“Chardonnay it is.” The server nodded and scurried off, returning a moment later with the wine and a tray of mini crab cakes. Philippe popped one in his mouth and encouraged her to do the same. She did, and it was delicious.
“I’ll introduce you to everyone,” he said as he led her over to a group of men.
Kate took a sip of her wine and followed. She tried to keep up as all the names went in one ear and out the other. Many of them, she’d heard before, read about in the papers.
The last two people were Richard and Jack who were laughing as they walked toward them.
“I’m assuming you probably already know these characters,” Philippe said lightly.
“I do.”
“I’ll let you catch up then. Looks like I’m being summoned to the kitchen. We’ll be sitting down to eat soon. We’ll talk more then.” He walked off as Kate turned to Richard and Jack.
“I don’t see you for years and then suddenly twice in two weeks,” Jack said with a smile.
“I know, right? How do you know Philippe?”
“From playing poker.”
“Poker?”
He nodded. “A few of us play now and then, mostly during the winter when it’s quiet here. Philippe happened to stop by the seafood market right before closing one night, and we were down a guy, so I asked him to join us. We’ve been friends ever since. He’d just bought a place here and didn’t know many people yet.”
“So, you were being neighborly. That was nice of you.”
Jack smiled. “Like I said, we were short a man. He’s a decent guy though.”
Kate turned to Richard. “It’s nice to see you here too. How’s Maryanne?” Richard’s wife, Maryanne was a friend of her mothers.
“She’s fantastic. She was sorry she couldn’t make it tonight. She’s off-island visiting her sister for a few days.”
Kate wondered where Jack’s girlfriend, Cissie, was. “How’s Cissie?” she asked.
Something she couldn’t quite place, flashed across his face. “I assume she’s fine. We’re not together anymore.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize. I’m sorry.” Kate felt like she’d created an awkward moment. But Jack didn’t seem to mind.
“Don’t be sorry. It’s all good. It was a long-time coming.”
“I just recently ended a relationship too,” she admitted. “I’m looking forward to a relaxing winter and taking a break… from everything.”
His eyes met hers and there was a silent understanding there. She relaxed and was glad that both Richard and Jack were there. She’d never been one for making small talk with strangers.
They chatted easily and a short while later, the server came by to invite them to head into the dining room. Philippe’s table was a giant round one with twelve place settings. It was elegantly decorated with name cards by each oversized shimmery gold plate. Kate found her seat and was pleased to see that Jack was on her left and was surprised to see that Philippe was on her right.
Everyone took their seats and the next hour and a half was a delightful whirlwind of fascinating conversation and one decadent course after another. The lobster ravioli were as amazing as her mother had said and the sliced tenderloin with a red wine sauce melted in her mouth. And Philippe was a gracious host and kept the conversation lively and fun. He also made an effort to include Kate, asking her opinion on several subjects that came up as they debated what kind of storylines would resonate most with women. She assured them that killing off the beloved hero was not a good idea.
“More than anything, women want a happy ending,” she said.
“But we have such a cool death scene that could happen next season,” one of the execs said. “The special effects could be epic.”
But Philippe shook his head. “I think Kate’s right. We don’t want to alienate half of our audience. We might not get them back.”
Over coffee and dessert, Kate learned the reason why all the execs were in town. Philippe quietly told her that they were negotiating a long-term deal for him to create more shows over the next few years. And they were on hiatus now for a few months. The execs wanted to get a deal done before Philippe could say yes to a different project.
“That’s exciting,” she said.
“It is. It means I’ll have a lot of free time over the next few months. I’ll be working on a new book of course, but there are still nights and weekends. Maybe we can go out sometime? Grab dinner or see a movie?”
Kate was taken aback, both by the invitation and the uncertainty she saw in his eyes. As if he was worried she might say no. She couldn’t refuse him, though she wasn’t looking to date anyone, especially Philippe Gaston. But, she hoped they could be friends.
“That sounds fun. I’d love to.”
“Good, I’ll give you a call later this week to set something up.”
Kate took a sip of her coffee and realized that Jack had heard their interchange. She turned to ask him a question, and he beat her to it.
“How’s your mom? Are you staying with her while you’re here?” he asked.
“She’s great. I’ll be staying with her for a while, but she’s turning the house into a bed and breakfast, so I’ll probably be moving out soon. Her friend Paige is heading to Florida for a few months, so I’m going to watch her house for her while she’s gone.”
“Paige Burton?” Jack asked.
She nodded. “Yeah, she lives a mile or so away from our house, on Sycamore Lane.”
He grinned. “Well, it looks like we’ll be neighbors then. I live a few doors down from her place.”
“You do?”
“I bought the house three years ago and spent a year renovating before I moved in. Mine’s the blue-gray one, same side as Paige.”
“So, you’re on the water too. I think I know which house you mean.” It was a smaller house for the area, but plenty big enough for most people and had a huge, wrap around deck.
“Yeah. The house was a mess when I bought it, really run down. But the land and views are amazing. I built the biggest deck I could get away with and that’s where I spend most of my time when the weather is good. There are stairs to the beach too. It’s not good for swimming as it’s kind of rocky, but it’s great for fishing.”
“Funny that we’re going to be neighbors,” Kate said.
“Yeah.” He glanced at Philippe who was engrossed in an animated conversation. “I’d say you’re settling in pretty well. He’s newly single too by the way.”
Kate felt herself flush a little. “I meant it when I said I wanted to take a break. I’m not looking to get into a relationship with anyone right now.”
“Same here. Just taking things one day at a time. You never do know what each day will bring.”
“You’re sounding philosophical,” Philippe said. He’d caught Jack’s last comment.
“Must be the time of year. With New Year’s Eve around the corner and all,” Jack said lightly.
“Right. That’s not even a week away.”
Kate didn’t want to think about New Year’s Eve, especially as there was no one in her life to kiss when midnight rang in the new year. She decided to change the subject.
“Do you ever go to the board of selectmen meetings?” she asked Jack and then looked at Philippe and added, “either of you?”
“I’ve never been to one. I avoid that kind of thing,” Philippe said.
“I go once in a while, it depends what’s on the agenda. Why do you ask?” Jack said.
“The next meeting is a week from today, and my mother is seeking approval to officially open her bed and breakfast and put a sign up.”
Jack frowned. “What will she do if they say no?”
“She’ll still open but won’t put her sign up. She can rent rooms through Airbnb. But if they approve, she can also put up a website and advertise more heavily both on and off-island.”
“There’s really nothing in all of Beach Plum Cove area for hotels, or restaurants. Seems like an unmet need.” Jack said.
“I know. They are looking to approve a new restaurant too. Someone is taking over the old one and reopening.”
“No kidding? That place has been closed for years. It would be great to have it open again and good for your mother’s business too. People could walk there.”
“It would be perfect, but I’m a little nervous. You know how Nantucket can be sometimes.”
“Yeah, they keep saying no to McDonald’s and a few other businesses that people want. They are resistant to change.”
“I do get it. They don’t want to lose the charm that makes Nantucket unique. But I don’t see how a bed and breakfast would jeopardize that.”
“You probably have nothing to worry about then,” Jack said.
“I hope not.” But Kate was worried. She knew her mother needed this.
“I’m not busy Monday night. Maybe I’ll stop by the meeting and lend my support,” Jack said.
That was more than Kate expected. “Thank you, Jack. That means a lot.”
Kristen sighed and stretched happily in her king-sized bed. The sun streaming in through the windows had woken her, and she knew the light would be fantastic to finish the painting she was working on. She eased herself out of bed so that she wouldn’t wake Sean. He was dead to the world though, so she needn’t have worried.
They’d had a late night and Kristen was feeling hopeful again that she wasn’t making a mistake by staying with him. They’d gone to one of their favorite restaurants, Basil’s, a tiny place, where Sean knew the owner well and he sent over a round of drinks and a new appetizer he was testing for the menu.
After a leisurely dinner, they’d gone to hear some live music and then made their way back to her cottage where they fell into bed and it felt like the days when they’d first met. When Sean’s focus was on her totally and he was romantic and loving. She’d wanted to ask him if anything had changed, if he’d finally filed for divorce, but she didn’t want to break the mood.
She made a pot of coffee, and dove into her painting, losing all track of time once she began. Several hours later, she took a break and stood up to stretch. She’d been in the same position for so long that her muscles were protesting and she’d never even touched her cup of coffee. It was stone cold, so she dumped it out and made a new batch. She took her first sip as Sean made his way into the kitchen, still half-asleep.
“Want a cup? I just made it.”
He nodded, and she poured him a cup and added a slug of heavy cream and extra sugar before handing it to him.
“Thank you. I need this.” He leaned against the counter and took a slow sip.
“A little headache?” she teased him. She’d been fine because she rarely had more than two glasses of wine before switching to water or coffee. But Sean was an enthusiastic drinker and sometimes his Jack and Cokes went down so quickly that a hangover was inevitable.
“I keep meaning to have water, like you do.”
She laughed. “Well, that helps, but drinking less is even more effective.”
“Right.”
“Are you hungry? I was about to make some eggs and toast.”
He looked green at the mention of eggs.
“No, coffee is all I can handle.”
“Think you’ll be revived by tonight? We don’t have to go out, we can get some takeout and stay in.”
He looked at her in confusion. “Do we have plans tonight?”
“Well, I just assumed. It’s New Year’s Eve, Sean.”
“I’m sorry. I have Julian tonight and I told his mother I’d stay for dinner.”
Kristen said nothing for a long moment. Inside, she was seething. She tried to keep her voice calm and measured, though she felt like screaming at him.
“And you don’t think that’s a little odd, Sean? She invites you to stay for dinner on New Year’s Eve?!”
He looked uncomfortable. “I didn’t even realize what the date was. We’d never talked about New Year’s Eve, so it wasn’t on my mind.”
“No, it doesn’t seem like it was.” Kristen slammed her coffee cup on the counter and splashed more coffee into it. She was suddenly exhausted on top of being furious as it finally sunk in that nothing was going to change with Sean. For whatever reason, he wasn’t ready to completely let go of his marriage. And she felt like a fool. The only reason she’d agreed to date him in the first place was because he was separated and had told her he was getting a divorce ASAP.
“So, what, you’re mad now?” Sean sounded frustrated. “I’ve told you before, I have to be careful about how I do this. I don’t want to piss off Julian’s mother. She could take me back to court and try to change our arrangement.”
But she thought he was being dramatic and ridiculous.
“Why don’t you just move back in with her? It would make things so much easier and save you a whole lot of money. I can’t keep doing this Sean. I’m done.” Her voice broke a little, betraying her emotions. She was close to tears.
He put his almost empty coffee mug in the sink and tried to wrap his arms around her. But she slithered out of his grasp, folded her arms across her chest and glared at him. She was afraid if he touched her, she’d cave or burst into tears.
Sean ran a hand through his hair in frustration as he paced around the room before stopping in front of her.
“What are you talking about? I thought we had a great time last night. I know I did.”
“I had a wonderful time. Which is why I’m so upset right now.”
“You were the one that said you didn’t want to get serious,” he reminded her.
“I said I wanted to keep things light, at first. I meant while you were married. But, you told me you were getting divorced.”
“I am. It’s just complicated. There’s too much at stake to rush.”
“Well, I certainly wouldn’t want you to rush.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm. He chose to ignore it and tried what had always worked in the past with her.
“I’m crazy about you, Kristen. I hate when we argue. I’ll make this up to you, I promise. Let’s go out tomorrow night instead. It’s going to be packed everywhere tonight, anyway. Tomorrow we’ll have the place to ourself. It will be more romantic. What do you say?” His eyes met hers and the smile that used to make her melt didn’t have the same effect anymore. But she was done fighting with him. She just wanted him to go.
“I don’t know. I need to get back to work.”
He took that as a win and grinned. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
As soon as he left, and the house was empty, Kristen let the tears come. She didn’t cry for long though. She was more angry than sad, and she was done crying over him.
Chapter 7
No one was in the mood to celebrate on New Year’s Eve. Lisa and Brian had usually just gone out for a quiet dinner or to an occasional house party. But since he’d passed, she hadn’t done much of anything. It was just another night to her.
But this year, she sensed that the girls weren’t in the mood to do much either, and her natural inclination was to try to lift their spirits. She’d invited them over and planned to put in an early order for takeout at their favorite Chinese restaurant. She figured they could stay in and watch movies and maybe if they were still awake, they could watch the ball drop. She thought it would be her, Abby, and Kate, but when Kristen called to let them know Sean cancelled their plans at the last minute, Lisa insisted that she join them as well.
She was also a bit nervous as the clock approached three in the afternoon. Her first guest, Rhett Byrne was due to arrive any moment. He was going to be staying in ACK, the largest room, and she fussed around in the morning making sure it was perfect for him. She put extra blue-gray towels in the bathroom, set several bottles of water on the nightstand and a box of chocolate covered cranberries for a snack. They were made at the local chocolate shop and were a great taste of the island, fresh cranberries wrapped in silky dark chocolate.
She left a local newspaper on the table by the window and gave t
he bedspread a final smoothing. She also left a note welcoming him and leaving the number to her cell phone in case he needed anything at anytime. She was curious about why he wanted to stay for a whole month. It was an odd time to take such a long vacation.
Kate had told her to google him, to find out more about him, and she’d meant to do that, but hadn’t gotten around to it until this morning. It had felt a bit intrusive, but finally her curiosity had gotten the best of her. From what she saw in the quick search she did, he owned several restaurants, one in New York City and two in Boston, as well as one in Palm Beach. Maybe he was visiting friends that owned a restaurant here or maybe he just wanted to get away. Nantucket in the winter was great if you didn’t want anyone to bother you.
People used to always ask Lisa how she could stand being on the island in the winter when it was so quiet and all the tourists were gone. The implication was that it must be horribly boring. But Lisa found it anything but. She loved the off-season on Nantucket, and she knew many of her friends felt the same way.
As much as they appreciated the tourists that helped the island economy, it was also a bit of a relief when the crowds died down and they had the island back to themselves again. Lisa never minded the cold or the long winters. It just made her appreciate the summers even more. And in the winter, people weren’t as busy, so she saw some of her friends more often, and caught up on her reading too.
At three o’clock sharp, she heard a car pull into the driveway. There was plenty of parking, and she had emailed instructions for Rhett to park in the open paved area to the right of the garage. There was room for three cars there. A few minutes later, she heard a knock on the door and went to let him in.
She opened the door and took a step back to look up at the very tall, big man standing there. He was several inches over six feet and had lots of thick, sandy hair with streaks of gray. He smiled when he saw her and it was an easy, friendly smile that lit up his tanned, weathered face. She guessed his age to be a little older than hers, maybe closer to sixty?
“You must be Rhett Byrne?”
The Nantucket Inn Page 7