Page 48 of The Summer We Started Over

She gestured to the seat next to her.

“Come join us,” Dinah said. “We’d enjoy the company of the famous father!”

William took a step back. “No, thanks. I have to work.”

“You can’t work all day,” Dinah told him. “Has your publisher put you under a deadline?”

William’s face reddened. Eddie and Barrett knew he didn’t have a publisher yet.

“I haven’t decided on a publisher yet. Several literary houses areinterested, but it’s taking longer than I thought. Excuse me.” He turned on his heel and walked out of the room. They heard his study door slam.

Dinah smiled winsomely at the sisters. “I don’t think he likes me.”

“Don’t worry about him,” Eddie said. “He’s becoming a hermit.”

“He’s really a nice man,” Barrett told Dinah. “He’ll be nicer when he gets a little more work done. Plus, it bothers him that we’re moving so many books out of the house.”

“Writers are very protective of their fiefdoms.” Dinah sank back onto the sofa. “Now. Which movie are we going to watch?”

—

For the next few days, Eddie drove Dinah around the island, showing her the Sankaty lighthouse, the ’Sconset Bluff Walk, the old mill, and in town, the Nantucket Historical Association. In the evenings, after Barrett closed her shop, the three women dined at Galley Beach or Le Languedoc, Topper’s, Brant Point Grill, or American Seasons. Dinah insisted on paying for it all, which was just fine with Eddie and Barrett. The sisters both texted their father, asking him to join them. He always replied that he was busy.

One morning, Eddie woke to find that Dinah was already up and out. Eddie poured herself a cup of coffee and went out to the back porch to watch. Dinah, in a sundress and espadrilles, was in the barn, chatting with Jeff and Paul. When she noticed Eddie, she waved and came up to the porch.

“Good morning,” Eddie greeted her.

Dinah said, “Darling, I’ve been checking out your bookstore and really, it’s so dreary, toobare.It needs some color, some comfort. You’re not selling old books, you’re selling the vision of curling up in an armchair to read an old favorite or a new book you’ve only heard about and aren’t sure you want to buy in hardback but don’t mind spending a few dollars on. You need to make the shop a place where people want to relax, stroll, dream.”

What we want is to get enough books out of the house so it looks like sane people live there,Eddie thought. She asked, “How do we do that?”

Without pausing, Dinah said, “I’ve made a list. Two lists, actually. This list is what we need to acquire. A big old rug, Persian, if possible, some armchairs, some standing lamps. Jeff and Paul are going to ask a friend to put in a new electric circuit breaker with lamp cords taped to the floor and covered with rugs so that there will be enough light for people to read by.”

“Dinah.” Eddie was no longer amused. “We can’t afford an electrician in the summer.”

Dinah waved her hand. “Never mind. I promised to pay the bill as a thank-you gift for allowing me to be your guest. Also, the men are going to build a special bookcase and paint it lavender with gold trim, and I’m donating an entire set of my books to draw people to your shop.”

“Wow, Dinah, that’s incredibly kind. But they’ll disappear quickly.”

“I know. So, I’ll send more. You know I have boxes in storage. Now. Here is my list of tag sales happening on the island. I’ve marked the days and places on my calendar. In the meantime, we’ll go to the Seconds Shop and the Thrift Shop to see what we can find.”

Eddie shook her head. “Dinah, this is so kind of you. Aren’t you planning to return to New York?”

“If you don’t mind, I thought I’d stay a little longer. I’m enjoying myself so much. Harriet Lancaster—she was at Barrett’s grand opening—invited me to speak at her book club. Also, I’ve noticed several important writers are coming to the island to give talks for fundraisers, and I don’t want to miss those.” Dinah checked the lists on her phone. “Oh, one other thing. Could you drive me to the airport? I’ve rented a car for the summer.”

Eddie swallowed. “You rented a car for the summer?”

“If you don’t mind.”

Was that anxiety making Dinah’s voice tremble?

In a flash of comprehension, Eddie saw how her family must seem to Dinah. Three people living together, working together, arguing together, sharing meals together. Dinah felt safe here, but also knew clearly that she was not part of the picture.

Maybe beneath all that glamour, Dinah yearned to belong to a family.

Eddie quickly hugged Dinah. “This is so cool! You’ll be here for the summer!”

Blushing, Dinah said, “Well, maybe not for the entire summer. We’ll see.”

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