Page 33 of Summer Light on Nantucket

She stood in the lavatory, which she and Bob had decorated several years ago with cream wallpaper patterned with seashells and pale cream woodwork, and gave herself a moment to think. What if Aaden came to Straight Wharf without phoning her back? Or what if he phoned? She imagined introducing him to Sandy and Nick, and everyone would get along fine, but it would change the emotional tone of the evening, at least for Blythe. It was too soon for her to consider herself romantically linked with Aaden, even though in a way, she’d been romantically linked with him since she first saw him. But even if the two men shook hands and were friendly, Blythe would silently freak out. Blythe loved Sandy and she was sure that Nick was a great guy, but she didn’t want to deal with Aaden seeing her with another man, which was ridiculous, but a powerful thought.

Also, she was insanely attracted to Nick.

Blythe took a deep breath. She walked down the hall and found Sandy and Nick sitting in the living room.

“Sorry I took so long,” Blythe apologized. “Would you mind if we stayed here and sat out on the back porch and had iced tea and sugar cookies? It’s just that it’s been such a circus getting all of us out of the Arlington house and down here and unpacked and so forth. I’d love to sit and catch my breath.”

“Of course,” Sandy said.

Blythe led them to the kitchen. She poured iced tea for her and Sandy and a Scotch and soda for Nick and carried the plate of sugar cookies—there were four of them left—out to the back porch.

“Oh, this is lovely,” Sandy said as they stepped out onto the porch. “I want the swing.”

“It’s all yours.” Blythe set the plate of sugar cookies on the small wicker table and sank into the wicker rocking chair.

Nick sat on the wicker settee facing the flowers and lush green lawn. “Nice garden.”

“I hope the cushions don’t reek,” Blythe said. “We keep them in the house in the winter, tossed in with the boots and snow shovel in the back hall, but I haven’t had time to wash the slipcovers.”

Sandy stretched her arms over her head. “The only thing I smell is summer. Isn’t this a perfect night!”

“How long will you be on Nantucket?” Blythe asked Nick.

He said, “I’ve got three months of vacation. I’ll be here off and on all summer.”

“Nice.” Blythe couldn’t keep from reappraising the man on the wicker settee. Nick was big like a football player, but as well-dressed and charming as a diplomat.

Nick smiled. “It is nice. Your home is beautiful.”

“I work hard to keep it that way. The most challenging job is to make my children do their assigned tasks. Mowing the lawn. Watering the flowers. Doing laundry. Sweeping, vacuuming, and that most heinous task, cleaning the bathroom.”

“If you can inspire your children to do all that, then you must be a remarkable teacher.”

This time his smile reached his eyes. He was very handsome, and Blythe saw that he was kind. It was easy to talk with him. She was comfortable in his presence.

There was that heart flutter again. Maybe she was more than comfortable.

“How did you get into…teaching?” she asked.

Nick said simply, “It’s a family thing. My grandfather taught history at St. Mark’s in Southborough. My father was principal at Arlington High, and my sister teaches there now.”

“Wow. Impressive.”

“I like teaching. I like the challenges.” He shook his head. “Not all of them.”

Sandy pushed the floor with her feet, bare now that she’d kicked off her sandals, and the wicker swing creaked as it went back and forth.

Blythe agreed. “It’s hard work, I remember. But when they get something right, whenweget something right, it’s dazzling.”

Sandy interrupted. “Okay, enough. Life can’t be all about teaching. You don’t know it yet, but Nick can get awfully boring and dreary.”

“Thank you, Sandy,” Nick said with a smile.

Ignoring him, Sandy continued. “That’s why Hugh invited him here for a few weeks.”

“Do you sail?” Blythe asked. “Sandy’s husband is a great sailor.”

Before Nick could answer, Sandy spoke up. “If Nick goes out with Hugh on his boat, I’m going to make Hugh swear not to force Nick to crew. Nick’s our guest. He should lie in the sun and relax.”

---