Page 85 of The Lighthouse on Plum Island
“When did you see Jennifer?” Caroline wondered when her friend had had the time.
“Liam and I stopped by that monstrous super yacht party last night,” Finn told her, alarming her.
“Who was looking after the girls staying at Liam’s house?” Caroline asked.
“Relax, helicopter mom!” Finn teased. “T and T were at Liam’s house.”
“T and T?” Caroline’s mind immediately conjured images of Wile E. Coyote laying TNT dynamite. “You had Wile E. Coyote look after them.”
“Not TNT!” Finn laughed. “T and T is what we call the latest romantic pair in town. You know Tanith and Tanner?”
“They’re dating?” Caroline wondered how long she’d been concussed for. “Did I fall asleep for a couple of months while the world moved around me, and no one told me?”
“No, you’ve just had a lot happening lately and been caught up in the big-time allure, losing touch with us mere islanders.” Finn’s voice was light and teasing.
“Can we move to why you’re talking to me and not my daughter?” Caroline was feeling guilty enough about her life and dragging the town into what she thought of as the darkness.
“Liam and I want to take the teens to Nantasket Beach,” Finn told her. “They’ve never been there, and we thought we’d spend a night or two in my friend’s beach house in Hull.”
“Corey Highland’s beach house?” Caroline’s eyes widened. “You mean his beachside holiday mansion!”
“Okay, if you want to call it that!” Caroline could picture her brother rolling his eyes. “It’s not a mansion, just a large old house.”
“That you could fit my house into a few times,” Caroline pointed out. She was missing spending time with Jules, but having her daughter as far away as possible was also a good idea until whatever feud Caroline had been dragged into was sorted out. “Who all is going?”
“Myself, Liam, Connor, Tucker, Maggie, Lila, Reef and hopefully Jules,” Finn told her.
“Are you going in the Summer Inn bus?” Caroline picked up a bit of driftwood and made squiggles in the patches of sand on the rock.
“Yup,” Finn confirmed. “Is the interrogation nearly over because we want to leave soon?”
“Funny.” Caroline pulled a face. “Put Jules on.”
“Hey, Mom,” Jules sang into the receiver. “Please, please, please, can I go. I’ll do the dishes for three months and make sure my room is clean every day for the rest of my life.”
“Wow, you really want to go!” Caroline laughed. “You can go. But please be careful and listen to Finn and Liam.”
“I will.” Jules’s voice radiated with excitement. “Thank you. I love you!”
“I love you too and miss you, sweetheart,” Caroline said. “Put your uncle back on the line.”
“Hey,” Finn said. “Thank you for letting her come with us. I promise to look after her as I always do.”
“I know,” Caroline said. “Just keep an eye on her and Reef.”
“Reef?” Finn sounded surprised. “You don’t think they’re sweet on each other, do you?”
“Sweet on each other?” Caroline rolled her eyes. “I think they have a crush on each other.”
“Don’t worry. Liam and I have got this,” Finn assured her.
“Don’t be too harsh,” Caroline warned. “Be careful. You have all my loved ones on that bus.”
They said their goodbyes and hung up. Caroline sat back against the warm rock and stared at the ocean, her mind going to the bacteria scare. She reached over and scratched Sandy’s ears, receiving a jealous meowl from Melton, who dropped onto her lap.
“You are such a baby.” Caroline laughed, scratching his belly and being rewarded by a purr. She looked at the sea again. “I wonder if it is a scare or just another ploy to somehow sabotage the filming of my series.”
“That’s what we were wondering!” Brad’s voice startled her, and she yelped.
