“If he knows you'll be there,” Max repeated, “he will come.”
She peered at him as if using X-ray vision to understand his brain. “Why are you inviting me to a get-together of Jude's family that Jude will not be attending?”
“Because I like you. Because I think it will be fun. And because Judewillbe attending.”
She paused, then finally said, “I do love a clam dig.”
“Then come.” She seemed like the type of person who wasn't afraid of a challenge. He gave her a look that communicated,I dare you.
She dipped her chin. “Okay.”
“Outstanding. Please text Jude to let him know that you accepted my invitation to the clam dig.”
“I've known you five minutes and you're already ordering me around,” she murmured wryly, lifting her phone.
“I only boss people I like.”
She closed the shop and soon they were shooting toward the coast in his Porsche. “Jude hasn't texted you back?” he asked.
“Nope.”
“That means he's in a meeting and hasn't seen your text.”
Jude was going to blow a fuse when he did see her text. It was wrong of Max, seeing as how Jude was his best friend, to relish that idea as much as he did.
* * *
It wasn't easy for Fiona to interact with Max. He was, after all, a living and breathing reminder of Felix's affair with Nicole while Felix had been married to her.
Fiona hadn't spoken with Nicole even once since the truth of Max's parentage had come out. But Max was a different story. Max was her sons' close friend. Max had had no say in his conception. In fact, Max was sensible enough to have made it clear that, if he'd had a say in things, he wouldn't have chosen Felix as a father.
After the scandal, Jude had needed his best friend. And Fiona loved Jude too much to deny him that. So her home had been open to Max all these years. Since Jeremiah, Jude, and Max had become adults with their own places, Max hung out with her sons apart from her much more than he hung out with her sons in her vicinity. Even so, she still saw and chatted politely with him a handful of times a year—at birthday parties and the like. Never effortless, but certainly doable.
When Jeremiah had called her earlier today, he hadn't asked if Max could bring the woman Jude was interested in dating to tonight's clam dig. In Jeremiah's charming way, he'd informed her that Maxwouldbe bringing the woman Jude was interested in dating.
“Why would Max bring the woman Jude is interested in dating to my family's clam dig?” she’d asked, baffled.
“Just trust us, Mom. Max and I think this is in Jude's best interests. Plus, I'm sure you'd enjoy meeting this woman that Jude likes. Yes?”
“Yes! Of course!” They didn't tend to let her in on the ground floor of their relationships.
“Same. I'm curious about her.”
“What’s her name?”
“Gemma.”
“If Jude's serious about Gemma—Ishe serious about Gemma?”
“My intuition says yes.”
“Okay, so since he's maybe serious about Gemma, wouldn't it be better to plan something later this week at my house, for a smaller group? Then Jude himself can bring her.”
“Nah. When Max called to talk with me about this, we agreed it would be best to move fast. The clam dig was already on the calendar, so the clam dig it is. Remy and I will also see you there.”
“Wonderful!” she'd said. Because when your adult child—who you did not get to see as often as you wanted—suddenly invited himself, his half-brother, his girlfriend, and Jude’s prospective girlfriend to a family clam dig he’d earlier declined, you responded with upbeat enthusiasm.
Two hours had passed since that phone call and Fiona paused her clam digging on the beach to watch Max and a redhead make their way toward her. Sears Island was one of Maine’s many “bridged” islands, meaning it could be reached from the mainland by bridge without having to take a boat or plane. Sears Island did not, however, allow cars. So if you wanted to visit, you parked on the causeway and either walked or biked to your destination on the island. Max and Gemma had walked.
