Page 93 of Summer Light on Nantucket

Nick laughed. “It’s cool that you know that.”

“I’ve spent every summer of my life on this island, first when my grandmother lived here, and after she passed, with my children.”

“Bob must have been there some of the time,” Nick said. “Speaking of bobs.”

Blythe hesitated. “Yes, Bob was here for almost fifteen years. He’s here often, with Teri, at Celeste’s house.”

“Your children are lucky.”

“I suppose they are. What did you and Brielle do in the summer?” As she spoke, she could sense how Nick reacted, his tense shoulders relaxing, his mouth curving in a slight smile.

“We went to France every summer,” Nick told her. “Brielle’s family lived outside Paris. Her friends and relatives were scattered all over France, and some lived in Switzerland or Spain.”

“Wow!Yourchildren are lucky!” Blythe said. “Did Brielle have brothers?”

“Only sisters. For three generations, her family had only girls. They thought it was a miracle that we had two boys.” Nick’s face lit up as he spoke. “They were all great skiers, and we spent some time in Paris, of course, but so often we were up in the mountains on skis.”

“Somehow when I think of France, I envision only topless beauties on the beach at Saint-Tropez or drinking Pernod on the Left Bank.”

Nick chuckled. “There was that, of course.”

“Do you still go to France?” Blythe asked.

Nick shifted on the blanket, wrapping his arms around his knees and gazing out to the sea where the sun sent silver winks.

“I haven’t. Not since Bre died. The boys are busy with their lives. I could stay with some of Brielle’s cousins. We’re still in touch. But…I haven’t gone. And really, I don’t want to. I’m happy hiking up Mount Washington.”

They were quiet for a moment.

Blythe’s heart was flipping back and forth and her mouth went dry, but she managed to say, “I’d like to try hiking with you up Mount Washington.”

“Would you?” Nick sounded very pleased.

“I would. But, Nick…I don’t mean to rush things between us—”

“Oh, you can definitely rush things between us.” Nick shifted positions so that he was facing her.

“I like being with you,” Blythe said.

“I like being with you,” Nick answered. “I hope we can be together often when we’re back on the mainland.”

Blythe cleared her throat. Was this the right time to do this? She plunged ahead.

“I should tell you I have another man in my life.”

“Do you mean Bob?”

“No, although, of course, Bob will always be around because of the children. But this summer, actually, the same night I met you at the yacht club, I ran into my high school boyfriend. Aaden Sullivan.” Blythe kept her gaze on the sand as she spoke.

“I hadn’t seen him for years. Decades. We were madly in love in high school, and I thought we’d be together forever. But his family is Irish and their business is in Ireland, and he left to go to college in Dublin. It kind of broke my heart.”

“You hadn’t kept in touch at all?”

“No. I was sad and angry and confused for a long time. Decided I would never ever fall in love again, and all through my college years, I never did fall in love. Secretly, I decided to be celibate.”

“And yet, you have four children.” Nick’s voice was light.

“Yes. I met Bob and we married and had a good life. We lived in Boston and came here every summer. We wanted children, and we have really lovely kids.” Blythe paused. She was trying to decide how to approach a delicate subject sideways.

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