Page 69 of A Novel Summer
“Well, things happened sort of fast,” Hunter said. “His heart’s in the right place.”
“I guess you think my parents’ hearts are in the right place, too—closing Land’s End, subleasing the space, getting rid of the inventory. Cutting our losses. Maybe Ishouldjust be cutting my losses. Maybe I have the wrong attitude.”
Shelby sat gingerly on the edge of the bed and took Colleen’s hand.
“We know you’re upset,” Shelby said. “And the timing is bad. But isn’t this what you would have wanted ultimately? To be with Doug? To have a family?”
“Yes. But the store, too,” she said. “I always imagined both. I appreciate you guys coming over. But I’m tired. And I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”
Shelby and Hunter kissed her goodbye and left the bedroom, closing the door behind them. They waited in the living room for Doug to get back before they left.
They sat on the couch, and Hunter pulled one of the needlepoint pillows on her lap, tracing the sunflower design with her finger. “I wish there was something we could do.”
“There is,” Shelby said. “And we’re doing it: we’re her best friends.”
MacMillan Pier was crowded with people waiting for the incoming ferry. Justin was certain none of them was as happy as he was to see the line of passengers disembark. The past few days had been confusing, and having Kate back in town would put things in perspective.
“Hi!” Kate called out, dropping her overnight bag to the ground so she could hug him. Her navy linen dress was freshly pressed, and her sharp bob was tucked neatly behind her ears.
“Welcome back,” he said, pulling her into his arms. He handed her a small bouquet of Gerbera daisies.
“These are lovely. I should go away more often,” she said, kissing him.
“Please don’t,” he said.
They picked up dinner from the Canteen, which was only serving takeout because of the flood damage, then walked to his house. The early evening was temperate and breezy. They settled on his front deck with their lobster rolls, a bottle of white wine, and a chilled six-pack of beer. Kate talked about the past forty-eight hours with her family, and while he tried to follow what she was saying he was distracted, thinking about his own.
His parents took the news about Mia as well as could be expected. He sensed his mother was, in a way, relieved. Her gut had told her something was wrong, and now she had confirmation. She could stop wondering and start fixing.
“I’ve been in meeting after meeting,” Kate said. “My father and brother have all these expansion plans and now they’re looping me in. It’s like, branching out here with Hendrik’s is making them take me more seriously.”
“Theyshouldtake you seriously.”
He smiled, and she leaned over and kissed him. “I have to go back tomorrow for a few more planning sessions, but I promised I’d be here tonight so...here I am.”
“I would have understood if you didn’t want to go back and forth,” Justin said. She shook her head.
“It’s easy. And Justin, thanks again for checking on the store after the storm.” She’d been lucky: shops on that side of Commercial had been spared. “I feel bad about Land’s End getting hit so hard.”
He nodded. “It’s a blow.”
“But on the bright side, with Land’s End closed, locals will be a lot more welcoming to Hendrik’s.”
He put down his bottle of beer. “Maybe. But I’m not ready to view the loss of our eighty-year-old bookstore as a positive,” he said sharply.
Kate’s brows knit together. “I understand,” she said, her tone softer. “Change is hard. But we have to move forward.”
He offered a smile. The flood wasn’t her fault. The Millers’ decision to close wasn’t her fault. And she was right: it was time to look to the future, not the past. Over the past forty-eight hours, he’d lost sight of that.
It was a mistake he wouldn’t make again.
Forty-Nine
The morning of Shelby’s Boston Arts Club luncheon, all she could think about was Colleen, a few short miles away in her hospital room.That’s where I should be right now, Shelby thought. Instead, she stood in the marble bathroom of the Four Seasons Hotel, zipping up the back of her pale pink cotton dress and fighting off guilt. Shelby pulled her hair into a high ponytail and applied Lisa Eldridge lipstick in Velvet Ribbon. That was all the beauty prep she had the patience for.
But the reality was, even if she planned to visit Colleen that morning, she wouldn’t be able to. Pam and Annie said she didn’t want visitors. So Shelby might as well focus on her job, and today, that meant being an author and promoting her book.
She walked out into the living room of the spacious suite, where Anders sat on the couch wearing a dove-gray blazer and tie. Behind him, sunlight poured in through windows that overlooked Boston Common and the gold-domed State House. He let out a low whistle.
