“How interesting. I’ll mention it to Kate. I’ll be curious to hear what she thinks and what her plans are for the book once she finishes it.” She was quiet for a moment before adding, “She’s moving into Paige’s place tomorrow. I’m going to miss having her home.”
Sue chuckled. “Well, she won’t be far away. She could walk over to visit you if she wanted to.”
“I know. Or I could walk there. I could use the exercise.”
“If she’s moving out now does that mean you have all of your rooms rented? Already?”
Lisa nodded. “Yes. Kate posted some information online and we’ve had a steady stream of inquiries ever since. I have a couple coming in from London tomorrow evening, and this weekend three couples are coming to celebrate a thirtieth anniversary.”
“Oh, how nice! You’ll have a full house. How’s Rhett?”
“He’s great. He showed me around the restaurant the other day, and it looks like it’s going to be really nice. I’m excited for it to open.”
Sue looked intrigued. “So, you’re spending a little bit of time with him? He’s a good-looking man.”
Lisa smiled. “We’ve become friends. I enjoy his company. I have breakfast with him most mornings, and he joined me for dinner the other night. I thought Kate was going to be there too, so it’s not like it was a date or anything like that.”
Lisa had worried that it might be awkward without Kate there that evening, but it hadn’t been. She’d had a lovely time sharing her beef stew supper with Rhett. They’d laughed and talked for several hours after they finished eating and the time had flown by.
“But Kate wasn’t there?” Sue said.
“No. She had a date with that writer, Philippe something.”
“Gaston? The gorgeous French guy?”
“That’s the one. I don’t think they’re dating anymore though.”
“Oh, that’s too bad.”
“No, I think it’s actually a very good thing. Kate needs someone more down to earth. She says she’s not looking to date anyone for a while. I don’t blame her. It must be hard to bounce right back after ending a two-year relationship.”
“Well, they say you always find someone when you’re not looking. Though, I’m not sure if that’s true or not.” Sue looked back at yarn shop. “Do you want to go inside?”
“Sure. Maybe I will get some yarn. I really wouldn’t mind learning how to knit. Do you know how?”
Sue laughed at the idea of it. “Me? No. I’d be willing to learn with you though. Maybe we could take a class or something.”
When they stepped inside, Lisa marveled at the array of yarn choices and colors. The owner of the shop, Beverly Campbell, was a lovely older woman that Lisa had seen around town for many years. Her eyes lit up when Sue asked if she had any beginner classes.
“We have a new session starting up this coming Monday night if you ladies are interested. We meet here from six to eight. The lessons run for four weeks and then you can transition into the knitting club if you like. That’s on Tuesday evenings and it’s a nice group of ladies of all skill levels.”
“Those baby socks in the window. Will I learn enough to be able to knit a pair of those?” Lisa asked.
Beverly smiled. “Of course. And that’s a perfect project to start with. Shall we pick out some yarn and needles for you both?”
Lisa and Sue exchanged glances and Sue nodded.
“Let’s do it,” Lisa said.
“Sean isn’t used to the word no,” Kristen said. She dipped a chip in the lemony white bean hummus her mother had just set on the kitchen island and took a quick bite before continuing her story. Kate, Abby and her mother were all gathered in the kitchen for dinner.
“He’s still trying to get you to change your mind? I never liked him much.”
“I know, Mom. And I think you mentioned that the first week I met him. I should have listened then.” She sighed. “I haven’t been taking his calls, so he’s been leaving long messages with all kinds of promises.”
“What kind of promises?” Kate asked. Kristen could tell from her tone and expression that she shared their mother’s opinion of Sean.
“Nothing I haven’t heard before. The latest is that he wants to take me to Manhattan for a romantic getaway weekend so we can ‘find each other’ again.”
Abby laughed. “I’m sorry, but that is so lame. He doesn’t get it at all does he?”
Kristen nodded sadly. “No, he doesn’t. He thinks that spending money on fancy dinners and hotels will win me back. None of his messages mention a thing about moving forward with his divorce.”
“Maybe you should call him back and tell him to stop calling,” Kate suggested gently.
Kristen felt a pit in her stomach at the thought of it, but she knew her sister was right.
“I’ll do it tomorrow.”
“Have you started writing your book, Kate?” Kristen asked. She was eager to change the subject.
“Sort of. I’m working on the outline and I’m almost done with it. Philippe said he’d take a look at it for me, to make sure it looks on track before I start the actual writing. But, I’ve already written most of the first two chapters, and that helped me to figure out the feel of the story. They’ll probably change depending on his feedback.”
“That’s nice of him,” their mother said. “I was chatting with Sue today, and she mentioned something about self-publishing and that it might be a good idea for you. Have you thought about that at all?”
Kate nodded. “I have actually. The traditional publishing process takes so long, getting an agent and submitting to publishers and waiting to hear back. And then if you get accepted it’s often a year or longer before your book is out there. I thought I might publish this first one myself and see if I can build a reader base. Then maybe consider traditional publishing too, down the road.”
“How does that work? Wouldn’t you be better off with a regular publisher?” Kristen asked.
“Maybe. It’s hard to say. I’m hearing from other writer friends that publisher advances are smaller than they’ve ever been before. And that you can earn more money, sometimes a lot more money by doing it yourself.”
“But you’d have to do everything, get it edited, have a cover made, market it.” It sounded horrible to Kristen. She hated the business side of making art.
But Kate laughed. “I actually like a lot of that stuff, and I’ve learned about Facebook ads a bit at the magazine. Plus, I know a talented artist…maybe she could help me make a memorable cover?”
“Oh! That could actually be really cool.” Kristen’s mind immediately began to whirl as she pictured various images she could create.
“I haven’t decided on anything for sure though. I still need to finish the book, make sure it works and see what Philippe says. I trust his judgment and am grateful he offered to help.”
“Do you think he’ll still be willing to help if you’re not dating him?” Abby sounded cynical.
“I think he will. He seemed sincere. I really like him and I think we’ll be good friends. I kind of think of him like a wayward brother.”
“Speaking of brothers, is Chase dating anyone? He hasn’t mentioned any girls lately,” Kristen asked.
“I saw him talking to Lauren Snyder for quite a while the other night at the Chicken Box,” Abby said.
Everyone turned to look at Abby in surprise.
“What were you doing at the Chicken Box?” Kate asked. It was one of the busiest bars on the island with live music and a younger crowd.
“Emily dragged me there. She wanted to go hear the band, and she thought it would do me good to get out.” Emily was Abby’s best friend and was very much single.
“And did it? Did you have fun?” Kristen asked.
Abby smiled. “I did actually. The band was really good, and the place wasn’t too packed like it gets in the summer. Chase sat at the bar with Lauren for a long time. They looked deep in conversation so I didn’t want to interrupt. I went
to the bathroom and when I came out they were both gone, so I didn’t get a chance to talk to him.”
“Hmm, that’s interesting. He hasn’t mentioned her,” Kate said.
“Didn’t he date her a million years ago? In high school?” Kristen asked.
Abby laughed. “If you can call it that. They ‘went out’ for a week or two, but never really saw each other outside of school. One of the basketball players asked her to a dance, and she dropped Chase the same day. He was crushed.”
“Does she live here year round? I can’t picture her,” Kate asked.
Abby reached for a chip. “She’s pretty. Has really long, blonde hair that always looks like she just had it blown straight, but it’s naturally like that. She lives here year round. After college, she worked in real estate in Boston and then moved home a few years later, and opened an office here with her brother. I only know because he’s a friend of Jeff’s.”
“That seems risky,” their mother said.
Abby nodded. “It was actually really smart. Her brother worked for one of the local builders all through school, so he knows a ton of people on the island. Lauren has Boston area connections—people that might be looking to buy or rent on Nantucket. Their office is doing really well.”
“She doesn’t sound like his usual type.” Their mother didn’t sound overly enthused about Lauren. And she was right. So far, Chase had mostly dated sweet girls that just wanted to have fun. He’d never been serious about any of them. And Lauren was unlike any girl he’d dated before. Kristen didn’t like that she’d already broken his heart once.
“Maybe they were just catching up, or talking business. They probably know a lot of the same people,” Abby said.
“Well, he hasn’t mentioned her, so hopefully that’s all it is.” Their mother said. “I hope you girls are hungry? Dinner is ready. Help yourselves.” She set a bubbling tray of lasagna in the middle of the table and stuck a serving spoon in it.
“I’m starving. But that seems to be a constant thing lately.” Abby laughed as she scooped a huge piece of lasagna onto her plate.
While they ate, Kristen told them about her adventure in the parking lot. She noticed that Kate seemed especially interested when she mentioned who it was that she hit.
“I was hoping you’d get a chance to meet him soon, although this isn’t quite what I had in mind. But it sounds like he was decent about it?”
Kristen nodded. “He was. I’m happy to give him a few paintings to put in the gallery.” She knew which two she wanted to give him. Two of her most recent that she was especially excited about. She was curious to see how they’d do.
“When do you move into Paige’s house?” Kristen asked her sister.
“Tomorrow.” Kate reached for a second slice of garlic bread.
“Do you need help to move your stuff over there?”
Kate laughed. “No, thank you though. I don’t have much here to move. If you want to stop over to visit later, I should be all settled by end of the day.”
“I’ll do that.”
Chapter 11
Lisa was enjoying her morning coffee as she sat at the kitchen island reading the local newspaper. She turned at the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. Kate was lugging her one big suitcase and an overnight bag. Lisa set her coffee cup down and walked over to her daughter.
“I feel awful that you have to move out. If you want to stay, you could sleep on the living room sofa for a few nights. After the three couples leave, I’m not fully booked.” Lisa felt guilty that her daughter was moving out, and she was going to miss having her around. The house had felt livelier since she’d been home.
Kate set her luggage down in the hallway and gave her mother a hug.
“Don’t be silly. I’ll be right up the road, and it looks like I’ll be on the island at least through the winter, so you’ll probably be sick of seeing me, anyway.” She grinned as she picked up her overnight bag and grabbed the handle of her suitcase. She didn’t seem to mind that she’d been kicked out. Lisa knew she’d probably love staying at Paige’s place. It was beautifully decorated with gorgeous water views and was the perfect size for a single person.
“All right, honey. I’ll see you soon then.”
“I’ll come by Saturday morning to help with breakfast, and to check out your new guests.” Kate promised as she walked out the door.
The house immediately felt empty without Kate in it. Lisa sighed as she topped off her coffee and settled back into her spot at the island. She was as curious as Kate about their new guests. She hoped that they’d be pleased with the accommodations. She’d made sure there would be fresh flowers in all the rooms and extra towels in the bathrooms. She’d tried to anticipate all the things a guest might appreciate.
She smiled as she thought of Rhett. They’d quickly become good friends, and she’d been enjoying his company for the occasional evening meal. She hoped that the arrival of the guests wouldn’t be too distracting for him. He’d had the upstairs of the house to himself so far.
* * *
Less than ten minutes later, Kate pulled into the driveway of Paige’s house. She’d always admired it and was looking forward to staying there for the next few months. She fished the key out of her pocket and unlocked the front door, then went back to get her luggage and brought everything inside.
Once she was in, she took a moment to look around. Big picture windows in the living/family room looked out over the ocean and the sweeping views of the bay were breathtaking. The kitchen had creamy ivory painted cabinets and a v-shaped rose colored granite island that faced the living room.
Kate knew that Paige wasn’t much of a cook, but the kitchen was still a chef’s dream. It had a six-burner gas stove in the center of the island, so someone could cook while enjoying the view and chatting with guests sitting across from them.
The house was much smaller than her mother’s. But it still had plenty of room, with three bedrooms. Paige used one of them as an office and Kate planned to do the same. She brought her luggage into the master bedroom which was roomy and full of light. The sun poured through French doors that led to a small balcony overlooking the ocean. It was too cold to sit out there now, but Kate could picture herself enjoying her morning coffee there in warmer weather.
She’d assumed that she would take the guest bedroom, but Paige had insisted that she stay in the bigger, main bedroom.
“My winter clothes are in storage now and I’m taking most of everything else with me, so you’ll have plenty of room in the closet,” she’d said.
Sure enough, there was more than enough room for Kate’s clothes in the large, walk-in closet. She spent the next hour unpacking and putting everything away. And then she took her laptop into Paige’s office, which was starkly empty compared to the rest of the house. There was a large, white desk, facing a bay window with pretty water views. The only thing on the desk was a roll of stamps and a small reading lamp.
Kate set her laptop down, plugged it in and opened up her mystery project. She had it fully outlined now and the first two chapters done and sent off to Philippe for feedback. He’d volunteered to read and make sure she was on the right track. He’d also called the day before to say he’d come by tonight to give her feedback in person. She’d thought he’d do it by email and she hated to bother him, but he’d insisted.
“All my notes are handwritten. That’s how I read. I print it out and make notes in the margins,” he’d said.
“Well, why don’t you plan to come for dinner then? Do you like meatballs and pasta?” Kate figured she could make a big pot of sauce and let it simmer while she worked.
“Who doesn’t? I’ll bring the wine.” He sounded so enthusiastic, and she was eager to hear his feedback. She knew her idea was a good one, but she was less sure if the story was working the way she’d laid it out. She hoped so.
After staring out the window for at least twenty minutes as she thought about the story, she finally started writing. She wrote for sever
al hours before her shoulders and neck began to protest and her stomach told her it was time to break for lunch. She knew there wasn’t any food in the house and she had to pick up the ingredients for dinner anyway, so she took a ride into town to Stop and Shop, the island’s biggest market.
An hour later, she returned home with several bags of groceries, made herself a quick turkey sandwich and threw the meatballs and sauce together. She baked the meatballs first and then added them to the big pot of sauce that was simmering on the stove. Once that was set, she returned to the office to dive into her story. She was eager to get back to it. She’d been a little unsure of what needed to happen next when she stopped for lunch. But the perfect solution came to her as she was driving home from the market, and she wanted to get it down before it slipped away.
The afternoon flew by as Kate lost herself in her story. Her new idea was a good one, and she was surprised when she finally stopped for the day, to see how much she’d done. The sun was beginning to set as she yawned and stretched. The smell of simmering tomato sauce tickled her nose, and she went to the kitchen to check on dinner. She’d left the heat on low and the sauce was bubbling happily. She dipped a teaspoon in for a quick taste. All it needed was a pinch of salt and pepper.
She still had an hour or so before Philippe was due to arrive. A hot shower revived and soothed her achy shoulders and arms that were stiff from sitting in the same position for too long. After blowing her hair dry, she dressed in her favorite worn jeans and a baby blue V-neck sweater. She set a pan of water on the stove to boil for the pasta, and just as it started to boil, she was surprised by a knock on the door. Philippe didn’t strike her as the type to arrive so early.
She was even more surprised when she opened the door to find Jack Trattel standing there. He looked as though he’d just come home from work as he was wearing jeans and a navy blue heavy work shirt with Trattel Seafood embroidered in red across the front.
“Hi Jack.”
He grinned. “I saw a car in the driveway and thought it might be you. I remembered you said you were going to be staying here for a while.”
The Nantucket Inn Page 11