting around the kitchen island. Chase had plans with friends so wouldn’t be joining them for Sunday dinner. The pot roast was simmering away on the stove. It was ready to eat anytime, but Lisa was in no rush. She’d put out some cheese and crackers and a bowl of peel and eat shrimp, and Kate had poured wine for everyone except Abby who made herself a Shirley Temple.

  Kristen nibbled on a shrimp while Kate sipped her chardonnay. Abby spread Lisa’s homemade cheddar spread onto a cracker as she continued to tell them about Jeff.

  “So, that was exactly a week ago. I wanted to see how things went before I told you all.”

  “That means things are going well?” Kate asked. Lisa turned the heat down on the pot roast and joined the others around the island. She reached for a piece of cheese as she waited for Abby to reply.

  “So far, so good. I’m optimistic. He’s been home early every day. We went out to dinner last night, and we haven’t run out of ice cream since he’s been back.”

  “That’s important,” Kristen laughed.

  “Will you tell him about the baby soon?” Lisa asked. It bothered her that Abby was keeping such a big secret.

  Abby hesitated. “I will. When the time is right.”

  “Don’t wait too long. It would be awful if he heard about it from someone else,” Kate warned.

  But Abby shrugged it off. “I’ve only told you all, so I don’t see how that’s possible. I will tell him soon though.” She stuffed another piece of cheese in her mouth and changed the subject. “How are things going with you and Rhett? Has his ex-wife checked in yet?”

  Lisa had told the girls about her upcoming guest and they were all equally appalled and curious about her.

  “Not yet. She’s due any time though. She missed the early boat and texted that she’d be checking in late afternoon.” She paused for a sip of wine. “Things with Rhett seem to be going fine. We’re enjoying each other’s company.” She couldn’t help smiling as she said it because they’d seen quite a bit of each other since their first night out.

  Rhett had taken her out a few more times, and she’d had him over for dinner several times as well, and they shared breakfast together most mornings. She wasn’t sure where it was going, but she was happy with taking things slow and getting to know him.

  “That might be her now,” Kate said. Lisa followed her gaze out the window and saw a taxi at the end of the driveway. A few minutes later, there were two loud knocks at the door. Lisa took a deep breath and went to let her in. She wasn’t sure how she’d pictured Gina as Rhett had never described her, but she was still surprised by the woman standing before her. The overall look of most people on Nantucket was laid back, conservative, even preppy. Gina was none of those things. She had big hair, to her shoulders with all kinds of wild curls and layers going on. It was dark brown and there wasn’t a single gray hair in evidence anywhere. Either she was lucky or used a very good colorist.

  Her eyes were heavily made up with smoky eyeliner, shadow and possibly fake lashes. And she was dripping in diamonds. She had huge diamond studs in both ears and an even larger one around her neck just above her impressive cleavage. She was wearing a red cashmere sweater that was snug around her ample bust. Skinny dark jeans and black patent leather high heels completed her outfit. Gina wasn’t overweight but she wasn’t thin either, which Lisa was relieved to see. Not that it really mattered though. Rhett had said he wasn’t interested in getting back with his ex, and Lisa believed him.

  “You must be Lisa,” Gina said with a smile. She glanced around the room and to the girls watching closely in the kitchen.

  “I am. And these are my daughters, Kate, Kristen and Abby. Let me get your key and show you to your room.” Lisa quickly grabbed the key and led the way upstairs to the room that was the furthest from Rhett’s. She unlocked the door and gave Gina her usual welcome speech, explaining when breakfast was and where to find extra towels if she needed them.

  Gina looked around the room and nodded. “This is nicer than I expected.”

  “Thanks.” Lisa felt both complimented and slightly insulted at the same time.

  “I think you know my ex, Rhett Byrnes?” Gina said.

  “Of course. He’s staying here as well,” Lisa said. She was surprised that Gina brought it up.

  “Right. We’re still on very good terms. We’re going out for a nice dinner tonight to catch up. Any suggestions on where to go? I figured you’d know.” Gina smiled sweetly while Lisa was taken aback. But she didn’t want to show it.

  “There are so many good options. I’d suggest the Club Car, it’s always good.”

  “Fantastic. See you at breakfast, or maybe I won’t, if we’re out too late. You know how it is.” She chuckled as Lisa backed out of the room, eager to get away from the woman.

  “Well, have a good night, and let me know if you need anything.”

  “I’ll be sure to do that.”

  * * *

  Lisa had a lovely visit with the girls. They stayed for several hours, lingering over coffee and dessert. Even Kristen who usually passed on anything sweet, had tried a big scoop of the decadent trifle. It was simple to make, just layers of brownies, drizzled with Kahlua and chocolate sauce and layered with homemade whipped cream and crushed toffee bits and sliced sweet strawberries.

  Later that evening when the girls were gone, and she was in her comfiest pajamas, Lisa had a second small bowl. She glanced at the clock now and then, wondering how late Rhett and Gina would stay out. She and the girls had heard them leave earlier. Gina’s loud laughter as they walked out the door had Kate raising her eyebrows as if to say, “Oh, please.”

  She heard them come home a little before ten, which meant that Gina didn’t get her way about staying out late. She smiled with satisfaction as she took her last bite of the trifle.

  * * *

  She was surprised the next morning when Gina didn’t join them for breakfast. Rhett was on his second cup of coffee and helping himself to a wedge of the asparagus and tomato fritt
ata that Lisa made when she finally mentioned the other woman.

  “Do you think Gina will make it down for breakfast?” They were the only two guests until Friday when she was booked solid all weekend.

  Rhett laughed. “Gina doesn’t really get up much before ten.”

  “Oh, she gave me the impression that she’d be down for breakfast.”

  He shook his head. “I’ll be shocked if she makes it down once while she’s here.”

  “Did you have a nice dinner last night?” Lisa asked.

  Rhett met her gaze and sighed. “I didn’t have much choice about that. She insisted and said it would be rude not to take her out at least once while she was here. So I did.”

  Lisa smiled. “She warned me that it might be a late night.”

  “Did she?” He shook his head. “She tried. I’ll give her that. She talked me into one after-dinner drink. But I said no to Brazilian night dancing.”

  Lisa almost spit out her coffee as she laughed. Many of the island workers were from Brazil or Jamaica and one of the local pubs played Brazilian music on Sunday nights.

  “That would be something to see,” she said.

  He laughed. “That it would.” He reached out and took Lisa’s hand. “I wished that you were with me last night. Let’s do something tonight.”

  “Why don’t you come to dinner? I have leftover pot roast and a dessert I think you might like. The girls loved it.” She had discovered that Rhett had quite a sweet tooth.

  “How can I say no to that?”

  Chapter 15

  Kate worked late on Tuesday. The writing was going so well that she lost track of time completely and the hours slipped away. She vaguely noticed that the sun wasn’t shining as brightly as it had been earlier in the day. But then she figured out what poison the killer used. It needed to be something that would go undetected, yet slowly make the victim sicker overtime. A bit of anti-freeze slipped into orange juice did the trick.