So, it wasn’t like him to ignore her. She’d been walking all around the house calling his name and looking in all his favorite sleeping spots. He was an indoor cat, so she knew he was in the house somewhere. She was just making herself a cup of tea when there was a knock on the door and her jaw dropped when she looked out the window and saw Violet standing there holding Bailey.
She flew to the door and opened it. “He was outside? How on earth?”
Violet stepped inside and handed Paige the kitten. Bailey snuggled against her. She petted his small head and rubbed off a bit of dirt. It looked like he had been rolling in it.
“Did you go anywhere this morning? He must have slipped out,” Violet said.
“I did, and my arms were full with dry-cleaning I was dropping off. He must have run between my legs. I’ll have to be more careful. He’s fast.”
“I saw him rolling around in the mulch and had a feeling he wasn’t supposed to be there. He’s a friendly little guy, came right over when I called his name.”
“Thank you. Would you like a cup of tea? I was just going to make myself one.” The least she could do was offer her something since the woman brought back her cat.
“Sure, I’d love that.”
Paige made two cups of hot water and added herbal tea bags to both. She set them on the kitchen island, her favorite spot. The island was v-shaped with chairs along the side and the stove was in the center, so whoever was cooking could face their guests and have a nice ocean view at the same time.
“This is a stunning kitchen. You must love to cook,” Violet said.
Paige laughed. “I should, but I can barely boil water. I don’t have the patience for cooking, but I’m excellent at heating things up.”
Violet smiled. “I’m the same way. Never learned to cook or had any interest in it. I make a great sandwich though and prefer to go out to eat or do takeout. It’s easier, especially since it’s just me.”
Paige discovered as they chatted for the next half-hour that Violet really wasn’t so bad. It turned out they had other things in common too. Neither one had married and both enjoyed being social and going out often. Paige was still a bit annoyed that Violet had been so against Lisa’s bed-and-breakfast being approved and finally asked why she’d voted that way.
“To be honest, I didn’t really care one way or the other as it didn’t affect me. But Lillian Hardy was all up in arms and I sort of owed her a favor. She asked me to speak up against it, so I did. I am glad it got approved eventually though. How is it doing? Is she making a go of it?”
“She is. Lisa is doing a great job. I’m really proud of her. I don’t think she would have been able to stay here otherwise. Nantucket is so expensive.”
“It really is. How do you manage? Do you still work?” The question was a bit nosy, but Paige didn’t mind.
“I make a little money selling stuff on eBay. Collectibles mostly, like Hummel figurines. I pick them up cheap at yard sales and they get good prices sometimes. But I’m also fortunate that I was an only child, and when my parents passed about ten years ago, I came into a little bit of money. Enough that I was able to leave my full-time job on the Cape and move here. This house was where we vacationed. My parents bought it many years ago.”
“That’s great. It’s been a bit of a struggle for me, to be honest. I was lucky that this rental house was part of the Covenant program. I’d been waiting for something to come available.”
“That’s a wonderful program. I’m glad it worked out for you. What do you do for work?” Violet didn’t seem to go anywhere during the day other than an occasional trip to run errands, so Paige guessed she must do some kind of work at home.
“A little of this, a little of that. I’ve tried selling some stuff on eBay too, but I don’t seem to have the knack for it.” She glanced at her phone as a text message beeped through. “Oh, I need to run. I just realized the time. A friend is on his way over. I have a favor to ask if you don’t mind?”
“Sure, what do you need?”
“I’m going away for a long weekend and am waiting on a package to be delivered. It’s a box of lemon swirl cheesecakes, so it’s perishable. If I give you a key would you mind keeping an eye out and bringing them in and putting them right into the refrigerator?”
Paige laughed. “Only if I can have a bite of one of them sometime. Of course, I’d be happy to.”
“Great, I’ll drop a key off before I head out. I’m leaving Friday and will be back sometime Tuesday afternoon.”
“Are you going anywhere exciting?”
“New York City. Meeting up with some college friends for a special birthday celebration.”
“Oh that sounds fun. Thanks again for bringing Bailey by. I really appreciate it.”
“Of course. That’s what neighbors are for.”
8
Kristen felt a mix of emotions after finally ending it with Sean. It was like a huge weight had been lifted, relief was the main thing, but there was a significant amount of sadness too. She realized she was grieving the death of their relationship and the best way for her to do that was to dive into her work. She let her emotions bleed onto the canvas and surprised herself by the depth and beauty of the two paintings she produced in the days following the breakup.
She hadn’t heard from Sean at all, which wasn’t surprising. He’d been furious but also seemed to realize that she was serious and it was over. She suspected he’d rebound quickly and get back out there. But she wasn’t in any hurry herself. She was content to hunker down for a while, spend time with her sisters and friends and when it felt right, maybe she’d dip her toe in the dating pool again. But at the moment, it wasn’t appealing in the least.
When she was done working for the day, she was utterly exhausted as the hours had flown by. She wasn’t going anywhere, so she hadn’t bothered to shower and had already decided that her dinner was going to be a big bowl of Ben and Jerry’s Caramel Almond Brittle ice cream. It was made with almond milk and was her favorite flavor. She didn’t indulge as often as Abby, but she did treat herself to an ice cream dinner now and then.
It was a gorgeous night, warm with a soft breeze, and the sun had just set as Kristen took her ice cream out to her screened-in porch and curled up on her sofa. She was just about done when she jumped at the sound of a knock on the porch door. She looked up and saw Tyler standing there. She hadn’t even heard him walk up as she was facing the opposite way and was watching the evening news.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I just wondered if you might possibly have a flashlight I could borrow? I have one but it’s still packed away somewhere and I think I blew a fuse.”
“Sure, come on in. I know I have one here somewhere.”
Tyler stepped inside and glanced at her almost empty bowl of ice cream.
“That looks good. What is it?”
“Dinner.” She grinned and knew he meant what flavor. “Caramel Almond Brittle. Want some?”
“Maybe another time. I have a steak on the grill.”
Kristen went into the kitchen and to the cupboard where she kept lightbulbs and flashlights. She found a big one, made sure it worked and handed it to him.
“Here you go. Do you need a hand? I think the cottage layout is probably identical to mine, so it could save time if I show you where the fuse box is.”
“Sure, if you don’t mind. That would be great.”
She followed him across the yard to his cottage. It was already getting dark out and when he opened the door to the basement, it was pitch black below. Tyler shined the light down the stairs and this time Kristen went first and sure enough, the fuse box was in the same spot as hers. He fiddled with the switches and a moment later, the power came back on.
“What were you doing that caused the power to short out?” She wondered.
“I had too many things plugged into an extension cord strip in my office. I knew I was pushing my luck but was being lazy. I’ll have to figure something else out.”
They made their way back upstairs and Tyler handed her the flashlight and raised his eyebrows when he noticed her bare ring finger.
“Where’s your sparkler? Andrew and I got a good look at it from the bar. You did well for yourself. I suppose congratulations are in order?” He teased and Kristen was glad to see he had a lighter side. He was much friendlier than the last time she saw him.
“I gave it back to him. I’d actually been planning to break up with him when he surprised me with the ring.”
Tyler whistled softly. “That must have been awkward.”
“It wasn’t ideal.”
“You didn’t say no though? It looked like you were celebrating.”
“I didn’t want to embarrass him in public. I waited until we were outside.”
“That was decent of you. He probably thought there wasn’t a chance you’d say no.”
“He’s not a bad guy. We had some good times, but ultimately, we just want different things.”
“Yeah? What do you want?”
“Just to be happy. I’m not into the showy stuff, I don’t care about any of it. And I’m not looking to jump into anything anytime soon. I need a break to just be by myself for a while. I was alone all day today and it was wonderful.”
Tyler nodded. “I’m the same way. When I’m deep into writing a book, I sometimes don’t leave the house for days and lose all track of time. Then eventually I get out and do something social, but if it’s a party like that country club thing Andrew dragged me to, I can only take it for so long. It’s too much peopling and it’s draining. I need to be alone to recharge.”
Kristen understood completely as it pretty much described how she felt. She much preferred small get-togethers to huge gatherings.
“Your brother is the complete opposite. He’s a social butterfly.”
Tyler laughed. “He is. I think he introduced me to half of Nantucket in one night. He knew everyone there and he feeds off that energy.”
Kristen glanced around the room. The layout was about the same as hers, but the overall look was very different, with all dark woods and black leather. It looked like he was mostly finished unpacking except for a few boxes by the kitchen.
“Looks like you’re settling in quickly.”
“I’m just about done. I should finish the rest tomorrow. Then I can get back to work.”
“What are you working on now?”
“A new suspense thriller. I just finished the outline a few days ago, and I’m eager to dive in.”
The smell of something delicious suddenly tickled her nose and Kristen realized she was keeping him from his dinner.
“I should let you go. I bet your steak is almost ready. If you need the flashlight again, come by anytime.”
“I will, thanks again.”
As they walked toward the door, Kristen noticed the few remaining boxes had the name of a local beer on them, Second Wind Brewery, in Plymouth.
“That’s my favorite beer. Looks like you’re a fan too?”
Tyler looked confused for a moment then followed her gaze to the boxes and shook his head. “I just got those from a liquor store to use for packing. I don’t drink. Or to be more specific, I don’t drink anymore. I’ve been sober for three years now.”
“Oh, congratulations. I didn’t know.” She felt a bit awkward, unsure of what to say.
“No reason you would have known. It’s all good.”
“Okay, have a good night then.”
The one thing Lisa didn’t love about running a bed-and-breakfast was the cleaning. She didn’t mind tidying up and making the beds as much as she hated chasing stray hairs around the tub. But it was a necessary evil. Every dollar counted and even though the guests paid the cleaning fee, if she hired it out, she’d be losing that money. She was sorely tempted at times though. Especially today as she was stiffer than usual and exhausted by the time she finished taking care of all five rooms. Her feet had been bothering her lately, mostly when she first got out of bed, but now her knees were achy too and she wasn’t sure what, if anything, she could do about it. She’d been so tired lately too. She knew she was overdue for her yearly physical, which she’d been planning to skip, but maybe she should just go and see if there was something that might help.
As she made her way downstairs, she heard her phone ringing and picked up her pace. She answered it just in time.
“You sound breathless. Were you out running? Or maybe I’ve interrupted something. Is Rhett with you?” Paige fired the questions off and Lisa laughed.
“None of the above. Rhett is at the restaurant and I was upstairs cleaning.”
“You should hire someone to help you with that, even if it’s just a few days a week, to give you a break.”
“That has crossed my mind more than once lately. It’s something I’m definitely considering even if it’s part-time.”
“So, do you have plans tonight?”
“No, I’m totally free. Rhett is working late and I was just going to catch up on some reading.”
“Good, want to come over for a girl’s night, just you, me and Sue? We haven’t all gotten together since I got back. Everyone’s been so busy.”
“I could do that. What time and what can I bring?”
“Let’s say about six-thirty and just grab a bottle of your favorite wine along the way. I always like whatever you pick out.”
“Are you cooking?” If so it would be a first.
“What do you think? Of course not, but I do great takeout. I was thinking Pad thai, spring rolls and duck curry from Thai House.”
“Sounds good. I’ll bring something white then.”
A few hours later, after showering and changing into her oldest, most comfortable jeans and her favorite soft pink sweatshirt, Lisa headed out. She stopped at Bradford’s liquors on the way and stood staring at the white wine section trying to decide what to get. Peter Bradford, the store owner, wandered over once his customer paid.
“Hey Lisa. How’ve you been? Can I help you find something?”
She smiled. “I’m open to suggestions. I told Paige I’d bring wine. She’s having my friend Sue and I over for dinner.”
“Do you know what you’re having?”
“Thai, so might be a little spicy.”
“I like a lively Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, like Monkey Bay, with spicy food. Paige likes that one too, she buys it now and then.”
Lisa was impressed that he remembered what kind of wine Paige liked.
“That’s perfect then. I’ll take a bottle.” He rang her up and she was on her way. As she turned onto Paige’s street, she saw Sue’s car pulling into the driveway. Lisa parked next to her and they walked in together. Paige opened the wine and poured a glass for each of them while Sue set a bakery box on the counter.
“What’s that?” Paige asked.
“Mrs. Harvey’s brownies.” Mrs. Harvey owned a tiny bakery in Beach Plum Cove and she made the fudgiest brownies.
“Oh, you shouldn’t have. I’m never going to get rid of these ten pounds,” Paige protested and then added, “But of course I’m glad you did.”
Paige handed them each a glass of wine, and Lisa almost dropped hers when something furry ran across her foot. She looked down and saw Bailey, the kitten Paige had told her about. She set her wine down and scooped him up. He purred loudly and then wriggled frantically for her to put him down. She did and he ran over to Paige, who automatically picked him up and he snuggled into her.
“He’s adorable.”
“He is, isn’t he? He’s a handful, into everything, but he’s so cute I can’t get mad at him.” She put Bailey down and raised her glass in a toast.
“Cheers!”
Lisa laughed and lightly tapped her glass against the others. “What are we toasting?” She asked as Paige set a plate of cheese and crackers on the island counter top and then joined Lisa and Sue who were already seated.
“Oh, I don’t know. Just glad to be back on the island and fi
nally catching up with my two best friends.” She reached for a slice of cheese and then added, “Our food should be here in about a half hour.” She took a sip of her wine and then reached for the bottle and laughed when she noticed the label.
“This is one of my favorites. How did you know?”
“I got it at Bradford’s. Peter told me you like it.”
Paige looked pleased to hear it. “He’s a great guy. So tragic what happened to Julie.” They were all quiet for a moment and then Paige said, “Speaking of tragic, have you heard anything more on that guest that had the heart attack? Sue, you actually met him?”
“I did. He didn’t seem too bad when I saw him. They had stabilized him and were running lots of tests and taking X-rays. I guess the results weren’t good because they were going to med-flight him to Boston, but he had a second heart attack and didn’t make it.”
Paige reached for another cracker. “And Lisa, you said the police came by asking you questions? Odd that he never checked in. What do the police think?”
“I haven’t heard anything. I think they are just asking questions because his wife was so distraught that he never came home and had told her he was going to be elsewhere. I refunded his money. Didn’t feel right to keep it given the circumstances.”
“Where do you think he went?” Sue asked.
“I do have a theory about that. You saw him at the hospital on Sunday, right? Lisa asked.
Sue nodded. “Yes, Sunday morning, around ten.”
“So, he was somewhere else on Nantucket. The only reason I can think of that he wouldn’t have checked in would be if he had another place to stay. Maybe he was having an affair and booked the room as a cover?”
Nantucket Neighbors Page 7