Page 48 of The Library on Plum Island
“Daniella was the doctor you were trying to find?” Dawn’s eyes widened in realization.
“Hold on.” Harriet’s eyes narrowed accusingly as they pinpointed Dawn. “You knew about this?”
“Alex may have mentioned it.” Dawn shrugged.
“I thought the two of you hardly spoke,” Harriet said, raising one eyebrow as she put Dawn on the spot.
“We don’t speak as much as we used to,” Dawn hedged. “I mean, after you left with Prince Not-so-Charming, Alex and I only had each other.”
“Yeah. Brad was married and being disowned by his family. Ethan was with Beth,” Alex pointed out. “And you..” Thinking about how Harriet had left him when he needed her the most still stung, but surprisingly not as much as it once did. “You were off riding into the sunset on Prince Not-so-Charming’s dark steed. Dawn and I were left with no one else but each other.”
“We kind of just kept up talking,” Dawn admitted to Harriet.
“So the two of you are closer than you let on?” Harriet looked hurt.
“We never said otherwise,” Alex pointed out. “Everyone just assumed we were like you and I, Harry.”
“And we just never corrected anyone.” Dawn shrugged. “I mean, I’ve never agreed with Alex’s lifestyle but I understood it.”
“Understood it?” Harriet looked at Dawn, and Alex could feel her hackles rise. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“How did this get to be about mine and Alex’s friendship?” Dawn asked. “This is about Alex and Daniella getting married.” She neatly steered the conversation away from a touchy subject.
Alex watched Harriet purse her lips and nod. He could tell that this conversation was far from over and knew Harriet well enough to know it would be broached again. Maybe it was time they got into it, as it wasn’t until they all descended on Plum Island that, other than stealing his champagne at parties, an icy hello, and scathing remarks, Harriet avoided Alex. It had been that way since Ethan and Alex’s twenty-first and the big blow-up they’d had.
He glanced at Dawn. She’d become his Harriet when he needed someone, and he hadn’t even had to ask. Dawn had just been there by his side, helping him cope when his life was tilted, and everything in his world had changed so drastically. Alex would never forget everything Dawn had done for him, and that was why he’d always sided with Dawn, even when it meant nearly ending his life-long friendship with Brad Danes.
Alex had realized a long time ago that while growing up, they were mainly a tight group of friends that consisted of Brad, Ethan, Alex, Harriet, and Dawn. They also had the besties within the group. For Ethan, it was Brad and Alex with Harriet and Dawn. Dawn teetered between the two, and she was always the quiet voice of reason when their shenanigans were about to get out of hand. But Alex and Harriet had been really close. They knew each other better than they knew themselves, while Dawn knew them all that way. And she was always happy to take a back seat just observing and getting lost in her writing.
“Alex!” Harriet snapped him out of his thoughts. “I hope you’re not dreaming about your upcoming nuptials because it’s not a real marriage except in the eyes of the law.” She folded her arms, and a half smile lifted the one side of her mouth as she pointed out. “While this marriage may seem galant, what about when it’s over?”
Dawn’s face dropped, and her eyes widened at the implications behind Harriet’s words. “You don’t have time to draw up a prenup.”
“And you’re getting married in Boston.” Harriet gave him a smug grin. “Which means that you could potentially lose your boat and your house.”
“Daniella wouldn’t do that,” Alex assured them. “Just like I wouldn’t take anything of hers.” He shrugged as a thought struck him. “And besides, I’ll probably give her the house anyway.” He glanced around. “She has a family, and this house needs to be filled with a family.”
“Now I know that fever affected your brain,” Harriet told him. “First, you wanted to give her your yacht; now, you want to give Daniella your house.”
“You can’t buy someone’s affection, Alex,” Dawn told him.
“I’m not trying to buy her affection,” Alex said frustratedly. “That’s not what I meant.”
He ran a hand through his hair as he realized that might be what Daniella would think, too. Alex made a mental note to call his attorney and discuss the best way to secretly give Daniella his house.
“We know that, Alex,” Dawn told him in her quiet, soothing voice. “But you’re trying to win Daniella’s heart, not buy it. And after hearing her story, she’s already had a bad history with a narcissistic control freak. So maybe don’t mention giving your house to her.”
“Or at least not until you’ve won her heart by showing her who you truly are,” Harriet advised. “Then, by all means, put the house in her name. I wouldn’t mind you putting it in my name if you really wanted to give it away right now,” she teased.
“I’ve already put first dibs on the house if Alex wants to sell it,” Dawn told her with a big grin.
“You can’t put dibs on a house,” Harriet stated.
“You put dibs on Alex’s yacht if he killed himself in his new Ferrari,” Dawn pointed out.
“You did what?” Alex spluttered, gaping at his friend in disbelief. “You put dibs on my yacht?”
“Well, you bought that death trap of a Ferrari,” Harriet admitted. “The way you drive I was just getting my bid in before anyone else claimed your boat.”
