by Janna King
“She’s a hugger,” remarked Mia.
Cole stepped out of the house and walked over to shake Sean’s and Kathryn’s hands. He didn’t look “sweaty or stinky,” but handsome in a loose striped button-down and light khakis.
Presley clapped her hands, getting the others’ attention. “Lyndon and Grace are here.” She tilted toward Kathryn and Sean. “They have a surprise for you.”
Mia and Sean linked Kathryn’s arms and followed Presley and Cole through the house. Kathryn was awe-struck. “This looks like a page from Elle Decor.”
Mia chuckled. “It was.”
They exited the French doors to the deck and walked down to the shore, where Lyndon and Grace stood, beaming.
“Welcome!” Lyndon put her arms out wide.
The beach was set up like a plush outdoor living room with a fabric cabana, upholstered loungers, plush pillows, and Lyndon Wyld monogrammed towels. Vincent snapped photos.
Kathryn noticed Nadege smiling next to a steaming hole in the sand. “Is that—?” Kathryn gasped.
“A real clambake,” replied Grace.
Lyndon and Kathryn embraced. Grace stepped up to Mia. “The mama bears meet,” she said.
“I’ve never been anywhere so beautiful,” exclaimed Kathryn as Mia and Sean helped her into a lounger.
Lyndon handed Kathryn the softest new cashmere sweater. “We brought this for you, in case you get cold.”
“Thank you,” cooed Kathryn. “This is my first Lyndon Wyld piece.”
“There’s more where that came from,” said Grace. “We have a shopping trip to the store planned.”
Lyndon took another lounger while Grace and Mia sat on pillows. There was no room for Presley in this intimate powwow, so she moved to the beach towels where Cole and Sean sat. She was close enough to hear the conversation between the other women.
Lyndon reached for Kathryn’s arm. “Can I start by telling you how wildly talented your daughter is?”
“You can, but I could have told you that.” Kathryn beamed at Mia.
“Mom.” Mia blushed.
“She’s too modest,” remarked Grace.
Nadege held out a tray of fruit-filled drinks, some in green blown-glass goblets, some in clear. “Sangria, virgin or regular?”
“Virgin, thank you,” said Kathryn. Nadege handed her the beverage in the clear goblet.
“Mia?” asked Nadege.
Mia caught a side-eye from Sean and took a clear goblet. “Same.”
The others took their drinks as well.
“I’m so glad you both could come for a visit,” Lyndon said to Kathryn and Sean.
Kathryn put her drink on the rattan side table. “I’m glad, too. I felt I should talk to you in person, first to express my gratitude at giving my daughter this opportunity.”
“She’s definitely made the most out of it.” Grace sipped her sangria.
Kathryn continued, her face growing somber. “But naturally given what’s happened, I’ve been extremely concerned about her here.”
“Mom.” Now Mia’s blush was of embarrassment not modesty.
“I don’t have kids of my own,” said Lyndon, looking at Kathryn with empathy. She motioned to Mia, Presley, and Cole. “These are my kids, so I’ve been beside myself with worry, as well. But my goal is to keep this season afloat and create the best experience possible for them.”
“There may be more seasons, because Mia’s earned quite a following,” Grace grinned at Mia. “We bring our reigning influencer back.”
“What’s an influencer?” asked Kathryn.
Presley stepped over. “An influencer is a person whose social media messages impact other peoples’ lives.” She held up her smartphone and scrolled through her Instagram.
“That sounds important,” remarked Kathryn.
“It is.” Lyndon smiled at Presley. “Presley, my darling, will you make sure our other guests have what they need?”
Presley returned Lyndon’s smile. “I’m the hostess with the mostess.” Her smile dropped as she turned away to walk back to Sean and Cole on the towels.
Lyndon leaned in to Kathryn. “Kathryn, Mia is special. She can’t let anything hold her back, even tragic events like the one that happened. She’s on her way up, and life is going to try and knock her down. The strong survive. You’re proof!”
Kathryn gave a weak chuckle. “I feel like crap.”
Grace lifted her sangria goblet. “Well, I’ll toast to your honesty. I’m all for that.”
“Good, because I want Mia to come back home with me,” added Kathryn.
Mia glared at her. “Mom, you can’t—”
Kathryn turned to her. “I have every right to say what I want. I don’t care how old you are, you’re my daughter.”
Cole looked over.
“Mia and I have chatted,” said Lyndon. “It would be a shame if she left. She’s an increasingly important part of my company.”
“If you’re talking about the Mia dress, I think that’s fantastic,” said Kathryn.
“It’s not just a dress, but an entire Mia Collection for next summer.” Lyndon motioned down her body.
“What?” Mia’s eyes went wide.
Grace exchanged a glance with Lyndon as if this were a surprise.
“The deal of course will be much more lucrative than for just one piece,” added Lyndon.
Grace climbed on board. “But she needs to remain a Lyndon Wyld face.”
“I . . . don’t know what to say,” stammered Mia.
“You don’t need to say anything right now,” replied Lyndon. “Have a think. Chat about it with your mother, because she seems like a very smart and straightforward woman.”
Grace lifted her glass to toast. “To smart, straightforward women.”
Vincent snapped a photo of the four women as Presley watched. She scooted next to Sean, who stared out at the water. “Is this your first time on Nantucket, Sean?”
“Yup.” Sean sipped his drink.
Cole nodded to the football on the towel. “I hear you’ve got a good arm.”
“I’m all right,” replied Sean. “Better with a bat.”
“Your sister’s pretty good, too.” Cole eyed Mia, who approached. “I say we put that ball to the test with some touch.” Cole grabbed the football and stood. Presley and Sean rose.
“I’ll be on your team.” Presley touched Sean’s arm. “You were homecoming king, weren’t you?” She squeezed his biceps. “A homecoming queen can feel it.”
Mia’s brow furrowed.
“I was, but all that crap was a joke at our high school,” answered Sean.
“Sean, you’ve got the look,” called Grace from her place near the loungers. “Why don’t you stay? Make up for our losses.”
Mid-photo, Vincent lowered his camera and gave a “tsk” of disgust.
“Too soon?” Grace grimaced.
“The words, not the notion,” said Lyndon to Kathryn and Sean. “I wish you’d both had a chance to meet the others. With three gone, there’s a huge void.”
Presley adjusted her bikini straps. “Jade never wanted to be here in the first place. On a major holiday like July Fourth, when it’s our job to stay here on Nantucket together, she traipsed off to her dad’s party.”
“Who’s Jade?” asked Sean.
“Maz’s daughter,” answered Cole.
“The Maz?” scoffed Sean.
“One and the same.” Cole twirled the football on his finger.
“Jade wasn’t the brand,” remarked Lyndon. She squinted at Sean. “Grace is right. You’re the brand.”
Grace nodded, crossing her arms.
“The fact that you called me a ‘brand’ means I’m not your guy,” replied Sean, backing up on the beach and motioning for Cole to toss him the ball.
Mia turned to Presley. “You’re going to play?”
“Of course, sugar!” chimed Presley. “Remember when you told me that I’m stronger than I look?” Mia flashed on the two of them lift
ing her cruiser bike into the back of the G at the Wear National estate.
Cole flicked Mia’s arm, bringing her back. “That leaves you and me.”
“I have to use the ladies’ room.” Mia grabbed Presley’s hand. “Come with me.” She pulled Presley up the beach.
“Your brother is a stone-cold fox.” Presley leaned in to Mia. “He looks better in person. Hashtag: no filter.”
“Stop,” snapped Mia.
“Does he have a girlfriend? Boyfriend? Both?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Even if he did, the rules don’t apply when you’re out of town,” said Presley with a giggle.
They entered the main house’s French doors and went into the guest bathroom off the living room. Mia shut the door. “Presley, I know that you and Mac are over, and that you need a new toy. But find someone else.”
“Sean is not a toy!” Presley pulled down her bikini bottom and peed. “I only have a couple days to get to know the brother of someone I hold near and dear to me. I want him to know what you mean to me.”
Mia put her hands on her hips. “Write him a letter.”
“No one writes letters anymore, silly.” Presley flushed and washed her hands.
“I found my necklace, by the way,” remarked Mia.
“I told you you had nothin’ to worry about.” Presley squirted lotion on her hands from a porcelain bottle, rubbing them together.
“Right.” Mia left.
Mia ended up sleeping at The Wauwinet with Kathryn that first night. She said that she wanted to make sure Kathryn had all her meds and that everything was set up comfortably, but she needed to be there for herself. They faced each other under the plush chintz comforter, knees touching.
“Do you want to talk?” whispered Kathryn.
“I’m okay.” Mia closed her eyes as her mom stroked her hair until she dozed off.
Presley stared at her reflection in the bathroom medicine cabinet mirror. The pomegranate clay mask on her face was cracking. She touched it—it was dry. Her fingertips left white clay powder on her smartphone screen as she scrolled through Instagram, stopping on the post of Lyndon, Grace, Mia, and Kathryn.
A text popped up from Mac:
What the fuck is going on?
She deleted it, put her phone on the basin, and washed her face.
FORTY-THREE
Detective Miller sat at the desk in his office, talking on his phone. “Eve Wier said her boyfriend, Mac Doyle, went to talk to Otto Hahn the night of the Fourth. He told her he’d been selling drugs for Otto and wanted to get out of the game. She claimed she had no idea, which we both know is complete crap, especially after the anonymous tip.”
He listened through the receiver, putting his feet up on the desk.
“Yeah, we’re almost ready to go in.”
He touched a file folder on his desk labeled “Grant Byrd.”
“But I’m thinking that Otto might not be responsible for Grant Byrd’s death after all. He’s got a pretty strong alibi.”
He opened the file and sifted through documents, finding a security camera photo of Otto in the lobby of a hotel that looked similar to The Wauwinet, but smaller.
“He was seen by the staff at the White Elephant that night around the time of the murder.”
Miller listened, then put his feet on the floor and clicked on his computer to the video of Otto wailing at the crime scene.
“And on that video those nightcrawlers took, he arrived at the estate in a car. If he’d been on the beach, why didn’t he just walk up to the house and make that ridiculous scene?”
He clicked off the video.
“You want to know what I think?” Miller waited for the person on the other end of the phone to respond. “I think someone was after Otto. Grant was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
At the store, Presley watched Mia snap a selfie with Kathryn in front of the mounted life-size poster of Mia in the Mia dress.
“Isn’t that precious?” cooed Presley to a few customers who were ogling Mia. She could barely fake that pageant smile anymore.
Kathryn held Mia’s face. “I’m so proud of you, baby.”
“Can you see why this is pretty exciting?” replied Mia.
Kathryn nodded. Mia captioned her Instagram:
Inspiration. #mymom #myangel
She turned to Kathryn. “Let’s go pick out some outfits for you.” Mia looked across the room at Sean, who was folding clothes with Cole. She gestured to Presley. “Want to help us?”
Presley struck a pose. “Does a one-legged duck swim in circles?”
The three perused the store, pulling pieces off racks and shelves.
“Thank goodness we make a size zero,” Presley said to Kathryn. “You’re tinier than Mia! You know the Mia dress was originally mine, but it fit her better. I like to think I inspired her.”
“I’m sure you’ve been a great support to each other after what you’ve all been through,” said Kathryn.
Mia grabbed a floral dress from a hanger and stuck it in front of Kathryn. “How about this?” As she pulled Kathryn to the dressing room area, Mia locked eyes with Presley.
Kathryn became the center of attention, trying on the curated pieces selected just for her. As she came out of the dressing room wearing each item, Mia and Presley fastened, buttoned, and zipped clothes on her as she gazed at her reflection in the full-length mirror.
Vincent took photos. “Bella!”
“I’m going to get you a belt for this,” said Mia, surveying Kathryn in a blue cotton dress. She walked off as Lyndon approached.
“Thank you so much for the clothes, Lyndon,” said Kathryn. “They’re amazing.”
“Not as amazing as your daughter.” Lyndon nodded to Mia, who stopped to help a woman find the right cardigan from a stack. “She knows exactly what people want.” With a smile, Lyndon walked off.
Presley hung Kathryn’s rejects on a nearby rack. “No offense, Mrs. Daniels, but the same can’t be said for your son,” she chuckled. “I’m going to give him a hand.” She walked off before Mia could catch her.
Sean tried six different ways to fold. “This is my idea of hell,” he said to Cole.
Cole laughed. “Yeah, it’s not my favorite part of the summer.”
“What’s your favorite part?”
Cole’s eyes went to Mia, who returned to Kathryn in the dressing room area.
“You know I’ll come after you if you hurt her, right?” warned Sean.
“Absolutely,” replied Cole.
Sean play-punched him as Presley approached.
“Boys, no fighting over me,” she said, brushing back her hair. “Cole, let me show Sean how it’s done.” She relieved Cole of his tee before her eyes shifted to the store’s entrance.
Jade and J.P. entered.
Mia looked up from buckling the belt around her mom’s waist. She rushed over, embracing Jade. J.P. kissed her on the cheek.
“How are you?” asked Jade, holding Mia’s hands.
“Better since my family got here, though Presley is attempting to commandeer my brother.” She nodded toward Sean, who looked perplexed as Presley refolded one of his sorry attempts. Cole stepped up to J.P. and the two fist-bumped.
Mia waved at Kathryn, who waved back from the dressing room area. “And there’s my mom.”
“She’s fucking adorable,” remarked Jade with a smile.
“I haven’t seen her this happy in a long time.” Mia grinned. “Lyndon got rooms for them at The Wauwinet, which is very cush. I stayed there last night.” She whispered to Jade and J.P., “Rumor has it you two spent a night there a while back.”
“Haven’t you learned anything from this job yet? Rumors are true,” said Jade. She nodded to Grace, who was talking to Jill. “They were there, too.”
“Really?” Mia’s eyes went wide.
“Uh-huh.” J.P. winked.
“Sapphic rendezvous.” Jade made a V with her fingers and stuck her tongue through it.
“I think Grace likes it rough.”
Cole looked at his feet, eyebrows raised, while Mia chuckled, “I miss you, Jade. Are you staying for a while? Please say you are.”
“No.” Jade shook her head. “We’re only here for the tribute unveiling.”
“And for some field study.” J.P. walked off, Cole following. He stopped at the scarf display and lifted a white bucket hat from the stack in the center, like those given out at The Rabbit Hole on the Fourth. “One hat style, that’s it,” he scoffed.
“Did you throw the game because Lyndon wouldn’t make your hats?” asked Cole with a dry snort. “Thanks for leaving me alone in the house.”
“I didn’t plan it that way,” replied J.P.
“What was your plan?” Cole plucked a peppermint candy from one of the dishes placed around the store.
“To spend some quality time with Maz,” replied J.P. “But he wasn’t very happy with me, to put it mildly. I didn’t delete that video of Jade and Otto fast enough.”
“Oh, shit,” said Cole, who stopped in the middle of unwrapping the candy.
“Yeah, it was the scariest night of my life, man.” J.P. put back the bucket hat. “But Jade saved my ass.”
“After almost costing you your ass.”
“She stood up to her dad.” J.P. knocked once on the display. “She told me it was the first time in her life. She’s always tried to get at him by doing stupid shit, but she’d never actually confronted him straight up.”
They looked at Jade and Mia, faces close, laughing.
J.P. continued, “Otto tried to give her drugs and had been pulling some really nasty shit on her at Christmas parties and whatnot.”
Cole put the candy in his pants’ pocket. “That guy is such a scum.”
“Maz never believed her.” J.P.’s eyes softened as he watched Jade. “She broke down.”
Cole squinted. “I can’t quite picture that.”
“It was intense and pretty heartwarming, except for the part where I almost lost some toes. But I guess I accidentally brought them together, and now I’m fam.” J.P. nodded toward Lyndon, who walked to the center of the store. “Unlike with her.” He shook his head and focused on the white hat.
Lyndon stood and grandly motioned to the entrance. “Everyone, let’s convene out front.” She ignored Jade as she headed out.