Page 15 of Summer Light on Nantucket

“But what about you? Bob’s got Teri but you’re not seeing anyone. You ought to at least have a fling this summer.”

Blythe leaned over and hugged Sandy. “You’re such a good friend. Thank you for worrying about me. But I’m fine. I’m going to swim and lie in the sun and read every beach read I can find. I don’t have to worry about the kids. Well, I always have to worry about the kids, but they’re pretty independent these days. And you know what? It’s fun watching them grow up. Finding out what it is in life that captures their interest.”

“Maybe this summer someone will catch your interest.”

“Maybe.” Blythe closed her eyes and lifted her face to the sun. She wanted to tell someone about the man kissing Teri. She couldn’t tell Kate. Kate would somehow make it Blythe’s fault. She couldn’t tell Celeste. The older woman didn’t need to deal with something so peculiar and upsetting. But what did it mean? What did it mean for the stability of her children’s lives? Blythe couldn’t get it out of her head.

“What are you thinking about?” Sandy asked. “Or should I say who?”

Blythe opened her eyes and stood. Her foot hit her iced tea glass and knocked it over. The liquid quickly sank into the grass, the ice cubes glittering.

“I was thinking that I should go home and unpack and organize the house,” Blythe said. “Sorry I babbled on so much, but it’s your fault. You asked. Next time I’ll ask about you.”

“I’m not nearly as interesting as you are,” Sandy said.

“That’s not true,” Blythe objected. “You have twins.”

They rose and strolled slowly together through Sandy’s garden and into the shade of the house. They lingered in the doorway, discussing the weather for the week and their plans, and then Blythe kissed Sandy’s cheek and went down the front steps and walked home.

yacht club dinner

At six-thirty, Blythe stood in the front hall.

She called out, “Is everyone ready?”

She often wished she had a big brass gong to bang to get her children’s attention.

The yacht club tennis courts were ready in late May, but the dining room didn’t open until early June. Tonight was the first dinner in the beautiful Fair Winds Room and it would be packed.

Most important, this was their traditional first night dinner with Celeste.

Blythe knew that Celeste loved her grandchildren so much she wouldn’t criticize them if they wore their pajamas into the yacht club dining room, but she knew how proud Celeste was of her grandchildren, and Blythe wanted to keep her mother-in-law happy because she was a wonderful woman and a good friend.

She also knew that her children adored their grandmother and would dress appropriately because they wanted to please her.

Holly showed up first, wearing the pretty blue dress with the white collar that Blythe loved. Teddy arrived dressed in a button-down shirt and khakis because he knew the rules. Daphne, fifteen, slouched in wearing a sundress and holding a book in her hand with a finger marking her place. Finally, Miranda sauntered in, clad in a very short Zara denim dress that showed off her long legs but met Blythe’s standards because it was a dress, and it covered her belly button at least. Blythe wasn’t going to quarrel with her oldest child because it was their first Nantucket dinner together and maybe their only dinner together at the club.

Now Blythe announced, “It’s a beautiful evening. Let’s walk to the club!”

Itwasa beautiful evening, still bright at six-thirty, warm but not humid, an invitation to summer, and the summer house was only five blocks from the club.

Miranda begged, “Please, Mom, let’s go in the car.”

Blythe wanted the evening to be pleasant, so she held back a sarcastic remark about how impossible it would be for Miranda to walk far in that tight, short dress. She said easily, “Okay, we’ll do that.”

The children piled into the minivan, every single one of them doing something on their phones, as if this were their last opportunity before cellphones became illegal. Blythe drove them all to the club’s parking lot, waved at Eddie O’Brian, the attendant at the gate, and searched for an open spot among all the Jeeps, Range Rovers, and convertibles. They ended up parking at the far end of the lot, and they were lucky to get that. Everyone would be here tonight.

As they entered the club, three children surged ahead to greet their old summer friends. Miranda stayed by Blythe’s side, obsessed with her phone.

“No phones in the dining room,” Blythe told her.

Tossing her head with exasperation, Miranda slid the phone into her clutch. The great open hall of the club was filled with clusters of people, everyone greeting everyone else with cries of delight. Some of the club members had known one another since they were children. Blythe spotted Carolyn Post in the distance. She was Holly’s best summer friend, and they waved enthusiastically at each other. Joy lit her heart. Was there anything better than seeing a child happy?

Finally, Blythe stood before the podium. Horace White, the maître d’ of the Fair Winds dining room, was a tall, handsome man with silver hair and a commanding presence.

“Hello, Mrs. Benedict, so happy to see you again.”

“Good to see you, Horace. How’s your summer so far?”

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