Summer's End (Evening Island Book 2)

by Olivia Miles

  It didn’t take long to be settled at the same table as yesterday, and even less time to connect to civilization, since she’d stored the passcodes into her devices. With a lemonade ordered, she quickly began scrolling through her emails to see what she had missed. News about the Christmas party, which always came out too early, and an event she usually only stopped by for appearances, because most people at the firm had a date or a spouse at their side, and contrary to office gossip, she did not feel any self-pity over her single status. It was a choice. And she had chosen to focus on her career.

  Still, she couldn’t help her eyes from darting every time a person walked by her table, and more than once she felt a strange sense of disappointment to see the empty table across from her, where that rather opinionated man had been yesterday.

  He was probably golfing or sleeping late. The man didn’t seem to have a care in the world, after all.

  While she… She leaned in closer as her heart picked up speed. The minutes for the September meeting had landed in her inbox. And unlike most monthly meetings, this was the meeting. The opportunity might not come around again for years if she missed it. And there, right there as the last point on the bulleted list was her fate in bold letters: Partner Vote.

  It was happening. Now just a few short weeks away. Everything she had always wanted could finally be hers or slip through her grasp.

  And she was sitting here with lemonade on a remote island rather than using this time to pad her advantage.

  Forgetting her surroundings, and that rather obnoxious man, she dove full force into the final tweaks on the Morrison project. This one was a clear winner.

  It had to be.

  13

  Kim

  Hackney’s was a local hotspot—and the reason was obvious. Not only did it offer great drinks with a view of the harbor, but the man behind the bar could have wooed every female in the pub just with a flash of his grin.

  Their friend Mandy waved from a table across the room, clearly proud at having secured one large enough to fit them all. For a Wednesday night, the room was crowded, but then, such was summertime on the island. The days blurred together, the weekends being no different than the weekdays.

  “Is Lena going to join us?” Another year-round resident, Lena worked at her family’s coffee shop, meaning her days started early.

  “She’s going to try, but she said something about taking the ferry to Blue Harbor for some supplies,” Gemma said regretfully. “Well, there’s always next time!”

  Next time. Kim’s heart sank a little as they made their way to the table. Would there be a next time? And if so, when? If Bran’s family had anything to do with it, there wouldn’t be time in her calendar for something more than a weekend getaway, and given the distance, it wouldn’t be easy to convince Bran to make the trip. He knew about the lake house, of course. And she’d shown him the painting in her room. He’d said nothing when she mentioned where it might look in his apartment—soon to be their apartment.

  If he couldn’t even fit a painting of this island into his life, how could he fit a trip into it?

  Mandy glanced over at the bar with blatant longing as Kim slid onto her chair. “I once again dared to think this might be the summer that Mack finally looked my way. Now all I can hope for is a little attention once all the tourists go home. It could be a very lonely winter,” she said hopefully.

  The rest of the women laughed. Mandy’s crush wasn’t news to any of them—well, other than to Andrea, who hadn’t made frequent trips to the island. Since taking over the pub over four years ago, Mack had the object of Mandy’s attention, and she was often known to gaze out the window of Main Street Sweets that was conveniently located just across the road from Hackney’s.

  “You’d have better luck pinning your sites on a tourist,” Gemma said. She reached for the basket of popcorn that was handed out to each table and popped a few kernels into her mouth. “But then, I know you don’t want to move off the island.”

  Mandy shook her head. Her family’s ice cream parlor had been an institution on the island for generations, and she was carrying the legacy. Kim, however, knew that her business heavily catered to tourists, as did most of the businesses here on the island.

  “Have you ever thought of wintering somewhere else?” Kim inquired.

  “Maybe, but there’s something magical about seeing the island covered in snow. It’s so quiet and peaceful. It’s special.”

  Heather looked pensive. “It’s hard to believe that for as long as we’ve been coming here none of us have ever seen the island in the winter.”

  “Well, it’s not exactly easy to access,” Andrea pointed out, which was true when the frozen water caused the ferry to stop running in the harsh winter months. “And I know you’ve always been wary of small aircraft.”

  Heather laughed. “I’m cautious by nature.”

  And the island airport only catered to small planes looking for a quick option to cross the water.

  “And what about you, Andrea? Anyone special in your life?” Mandy wanted to know between little sighs and glances over to the bar, where Mack was flirting with some tourists who found him just as appealing as every other woman on the island.

  “Oh, no.” Andrea shook her head. “I’m too caught up with work.”

  Mandy didn’t look convinced. “You mean to tell me in the entire city of Chicago you haven’t found true love?”

  “Nope, and I’m not looking for it, either,” Andrea replied, a little tensely, Kim noted.

  “Maybe you’ve passed right by him on the street and just didn’t know it.” Mandy sighed again, but her brow pinched into a frown when Mack laughed loudly at something one of the girls up at the bar said. “Although sometimes I’m not sure I’d know love if it was looking me in the face.”

  Kim wanted to gently tell her that Mack probably wasn’t the answer, but what did she know? She had thought that Bran was the one—her perfect match—and now she wasn’t so sure about that.

  “Oh, I think you know,” Gemma said. “There’s that little flutter, that feeling that you can’t deny. Even if it doesn’t make any sense, it makes all the sense in the world. Do you know what I mean?”

  Gemma looked around the table for confirmation, but no one seemed to be able to give it to her.

  “Love is very complicated,” Heather finally said. Kim wondered if she was referring to Daniel or Billy, but of course, she must be thinking of her husband. Or rather, ex-husband.

  Kim’s stomach rolled over. She could still remember how in sync Heather and Daniel had always been—never arguing, often laughing, building a dream house together, and loving every part of it. Or so it had seemed. If Heather and Daniel couldn’t make it, what hope was there for her and Bran?

  “Not when it’s the right one,” Gemma said. And she would know, wouldn’t she? Kim couldn’t shake the thought that Gemma had been engaged before Leo, and now she was completely content.

  “So what would you do, Andrea? If the right guy came along?” Kim asked, because she was curious, and because she hadn’t had a conversation like this with her sisters in years, and because she needed more insight, more wisdom. She needed an answer.

  “I’m not opposed to finding love,” Andrea finally said, a little vaguely. “I just haven’t made time for it.”

  Kim wanted to tell her that she hadn’t made time for a lot of things, but that would just lead to an argument that she didn’t want to have.

  A waitress—college-aged, clearly seasonal staff, and a great disappointment to Mandy who was hoping for Mack himself—appeared at the table to take their drink orders.

  “Your pinkest cocktail,” Gemma said happily. “We’re celebrating a blushing bride-to-be tonight.”

  Kim swallowed hard. She had hoped this impromptu gathering would fade more into usual chatter and catch-up, not focus on a wedding that might not even take place.

  “So, tell us all about the man who stole your heart,” Mandy said eagerly. “It’s
been a long time since I heard a good love story.”

  “Hey!” Gemma gave a fake injured look. “My books aren’t enough of an escape for you?”

  Mandy set a hand on her shoulder. “You’re going to have to come out with a few more at the rate my love life is going.”

  Join the club, Kim thought, but she forced a smile she didn’t feel. “His name is Bran, short for Branson. Brown hair, brown eyes. He’s a corporate attorney. He’s good at tennis…” He’s not speaking to me at the moment. Or if he was, she wouldn’t know, because she couldn’t bring herself to turn on her phone and attempt to find reception on the island. She didn’t want this time to be tainted—not by another argument, not by a reminder of all her problems.

  Because that’s what they were, weren’t they?

  “He’s very nice,” Andrea said, sliding Kim a warm smile.

  Yes, Bran was very nice. And funny too. He’d lifted her spirits in her darkest days.

  “And he makes Kim happy. That’s all that matters, right?” Andrea continued, clearly trying to make an effort that Kim wanted to appreciate.

  Bran had made her happy. Once. The question was, could he still? And could he make her happy forever?

  “And tell us all about the wedding. I assume you two are bridesmaids?” Gemma would of course expect nothing less. But then, she didn’t know that the Taylors weren’t exactly as close as they’d once been on those carefree summer days. “And is there a big bachelorette party planned?”

  Heather and Andrea exchanged glances. It was clear to Kim that neither of them had planned anything—yet—and she wasn’t going to hold her breath. She couldn’t deny that it stung, but not just because her sisters weren’t taking an active part in her wedding planning and celebrations. It hurt because all those little rites of passage that she had once looked so forward to were now passing through her fingers, and they didn’t feel very special at all.

  “Oh, this is my bachelorette party,” Kim said, and it was true. “This trip means a lot to me.” She felt her eyes well up when she glanced at her sisters. She quickly blinked them away—it was silly, getting all choked up like this. But the sudden wave of emotions wasn’t because of tonight, or even this trip, it was because of everything they’d been through—this past year, and all the years before it, and all the magical summers here on Evening Island. Last night as promised, they’d played cards, had a simple dinner, and gone to bed early. It was not overthought, but it was everything she needed right now and had for some time.

  “What I want to hear about is the dress,” Gemma said.

  “Oh, she’s wearing our mother’s dress,” Heather said before Kim could even think of something to say.

  “Oh, and the honeymoon! Where are you going?” Mandy asked eagerly. “As you can see, I am living vicariously through your fairy-tale life.”

  Fairy-tale life. It was so far from the truth that Kim wanted to burst into tears. Instead, she was grateful to see the waitress bringing a pitcher of strawberry margarita to the table.

  “That’s still up in the air,” she said honestly. Everything was now up in the air, everything other than the fact that she wasn’t going to give up her new job, now or down the road, and she wasn’t going to give up this island either. Coming back here had reminded her what she was missing—in a bittersweet way—and she wasn’t going to let it go just because it didn’t fit into the Croft family’s packed social schedule.

  “I thought Lynette said you were going to Europe?” Andrea looked confused, and Kim felt the blood drain from her face. She scooted back in her chair as the waitress set the salt-rimmed glasses in front of each of them.

  “When did she tell you that?” Her sisters had only met Lynette twice: once at the shower and another time at the dress shop.

  “At your shower,” Andrea said. “I was a little surprised you hadn’t mentioned it. You’ve been so excited about everything.”

  The shower had been last month. Lynette had already been planning this, weeks ago?

  Kim shook her head, fighting back a wave of frustration. “I think Bran is planning something…” But that wasn’t true. Bran didn’t plan anything when it came to the wedding. Bran let his mother do it instead. And that was just the problem.

  She gave Gemma and Mandy a tight smile. “I start a new job two weeks after the wedding. It’s only temporary, but it’s a teaching position. I went back for my certificate last year.”

  “Congratulations!” Mandy beamed, and Kim couldn’t help but skirt a glance at Andrea, knowing she hadn’t garnered the same approval from her sister.

  She sipped her drink. Andrea would only take a full-time position seriously, and then it would have to be one where Kim didn’t use any vacation or sick days and stuck with for the rest of her life.

  Now, she wondered if Andrea was on to something. If Kim did have a problem following a chosen path.

  “Well, I say we raise a toast,” Gemma said. She topped off Kim’s glass from the pitcher and raised her margarita. “To the happy bride!”

  “And the wedding of her dreams!” Mandy added.

  “And to everything after that,” Heather said with a small smile.

  Andrea was the only one who didn’t say anything, just clinked her glasses with the others, but it was Kim who fell silent as they all took their first sips.

  She wasn’t a happy bride. And this wasn’t the wedding of her dreams. And she didn’t know what came after this. She didn’t know anything anymore.

  14

  Heather

  By Thursday, all Heather could think about was that Billy had mentioned he’d be back on the island today. She tried to keep busy by making breakfast for her sisters—a lavish spread of pancakes with berries and a fruit salad that they took to the porch to eat, even though both of her sisters only poked at the food. Andrea was too regimented to break her diet and kept to the fruit, and Kim fretted that she was worried about fitting into her wedding dress even though she was smaller than Heather had been on her wedding day, meaning that if anything their mother’s gown would have to be taken in for her.

  Heather tried to focus on their conversations, tried to remind herself that there was no point in getting swept up by Billy’s charms. She’d resisted those sparkling eyes and that warm smile once before, letting it fade into a part of her past rather than her real life. Besides, she was leaving the island in ten days.

  Not to mention the other matter.

  “Don’t forget that Gemma invited us to dinner tomorrow night!” Kim told them as they carried their plates back into the kitchen. “It will give us a chance to know Leo better.”

  “She is certainly in love,” Heather remarked. She barely remembered those days when she and Daniel used to enjoy each other’s company and not be defined by the absence of something more.

  But the feeling of falling in love wasn’t completely forgotten. That rush and dizziness, the excitement of seeing a flash of a smile, the graze of a hand. She’d felt it, more than once. With Billy. With Daniel.

  And maybe, she’d even found it again.

  “Oh now, you didn’t seem too closed off to the idea of love last night,” Kim said to Andrea. She fought back a smile and slid a knowing glance in Heather’s direction.

  Heather didn’t mind. It was nice to see someone else squirm for once.

  Andrea shrugged and turned on the tap. “I told you. I don’t have time for that type of thing.”

  “You could make time for it,” Kim continued. Clearly not willing to let their oldest sister off the hook, Kim positioned herself beside Andrea at the sink. “You could make time for a lot of things.”

  This was a loaded start to the day, and Heather wondered if Andrea wanted to get into it or spend the day checking her email in town again.

  Andrea pulled in a breath and scrubbed at the dishes with what Heather could only describe as determination. “Believe it or not, I don’t need a man to complete my life. I’m perfectly happy focusing on my career at the moment.”
<
br />   Kim backed up, looking affronted. Heather felt her shoulders tense as she opened the fridge and slid the bowl of berries onto the top shelf. She hated this sort of conflict, always had. Growing up her older and younger sister never fought—their age differences contributed to a more doting type of relationship. But something had shifted once they’d all become adults, and there was no denying that Kim and Andrea led very different lives, with Kim favoring their mother’s path and Andrea, always a Daddy’s girl, asserting herself in the workforce.

  “You know that I’m starting my new job in October, right after the wedding.”

  They both knew that it was a temporary position and that Kim had switched jobs many times over the years. And then of course came the fact that Lynette had made it very clear at the shower that Kim was eager to settle down and have children.

  Heather’s heart felt heavy just thinking of that bold statement—as if there were no question, as if there were no chance of things not working out as perfectly as the oversized flower arrangements that had anchored every table of the posh event.

  Andrea didn’t look convinced and Heather was silently pleading with her to let it go, but this was Andrea she was talking about, and when Andrea set her mind to something, she didn’t stop, and today it seemed she had set her mind to prove a point with Kim.

  “What’s that look for?” Kim asked.

  “You did leave your last job after only a couple of years.”

  “To go back to school!”

  “Because you changed your mind about what you wanted to do.” Andrea set down the sponge and sighed. “I’m just saying, we all know that commitment has never been your strong suit.”

  Ouch. Andrea had touched on a nerve, and the look on Kim’s face showed it. There was truth in it, of course. Kim had switched colleges, dropped out of a sorority, and changed majors three times before deciding on a career switch in her late twenties.