“Goddammit!”
She slapped her oars into the ocean. Almost immediately, she got an answering splash as a pod of dolphins suddenly surfaced all around her. One stopped to eye her, lolling on its side, chattering and tossing a splash of water in her direction with its flipper.
She laughed. It was impossible not to. Accepting the challenge, she pulled on the oars, and the race was on.
The dolphins easily beat her as she rowed back to Little Sister, but their company was just what she needed. By the time she waved goodbye to the pod and dragged the scull onto the beach—already occupied by a woman tourist doing yoga on the sand—she’d made up her mind. She was going to have a little talk with Rebecca.
FOR ALL HER MONTHS on the island, Kathleen realized she’d never been to Rebecca’s cottage. It suited her—pristine white shutters against dove-gray clapboards, beautiful flowering shrubs carefully laid out around the neat little house.
“Are you sure about this?” she asked as Molly parked the Toyota.
“I’m sure,” Molly said with the same determination she’d had when she came home from her row.
She’d taken only enough time to shower before announcing they were going to talk to her aunt.
Kathleen hung back. “Isn’t it too early? Shouldn’t we have called?”
Molly took her by the hand. “She’s an early riser, and there’s no need to call.”
She did at least knock on the screen door, though the front door was open.
Kathleen hissed at Blossom, who was cocking a leg over one of the hostas. “You go pee on a tree.”
He obliged, trotting into the surrounding trees to do his business.
In the meantime, Rebecca came to the door. “Well, come on in.”
Molly held the screen door for Kathleen and Blossom.
“Coffee?” Rebecca asked over her shoulder as she headed back to the kitchen.
Kathleen took in the immaculately clean living room, with floor to ceiling bookshelves lining the walls, the comfortably arranged chairs with matching ottomans near windows and lamps for plenty of light.
She followed Molly back to the kitchen, also spotless, with everything seemingly in its place. The walls were a cheerful apple green, contrasting nicely with the white cabinets and soapstone counters.
Rebecca poured two big mugs of coffee and set them on the table with a plate of cookies. She joined them with her own cup—fine china with a saucer—and offered Blossom a cookie.
“Wondered how long it would be before I saw you.”
Molly, whose mouth was already open to say something, hesitated. “You were expecting us?”
“Well, not this morning, but yes.” Rebecca took a sip from her cup, those curiously pale eyes scrutinizing Kathleen over the rim. She set her cup down delicately on its saucer. “You haven’t spent much time at the library lately.”
Kathleen felt herself blush. “I’ve had a lot of work to do.”
“I see.” Rebecca nodded. “And it had nothing to do with the fact that I wouldn’t bond you?”
Kathleen stared at her coffee cup for a moment, watching the steam rise in swirls.
Haven’t you learned anything in your time here?
She forced herself to meet Rebecca’s gaze. “Yes. It hurt when you said you wouldn’t bond us. But you were right not to.”
Molly gaped at her. “She’s not right!” She rounded on Rebecca. “None of this is right. We deserve to be bonded.”
Rebecca’s face broke into the tiniest smile. “All right.”
“You—” Molly stopped abruptly, her eyes narrowed. “All right? Just like that?”
Rebecca’s mouth tightened. “If you don’t want it enough to fight for it, I’m not going to just hand it to you. This is too important to be tossed around frivolously.”
Molly sat back, chastised. “Fair point.”
“But,” Kathleen looked from one of them to the other, “what about my father? What about the lawsuit?”
“That doesn’t matter,” Rebecca said.
“What do you mean it doesn’t matter? He’s my father. He’s doing it because I’m here. How can it not matter?”
Molly was watching her aunt closely. “Because you’ve faced them. You’ve forgiven them.”
“Yes. And no.” Rebecca set her cup down. “Michael wasn’t the one holding you back, Kathleen. You can’t control what he does, but you have faced him and your mother. I watched you with Michael and Christine the night of your tar abháile. And Wilma told me about the morning of the wedding. Their inability to let Bryan go, to move on, is their burden now. The weight you’ve been dragging around all these years is gone. You’re free of it. This is why I wouldn’t bond you before. It wouldn’t have been fair to Molly.”
She stood, laying a gentle hand on Kathleen’s head. “It was never your parents you needed to forgive.”
“IS KATHLEEN NERVOUS?”
“A little.”
Molly was on her hands and knees, helping put a fresh coat of paint on the front porch floor of the Cooper house. Jenny painted from the other end as they worked toward the middle.
“Where is she?”
“Working at home.”
Jenny paused, focusing off in the distance. “We haven’t had a bonding since… Miranda and Tim.”
“I know. Do you think Matty and Brandi will?”
“Only if they decide to move here.” Jenny slid her container of paint over a couple of feet and started on a new swath of floorboards.
“I saw Joey going out yesterday.”
“Yes. Matty’s boating out to meet him. Not sure how long they’ll keep doing that.”
Molly sat back on her heels. “I feel kind of guilty. With Aidan gone, I could go with them.”
“You’ve never wanted to fish. You’ve got plenty to do here.” Jenny dipped her brush in the paint, a pretty blue-gray. “To tell you the truth, I kind of hoped this would spell the end of fishing for Joey and Matty. Sometimes, it feels I’ve spent half my life waiting for them to come back safe.”
“Really? You never say much.”
Jenny shrugged. “What could I say? When your husband and sons fish for a living, you learn to live with the uncertainty. But every time they’re out when it blows, I pray.”
“You think Matty will come back?”
“I think he’d like to. But he’ll have to talk Brandi into it. Little Sister is so much quieter. Not sure how she’d handle the off season here.”
Molly swiped her paintbrush along a couple of boards. “Big Sister would drive me crazy. All those rich people, and so many more tourists than we get. I’ll be glad to see ours leave next week after Labor Day.”
They worked in silence for a few minutes. Molly shifted her paint container again and glanced over to find her mother watching her.
“What?”
Jenny’s eyes shimmered. “I just can’t believe how the time has passed, how much has changed. Maisie and Olivia both gone. Matty married, Aidan working with Bobby, now you getting bonded. It flies by so fast. Enjoy every minute, Molly.”
Molly set her brush down and shuffled over to sit beside her mother. “We haven’t really talked about this, but will you stand for me?”
Jenny stared at her for a moment and then flung her arms around her. “I’d love to! Who’s standing for Kathleen?”
“She said she’d like Louisa to do it.”
Jenny drew back. “Oh, that’s lovely. That will mean the world to Louisa.”
Her gaze focused on something over Molly’s shoulder. Molly turned around to see Minnow traipsing over the freshly painted floorboards, leaving telltale paw prints in her wake.
“Darn cat.”
Molly shifted to get her paintbrush and repaint, but Jenny caught her arm. “Don’t. Leave them. In fact…”
She tugged on Molly’s hand. “Let’s press our hands into the paint, too.”
“Are you serious?” Molly frowned at her work, itching to fix it, make it perfect.
&
nbsp; “Sure I’m serious. Come on.”
They knelt side by side—Molly pressing her right hand, Jenny her left—leaving a pair of perfect handprints in the paint.
Jenny sighed. “Every time I see these, I’ll remember this day.”
Chapter 23
FOR THE RESIDENTS OF Little Sister, the week after Labor Day was an island-wide celebration. The last daily ferry of the high season had left with the most of the tourists earlier in the week. It felt as if the island heaved a sigh of relief, tinged with a bit of sadness, as the children had all left as well, to return to school on the mainland.
“I can’t believe I’m the only one in here,” Kathleen said to Miranda when she walked into the market.
She snatched up Ellis, who was toddling toward Blossom, making a grab for the wagging tail.
“I know.” Miranda handed Ellis a teething ring. “It always feels so quiet after they leave.”
She tilted her head. “You all set for the new moon?”
Kathleen’s eyes widened. “Is there anything I need to do to get set? I mean, it’s just the ceremony on the beach, right?”
“Yes, of course.” Miranda pulled her into a tight hug. “I’m just really happy for you two.”
“You’re smirking,” Kathleen said when she pulled back from the embrace to look at Miranda. “Why are you smirking?”
“No smirking. Just happy.”
But as Kathleen checked out and picked up her bags, Siobhan came into the market, her long hair pulled back with a tie-dyed scarf.
“Ready for tonight?” Siobhan asked.
“Why does everyone keep asking me that?” Kathleen demanded.
But Siobhan shared a wink with Miranda. Kathleen heard them both chuckling before the door swung shut behind her.
On her way home, Kathleen reviewed everything Molly had told her about the ceremony. There would be the whole naked thing and the blood thing, but she couldn’t recall anything else worthy of that reaction.
She took a detour to the Woodhouse place and found Louisa outside, trying to mow the grass with an old-fashioned push mower.
“Let me do that for you.” Kathleen jumped out of the car and took over despite Louisa’s objections.
Blossom chased bumble bees while Kathleen mowed. It didn’t take long, but she quickly worked up a sweat. Louisa met her on the porch with a bowl of water and an icy glass of lemonade as she finished. Blossom lapped up the water and plopped down in the shade, his tongue lolling.
“Thank you, Katie.”
Kathleen took a long drink. “Oh, that’s good.” She swiped her forehead with her shirtsleeve.
Louisa held her hand and patted it. “Thank you again for asking me to stand for you. It should be Maisie, but I’m happy to be there in her place.”
Kathleen smiled. “I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have.”
“I’ll come by myself. I know I’m a silly old woman, dragging Daddy and Ollie with me everywhere.”
“Absolutely not!” Kathleen turned to face her. “They’re as much a part of Little Sister as Nanna. I’d be very disappointed if they weren’t there.”
“Really?” Louisa’s watery eyes lit up.
“Really.”
MOLLY SHIFTED RESTLESSLY IN her new recliner while Kathleen pretended to read. Up on the mantel, the clock ticked glacially. When the eleven-thirty chime sounded, Molly turned to her.
“We should go now.”
Kathleen nodded mutely and closed her book.
Blossom, who had been snoring in his bed, leapt up, immediately wide-awake.
“Drive or walk?” Kathleen asked.
“Walk, I think.”
Outside, the September night had cooled. They headed to the trail that meandered through the woods down to the beach.
“No need for a flashlight tonight,” Molly said as faint star shadows rippled over them.
Kathleen didn’t respond. They descended the trail, but before they got to the beach, she reached for Molly’s hand and pulled her to a halt.
“I know, when I first came here, you had your doubts about me. And since then… Susannah and now my father—”
“Stop.” Molly reached up to cup Kathleen’s face in her hands. “I stopped having doubts about you a long time ago.”
“I know, but…” Kathleen looked deep into her eyes. “This is forever. I just want to say, before we get down there, that if you want to change your mind, or—”
Any further words were silenced by Molly’s mouth on hers, a kiss so tender, so passionate, so strong that it left Kathleen’s knees weak.
When the kiss ended, Kathleen pressed her forehead to Molly’s.
“Any more questions?” Molly murmured.
Kathleen just shook her head.
Molly smiled. “Good.”
They continued down the trail.
“There are still a few tourists here,” Kathleen said. “How do we know they won’t show up?”
“If they get past Wilma, there are others standing guard who will keep them from getting to the beach.”
Overhead, the dark disc of the new moon rode in a sky blanketed in stars.
“Glad we didn’t wait until November to do this,” Kathleen said.
Molly chuckled. “I know. This is chilly enough in September.”
“Are you going to tell me why Miranda and Siobhan were laughing this morning?”
Molly grinned. “I have a feeling we’ll be coming home to find the house will have a few additions.”
“Oh.” Kathleen breathed a sigh of relief. She’d been nervous all day that there was some other part of this ceremony that she didn’t know about.
Blossom romped ahead of them to greet the people already gathered at the beach. Joe and Jenny stood with Rebecca and Joey. Matty and Brandi held the wooden boxes of ashes.
Louisa came to meet them, taking Kathleen and Molly each by the hand. “I’m so happy for you both.”
She led them to Rebecca.
“It’s not too late to change your minds,” Rebecca said. “This is not a commitment to be taken lightly. Once you do, this is forever.”
Kathleen turned to Molly. “We’ve already had this discussion.”
Molly simply nodded.
“All right. Molly, you go with Jenny that way.” Rebecca pointed to the south end of the beach. “Kathleen, you’ll go with Louisa.”
Louisa took Kathleen by the arm and guided her to the north end of the beach while Joey kept hold of Blossom’s collar to keep him from following.
“Undress here, Katie,” Louisa said. “Go naked into the water to meet Molly.”
Kathleen looked dubiously at the waves lapping onto the sandy beach. “How far out do I need to go?”
“Waist-deep should do it.” She reached up to pat Kathleen on the cheek. “We’ll be waiting for you.”
She left her. Kathleen’s heart was pounding as she slowly undressed, feeling very self-conscious. She folded all of her clothing neatly, laying everything on top of her shoes. She hesitated a second and then took her glasses off, leaving them atop the stack. She couldn’t help wrapping her arms across her chest, suddenly glad the other people gathered on the beach were no more than a blur as goosebumps covered her skin.
She waded into the water, sucking in a breath. The September days might have been mild, but the water was freezing.
“Tradition, my ass,” she muttered through chattering teeth. She forced herself to wade deeper, feeling the sandy bottom with each step before committing her weight. She had no idea if there was any kind of drop-off.
When she got waist-deep, she turned parallel to the beach, hoping Molly was headed in her direction. To her relief, a blurry figure moved toward her.
“Wow,” she said when Molly got close enough to come into focus.
Starlight gilded her shoulders, the curve of her breasts and hips, her face. Kathleen stared, wobbling a little as the waves pushed against her.
“You are so beautiful.”
Molly s
miled and reached out to touch the shooting star necklace, the only thing Kathleen was still wearing. “So are you. If I’d known this would feel so erotic, we’d have been out here months ago.”
Kathleen giggled nervously. “What now?”
“We go under.”
“Under?”
Molly nodded. “Like a baptism. Together. Ready?”
Kathleen held her breath and dropped, letting herself sink under the water. For a moment, she gazed up at the rippled sky above. They came up together, pushing wet hair back off their faces. Hand in hand, they returned to the beach.
Jenny and Louisa were waiting for them, holding a blanket of some kind. When Kathleen and Molly waded out of the water onto dry sand, they wrapped the blanket around them. Kathleen saw that it was a quilt.
Rebecca and the others all gathered round as Molly and Kathleen stood shoulder to shoulder with the quilt’s welcome warmth covering them.
“This quilt,” began Rebecca, “made from the clothing of our ancestors, reminds us that individual things can become one. So, too, can two people become one, bonded to each other, bonded to this island, bonded to all who came before or will come after.”
Kathleen glanced down and saw that the quilt was indeed sewn together from patches of cloth and leather. She recognized a familiar patch of red-and-black-checked flannel.
“Kathleen, standing here as you are, knowing that all any of us ultimately has to offer to another is heart and body and soul, do you take Molly to be your bondmate, to love her and stay true to her only, caring for her through all life has to offer, its challenges and its joys, for the rest of your days in this realm?”
Kathleen looked into Molly’s eyes. “I do.”
Molly repeated the pledge.
Rebecca pulled her knife from a sheath on her belt. She gestured to them, and Molly held out her hand, palm up. After a heartbeat’s hesitation, Kathleen did the same.
Quickly, Rebecca slid her blade over each palm. Kathleen bit her lip against the sharp pain. Rebecca pressed their bloody palms together, squeezing them between both of hers, letting drops of blood fall to the sand below. She squatted down and used the knife to bury the bloody sand.
“Your blood, mingled together, is now part of Little Sister. For all time, you are bound to each other and to this island. No matter where you roam, you carry us with you. We will sustain you in times of trouble and celebrate with you in times of joy. When your life in this plane ends, you will become part of this island, sustaining the generations to come. Bright blessings on you, Molly Ahearn Cooper and Kathleen Anne Halloran.”
When the Stars Sang Page 31
