Page 104 of Summer Light on Nantucket

“Teri must be so happy.”

“She said her feet don’t even touch the floor.” Celeste laughed. “There’s something else.”

“Okay. Tell me.” Blythe held her breath.What now?

“They’re going to be married in October. Over Columbus Day weekend. They’re coming here, so that I can attend the wedding, and they will want all the children with them, too.”

“Wow.” Blythe sat back in her chair. “Married. October isn’t that far away.”

“True, but the weather will still be beautiful.”

“Please tell me they’re not getting married on a beach,” Blythe said.

“Of course not. Teri wants to wear a pretty dress. Not a gown, but a dress. And she will want to take the girls to choose matching bridesmaids dresses. Also, a suit and tie for Teddy.”

“The girls will love that,” Blythe said, adding, “as long as the dresses aren’t magenta.”

Celeste studied Blythe’s face. “You don’t seem sad about this.”

Blythe angled her head, considering. “I’mnotsad about it, Celeste. I’m glad I married Bob, and I’m glad we got divorced. I like Teri. I think she’s been wonderful to the children. I hope she has her own child.”

“You’re facing a lot of changes, darling Blythe.” Celeste took Blythe’s hand in hers. “Your children, except for Holly, and she’s almost there, are teenagers, all of them eager to leave the nest. You’ve loved having babies, and how will you feel when Teri has a baby and your children have a half-sibling and want to spend more time at Bob’s home?”

“Well, for one thing,” Blythe said thoughtfully, “I’m going to be teaching seventh grade again. That will be a challenge. I won’t have much time to feel jealous or lonely.”

“And…?” Celeste prompted.

“And, when Bob and Teri have the children over Christmas, Nick and I are going to Saint Thomas.”

Celeste laughed. “How wonderful!” Reaching over, she took Blythe’s hand. “I think we should have a glass of champagne.”

“Really? Why?”

“Because today, right now, everyone in our family is happy.”

somebody has to

Blythe decided to hold a dinner party. Not a formal, wear-your-best-clothes meal, but a summer party, with the two most talked-about chefs in town, the beautiful Daria and Vale, cooking for the group so that Blythe didn’t have to get anxious about burning a steak while talking to guests. They grilled skewers of shrimp, peppers, and pineapple for appetizers and swordfish and tuna steaks for the main meal.

Blythe, Sandy, and Teddy prepared potato salad, heirloom tomatoes with mozzarella and basil, corn on the cob, macaroni and cheese with artichoke hearts and red peppers, watermelon and feta cheese salad, and couscous with tomato and mint. They slathered butter and garlic on slices of Portuguese bread to be heated and carried out during the meal. For dessert, Daria and Vale made three pies: blueberry, strawberry, and lemon meringue.

The children were sweetly persuaded to help set up tables and chairs outdoors, covering the tables with colorful April Cornellsummer tablecloths, organizing a drinks table in the shade of the porch, and lugging in several heavy bags of cubed ice.

Blythe told them, “You can sit wherever you want and bring one guest, just one, whoever you want, but you may not leave this party the moment you’ve finished eating. This is our big deal summer meal.”

Nick was her guest. He was arriving with Sandy and Hugh. Celeste was invited, of course, and she said she would bring her friend Roland, which made the kids go silly with kissing noises. Bob’s sister, Kate, and Jack came, staying close to Celeste, in case, Blythe guessed, that Blythe’s cooking caused Celeste to have another heart attack. Daphne invited Lincoln and they sprawled together on the grass at the far end of the lawn to eat and make fun of everyone else. Teddy brought Scarlett, and Miranda, in a brief blip of affection for her younger brother, allowed Teddy and Scarlett to sit with her and Brooks. Holly came with her best friend Carolyn and Carolyn’s parents, Carol and Russell.

The weather that evening was perfect. The sky was a cloudless blue, the humidity low, the temperature high. Brooks and Miranda helped Blythe carry out chilled bottles of white wine, ruby-colored bottles of red wine, buckets of ice, a huge bottle of Absolut vodka and several bottles of tonic, lemonade, and sparkling water to set on the drinks table. Teddy took charge of slicing limes and lemons and Holly arranged them in artistic circles on a platter.

Citronella candles were placed around the garden, and as the summer light slowly faded, their small flames glowed. Gradually, Blythe’s guests left, thanking her for a perfect evening and drifting off into their own summer lives. Daphne and Holly went inside to watch television. Miranda, Brooks, Teddy, and Scarlett walked to town to buy ice cream, as if they were still hungry after the three pies they’d been tasting. Daria and Vale closed the grill and said good night.

Finally, only Blythe and Nick remained. They sat side by side on the wicker swing, holding hands.

“This was a marvelous evening you gave us all,” Nick said.

“Thanks, Nick. I’m glad you were here.” Blythe sighed. “It was sort of a goodbye to summer.”

“I’m going back home in a few days,” Nick told her. “I’ve got to get ready for my classes.”

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