She stooped to collect a white slipper. They were her favorite, and though she had dozens already, she couldn’t resist the softly sheened perfection.
Several feet away she scooped up a spotted Scotch bonnet. They weren’t the prettiest shells, ribbed and splotched with brown and amber, but this one was large and unbroken. She added it carefully to her cloth bag. She walked along, eyes scanning over the bits of driftwood, the ropes of kelp, and the broken seashells.
She walked all the way down to the inlet, then turned and walked back toward the cottage, edging closer to the waterline. On the way back she found a perfect sand dollar and a whole cockleshell with a glossy iridescent pink underside—the largest she’d found all summer.
As she neared the beach in front of their cottage, she saw a large humped mass lying near the shoreline. A dead tarpon. Its silver-white scales glimmered in the evening light, its gills were still, and its black button eyes stared up lifelessly. A fly hovered above the dead body, and a stink rose from the carcass.
She skirted the dead fish, shaking the image of those bleak eyes from her mind. Low tide exposed the good and the bad, she supposed.
As she made her way up to the cottage she pulled the drawstring ribbons on her bag. The sand grew dry and deep near the dunes, and her feet plunged into the sugary mounds, sand sticking to her damp skin. The soles of her feet were summer-tough, numb to the jagged shells and bits of pinecone.
She spotted Emma emerging from the house and onto the deck, fingers over her mouth as she stared unseeing out over the sea.
Maddy lifted a hand, but Emma was looking off toward the inlet now, her posture stiff.
The golden hour had slipped away, but even in the waning light Maddy could see the groove between Emma’s brows, a look of shock on her face. This was more than a glitch with the bridesmaid dresses or a canceled reservation.
A terrible dread rose up in Maddy. A weight pressed down on her lungs. Her heart came in heavy thumps that sped even as her footsteps slowed.
Emma caught sight of her as she neared the house. Her glassy eyes focused on Maddy as a tear slid down her cheek.
“Oh, Maddy . . . ,” Emma choked out. “You’ll never believe it.”
“What—what’s wrong?” Maddy made herself ask, but she didn’t want to hear the answer. Wanted to go upstairs and bury herself under her covers and pretend this wasn’t happening.
Another tear escaped as Emma blinked. Her blue eyes were wide with disbelief as Maddy came up the steps.
“I just—I just heard—” Emma couldn’t seem to bring herself to say it.
Maddy couldn’t bear it. She pulled her big sister close and folded her arms around her. How could Nora have done this? And Jonathan? He was supposed to love Emma. Is this what love looked like? If so, Maddy wanted nothing to do with it.
Emma’s body shook as she wept in great sobs.
Maddy rubbed her back, her throat aching with unshed tears. “I know. I know. It’s just awful. I’m so sorry, Emmie.”
Emma gulped a deep breath, pulling away from Maddy. Her ravaged face tore at Maddy’s heart. Her cheeks were blotched pink, and tears trembled on her lashes.
“You already know?”
“I—I saw them a week ago, on the beach,” Maddy confessed, tears filling her own eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I didn’t want to believe they’d do such a thing. I hoped I was wrong somehow.”
Something shifted in Emma’s eyes. Her gaze sharpened on Maddy in a way that put the fear of God into her.
“I—I know I should’ve told you,” Maddy blathered on. “But I didn’t want to hurt you, and I wasn’t for sure, for sure. It was dark, and her hair looked red, but I couldn’t be certain.”
The skin around Emma’s eyes tightened, as did her grasp on Maddy’s upper arms. “What—what are you talking about?”
Maddy’s stomach dropped to her feet even as a new kind of tension coiled inside her. Emma didn’t know about Nora and Jonathan, she realized suddenly. Something else had put those tears in her eyes. But Maddy had gone and opened her big mouth. And now it was too late to take back her words.
“I’m not sure of anything,” Maddy whispered, shaking her head. “Honest, I’m not.”
“Sure of what? Tell me, Maddy, tell me right now!” Emma’s grip tightened painfully.
“I—I thought I saw them, Nora and Jonathan, on the beach late at night.”
Emma’s face hardened in a way Maddy had never seen. “Doing what?”
A tear slipped down Maddy’s cheek. Regret pulsed inside with every beat of her heart. “It was dark. Really dark, Emma. I wasn’t sure. I’m still not sure.”
Emma’s lips twisted and her nostrils flared. “Doing. What?”
Electricity thrummed in the air between them. Maddy’s next words were going to send an irreversible jolt through Emma. But there was nothing else Maddy could do now.
“Kissing.” The word was barely audible over the sound of surf.
Emma flinched, as if absorbing a blow. Her breath hitched, her pupils flared, her fingers slowly loosened their grip on Maddy’s arms until they fell to her sides.
Maddy couldn’t look away from the hurt and anger on her sister’s face. She wished she could take it all back. She was so stupid! She’d gone and ruined everything!
“Maybe I’m wrong,” Maddy said. “I could be wrong.”
But deep down she knew she wasn’t. She hadn’t imagined the flirting she’d witnessed back in June or that flicker of red hair on the beach. Hadn’t imagined all the times Jonathan and Nora seemed to disappear at the same exact time—including today. If only she’d confronted Nora about it in the beginning, she could’ve stopped this from happening! Why, oh, why hadn’t she said something?
Emma’s eyes searched the horizon, and Maddy could almost see her stringing things together in her mind. As though Maddy had only exposed what Emma had already known somewhere deep inside.
Maybe it was fate, or maybe it was just a terrible coincidence that a car rumbled up to the cottage just then, tires crunching in the shelled driveway. Someone was home, and it had to be either Jonathan or Nora. Maddy didn’t know which would be worse.
Emma looked toward the side of the house as the engine went silent. A car door slammed shut. And then all was quiet.
A warm breeze lifted gooseflesh on Maddy’s arms as the moment stretched taut between them. Emma’s chest heaved, drawing in great gulps of air.
Maddy should say something—she just didn’t know what.
God . . . She prayed, but nothing else came to mind.
And then Nora was coming through the back door. Her hair flowed down around her shoulders, and she wore a hint of makeup. When had Nora started caring so much about how she looked?
“Hey, you two,” Nora said as she closed the door.
Maddy’s gaze swung to Emma in time to see her eyes rake over Nora’s navy top and a pair of white shorts that made her slender legs go on forever. She looked fresh and happy and sported a carefree glow Maddy had never noticed on her normally uptight sister.
“Well, look at you.” Emma crossed her arms over her chest, pinning Nora with a look. “Where’ve you been, Nora?”
Nora’s eyes shifted to Maddy, then back to Emma. “Um . . . I just ran a couple errands in town.”
“You did, huh?” Emma said in a biting tone. “You look awfully spiffy for errands.”
Nora shifted, rubbing her bare arms. They were lightly sunburned, a fresh crop of freckles dusting her shoulders. “What’s wrong?”
Maddy’s feet were frozen to the deck boards. She watched the speculation on Nora’s face and thought she saw a flush rising up her neck in the waning light.
Nora turned a searching look on Maddy, emitting a bleak laugh. “What’s going on? Did something happen?”
Words jumbled in Maddy’s throat, locking it up tight. She looked at Emma.
Emma took three steps, coming up so close to Nora she had to look up. She gave her sister a long, scathing look. “Wh
at is going on between you and Jonathan?”
Nora averted her gaze, going unnaturally still. “What—what do you mean?”
“You know what I mean. Tell me the truth, Nora, or so help me . . .”
Nora took a step back, putting space between them. She finally looked at Emma, searching her face for a long, painful moment. Her chest heaved. Her eyes softened with pity as her chin trembled and her face slowly crumpled.
“I’m so sorry, Emma,” she whispered. “I am so, so sorry.”
Emma’s lips flattened. “Sorry for what, Nora? What is it you did exactly?”
“I didn’t mean for it to happen.”
“What? You didn’t mean for what to happen?”
Maddy tried to telegraph to Nora. Say “the kiss.” Tell her it was a mistake, and you’ll never do it again. Tell her, Nora!
“Answer me!” Emma spat.
Nora flinched. Her mouth wobbled. Her blue eyes filled with tears. “I didn’t mean to fall in love with him, Emma. I swear it. It just happened. It’s all my fault, and I’m so sorry!”
Emma emitted a guttural roar and bolted forward, arms reaching out.
Nora stepped back. Her foot caught on a fallen pillow, and she stumbled backward. She went down hard, her elbows smacking the wooden deck.
Maddy’s hand flew to her throat. “Nora!”
“What in the world?” Mama opened the kitchen door. “What is all this ruckus about? Oh, good heavens! Nora, are you all right?”
Mama stepped outside, her gaze flying between Nora—sprawled on the deck—and Emma hovering over her, as rigid as a two-by-four.
“What on earth is going on?” She went to her fallen daughter. “Are you all right, honey?”
Nora sat up straight. “I’m fine, Mama. It was an accident.”
Mama helped Nora to her feet, fussing over her scraped elbows. When she finished she looked at Emma. “Now what in heaven’s name is going on here? Emma, what happened?”
“I just fell, Mama,” Nora said. “That’s all.”
“That is very well not all,” Emma said. “Tell her, Nora. Tell her what you just said to me!”
Daddy slid through the open door, quickly taking in the scene. “What’s going on out here, girls? I can hear you from upstairs.”
“That’s just what I’d like to know.” Mama crossed her arms, frowning at her daughters.
“Go ahead, Nora,” Emma sneered. “Go ahead and tell them how you’re in love with my fiancé!”
Mama gasped.
“How you didn’t mean for it to happen, how you’re so, so sorry.”
“Oh no,” Mama said, looking at her oldest daughter. “Nora . . . Tell me it’s not true.”
Tears slid down Nora’s face, running black with eyeliner. “It is true,” she whispered. “And I am so sorry . . .”
Daddy ran a hand over his face. “Oh, good heavens.”
“You need to leave,” Emma said to Nora, her face flushed with anger. “You need to get out of here right now and don’t come back. I don’t ever want to see you again!”
“Now, Emma . . . ,” Daddy started.
“She was kissing him, Daddy, and God knows what else she was doing with him!”
“Emma,” Daddy said. “Let’s just take a deep breath here. Now, Nora . . . What’s going on between you and Jonathan? How did this happen?”
“What does it matter how it happened, Stanley?” Mama snapped. “She was kissing her sister’s fiancé. She’s in love with him. Does anything else matter after that?”
“I’m just trying to get to the bottom of this, Theresa.”
Maddy’d never heard Daddy speak so sharply to her mother.
Emma glared at Nora. “And where is Jonathan in all this, Nora? Huh? Is he in love with you too? Are the two of you just so in love now?”
Nora shifted. “I think—you should ask him that.”
“Well, I’m asking you! Is he in love with you, Nora?” Emma’s hands clenched and unclenched at her sides. Her shoulders rose and fell with her breaths.
The sound of the surf punctuated a long, painful silence.
Black smudges underlined Nora’s sad, guilty eyes. “He says he is,” she said softly.
A beat of silence thrummed between them. Then Emma covered her face and wept into her hands, great sobs that shook her body and left Maddy feeling hollow and helpless.
Mama put her arms around Emma and rubbed her back. “Oh, honey. Oh, honey, this is just so awful.”
Nora closed her eyes as if she couldn’t bear to see her sister in pain—pain she’d caused herself. More tears leaked down Nora’s face.
Maddy’s throat ached, and she swallowed around the huge lump. She wished she could close her eyes and make it all go away. What had she done? What was going to happen now? The summer was ruined. The wedding—was it off? Or was Jonathan in love with both of them? Was that even possible?
Emma broke away from Mama, her eyes snapping with fire. “How long has this been going on, Nora? How long have you both been cheating behind my back?”
When Nora failed to answer quickly enough, she spun to Maddy. “How long, Maddy? When did this start?”
Heat flushed through Maddy’s system as all eyes turned on her. She trembled, her legs quaking beneath her. Her mouth worked, but she had no words.
“You knew?” Mama asked, her voice full of disappointment. “Oh, Maddy . . .”
“I—I didn’t know,” Maddy squeaked. “Not for sure.”
Emma stepped toward Nora, her face full of rage. “How dare you carry on with my fiancé behind my back! My own sister! Right under the same roof!”
Daddy stepped between them. “Now, Emma, you know it takes two to—”
Mama emitted a sharp laugh. “You would side with her! Are you kidding me, Stanley?”
“This is about our daughters, Theresa, not us! You know very well Nora didn’t intend for this to happen.”
“Oh, and that makes it all right, does it? As long as she intended no harm, she’s off the hook!”
“Sometimes . . .” Daddy’s tone was hard. “People keep a secret to spare other people’s feelings.”
Emma laughed, the maniacal sound of it drawing all eyes to her. “Secrets . . . Yes, you two know all about those, don’t you?”
Mama’s hand went to her throat. “What—what are you talking about, Emma?”
“I think we need to stick to the subject at hand,” Daddy said. “We have enough on our plate here already.”
“I heard you talking upstairs, Daddy,” Emma said. “I know you’re getting a divorce.”
Maddy gasped. No. It couldn’t be true. She searched her parents’ faces, but it was getting too dark to read expressions. Nobody was denying it, however.
“They were planning to tell us after the wedding.” Emma gave a blubbery snort. “But I guess that’s off now, huh? Just as well we all know the truth then!” She covered her face, weeping again.
A divorce? Maddy’s mind spun. Maybe Mama and Daddy had been acting a little strangely this summer. Mama harped. They fussed sometimes. But they didn’t have real troubles.
“I’m so sorry, Emma,” Nora said. She looked like a wilted flower, her shoulders stooped, her head hanging as if it were too heavy for her neck. “Truly, I’m sorry.”
“If you’re so sorry, you’ll leave and let Jonathan and me work this out!”
“Now, Emma,” Daddy said. “We all just need to simmer down a little and talk this through.”
Emma wept louder.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Stanley. You’re only making it worse!”
Daddy ignored her. “I know you’re upset, honey, but she is your sister, after all . . .”
“Shame she didn’t remember that earlier, isn’t it!” Mama threw an apologetic look Nora’s way. “I’m sorry, Nora, but what you did was indefensible, and I’m not going to stand here and pretend otherwise.”
“You haven’t even heard her side,” Daddy said. “Maybe you could just listen for o
nce in your life. Who knows, you might learn something.”
“If all you’re going to do is aggravate the situation, Stanley, why don’t you just leave! Can’t you see our daughter is hurting?”
He gestured wildly. “Both our daughters are hurting, Theresa!”
“Just go on now! I’ll handle this without you—like I do everything else around here!”
“Fine. Have it your way!” Daddy spun and jerked open the door. He shoved it closed so hard it bounced against the jamb. A moment later he pulled from the drive, his tires squealing on the pavement out front.
It was the last time they saw him alive.
Chapter 29
Present day
The next morning, news of the approaching storm was all over TV. It swirled out in the Atlantic now, and a likely path had it making landfall just south of Seahaven tomorrow night.
Maddy muted the TV and looked at her sisters. “Well, I guess we’d better start getting the house ready just in case.”
“It’s only a tropical storm,” Nora said. “We’ve seen far worse.”
“Does Gram have a battery-operated radio lying around?” Maddy asked.
“I think I saw one in the laundry room cabinet,” Nora said.
Pippy twirled in a circle and barked, seeming to sense that something exciting was afoot.
They could wait until tomorrow to pull the shutters closed on the windows. It was always possible the storm would weaken or head off in another direction.
As the day wore on Connor texted a couple times. The marina was busy as some of his customers came to pull their boats from the water and others came to secure them there.
A smile lifted the corners of Maddy’s lips as she thought of last night. They’d sat on the back deck kissing for a long time. Getting as worked up as teenagers. The man could kiss with the best of them.
By late afternoon the sisters had done as much as they could. They made sandwiches for supper and sat in front of the TV, watching images of the swirling storm on the news. It was still headed their way, and there was talk of it strengthening before it reached shore.
They’d just broken for a commercial when the front door flew open. All eyes swung toward the entryway.
Summer by the Tides Page 19
