Page 44 of The Summer We Started Over

“Gosh!” Barrett held up her phone. “Drew texted. He’s coming to the island this evening to be at my official shop opening!”

Eddie grinned. “You have admiring men all around you.”

“Well, wouldn’tthatbe nice!” Barrett said.

When they were finally dressed and ready, the women went out to Eddie’s car and settled in. Barrett wore a simple blue linen dress with her blue topaz earrings and had to pull her skirt up in order to step up into her Jeep. Eddie wore a Lilly Pulitzer dress with swirls of blues that swirled even more as she got in. Dinah had added a heavy necklace of turquoise and matching earrings to her sky blue dress.

Dinah said, “Aren’t we all a perfect bundle of blue publicizing Barrett’s shop?”

“Yes, Dinah,” Eddie agreed. “We’ll have you walk up and down the street. People will follow you as if you were the Pied Piper.”

Dinah shivered. “I always hated that children’s tale. It’s creepy.”

They were fastening their seatbelts when William’s tan Land Rover turned in to the drive. He drove past the women and parked.

Jumping out of his vehicle, he called to Barrett, “I’ll clean up and be at your shop in time for the grand opening.”

Barrett waved at her father. “Thanks, Dad!”

“See you there,” Eddie yelled.

William strode into the house without responding to Eddie or glancing at her passenger.

“That was your father?” Dinah asked. “Oh, my. No wonder you girls are so gorgeous.”

“You’ll meet him later,” Eddie assured her. She started her Jeep, backed out of the driveway, and headed for town.

The summer season hadn’t started, so Lower Main had a few empty spaces. Together the three women walked across the street and up the brick sidewalk to the shop with a window as blue as a summer sky.

Barrett unlocked the door to Nantucket Blues and they entered.

Dinah stopped in the doorway. “This is fabulous! Like an underwater grotto! Why, look at this ring! I want to buy everything in the store!”

Barrett flicked on the lights and the small electric oil-filled heater. “Just to get it warmed up a bit,” she told the others.

“Ohhh,” Dinah breathed, “here comes Paul! And Jeff! Hellllloooo!” she called, waving.

Jeff carried a ladder and a toolbox. Paul carried the quarterboard at his side. He was three yards away when he turned the wooden sign around so the women could see it.

“Wow!” Barrett exclaimed. “Paul, you’re wonderful!”

It was ten until five when Jeff set up the ladder and held it so that Paul could attach the sign above the door to the store. He swiveled on the ladder, smiling down at Barrett.

“Okay? Is it straight?”

“Wait! Wait!” Eddie snapped photos on her phone.

“Oh, goodie!” Dinah clapped her hands. “I was afraid they’d arrive too late.”

“Who?” Eddie asked.

Three handsome caterers wheeled a small table toward them. Covered in a white linen tablecloth, it held two buckets of champagne on ice, dozens of plastic glasses, and platters of blue cheese, crackers, and blueberry muffins. Blue balloons filled with helium bobbed from the table.

“Congratulations!” one of the caterers said, stationing the table against the shop, just below the picture window.

“What’s this?” Barrett asked, completely puzzled.

“Something in honor of your grand opening,” Dinah declared, looking very pleased with herself.

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