Janie was overjoyed. She bounced on the bed and covered him with kisses. “My future pilot boyfriend!” she sang. “Isn’t he so handsome in his captain’s uniform?”
Alexander cackled and hugged her close.
But this euphoria didn’t last for long. Perhaps because Alexander was a Whitmore, it was impossible.
It was late February when the letter from Nantucket arrived. Janie was at work and couldn’t steal it before Alexander found it (not that she would have kept something so enormous from him, of course, but maybe she could have considered what she wanted to say before he read it himself). The letter was from Francesca, begging Alexander to come home. Alexander showed the letter to Janie, his face pained.
“I’m happier than I’ve ever been,” he said, collapsing on the sofa and putting his head in his hands. “I love you, and I love Key West, and I love our new life. But these threats they’re making? They scare me.”
Janie read the letter and realized his parents would revoke Alexander’s entire inheritance if he didn’t return to Nantucket immediately. Her stomach throbbed. She decided not to consider how on earth they’d found Alexander because they had unlimited resources and could do what they pleased. She folded the letter back up and searched her mind for the most rational response. But it was then that it occurred to her that Alexander only knew wealth. It was where he’d come from and what he’d expected for himself and his future. Could he really turn his back on that?
And there were bigger issues at hand, issues he didn’t yet understand.
“You don’t know what it’s like to be poor,” she said finally.
Alexander stiffened and took the letter back. “I don’t need their money.”
“I know it’s easy to say that,” Janie said. “But it’s only because you’ve always had money. Turning your back on it is another thing entirely.”
Alexander glowered. “Where is this coming from?” he demanded. “What about all that stuff you said when I came? About not needing them. About building a new life together?”
Janie got to her feet. Tears filled her eyes. It always felt like her tears were a split-second away at all times, these days. She couldn’t control them.
“Alexander,” she breathed. “I’m pregnant.”
Alexander let the letter fall to the ground between them. They stared at one another, their faces reflecting shock, until Alexander finally got up from the sofa, cried out in happiness, and wrapped her in a hug. He picked her up and swirled her feet through the air.
They had to go back to Nantucket, Janie reasoned. Another Whitmore was coming. And that Whitmore deserved all the love and money in the world.
Chapter Sixteen
August 2025
Nantucket Island
It was a gorgeous day for sailing. Janie swept through the beach house at nine thirty, knocking on bedroom doors and hollering for everyone to get their swimsuits. She’d already packed the car with plenty of water, wine for herself and Chloe, snacks like chips and popcorn, fresh fruit, hummus, bread, and cheese. Like all mothers, she anticipated every need. The idea was to spend as much time as they could on the “open seas,” to drop anchor in gorgeous locations and swim beneath the cerulean sky.
Miraculously, her kids were faster getting ready than even Chloe. They waited on the front porch, Janie jangling the keys distractedly, until Chloe made her way outside, adjusting her sun hat.
They drove to the harbor, where Janie had rented a sailboat for the day. The man who owned it was about as rugged-looking as the shark catcher inJaws, but he had a big-bellied laugh thatcharmed Janie. He showed Janie where everything was, checked on her sailing license, and sent them on their way. “I’m here till eight thirty,” he said with a wink. “Make sure you get it back by then.”
Her kids were impressed as they watched her manipulate the ropes and take them out onto the water.
“I didn’t know you could sail by yourself,” Gwen said, her eyes narrowed. And it was true that Alexander had always been with them when they’d taken the kids out, playacting as the man perpetually in control.
Janie didn’t think before she answered. “Your grandfather Benjamin taught me before he died,” she explained, then cursed herself. She could feel Chloe’s dark eyes on her. But when she turned to apologize quietly, Chloe shook her head and mouthed, “Don’t worry about it.”
Gwen, Conor, and Xander were busy at the bow, their legs strung beneath the iron railing as they sailed. Janie’s muscles felt quick, alive, and warm. Chloe helped when she could, presumably because Benjamin had taught her, too. Janie and Chloe still made a good team, all these years later, transitioning their skills from a restaurant kitchen to the bludgeoning waves.
Eventually, they found a quiet place to drop anchor. Chloe popped a bottle of champagne and poured their flutes while Gwen grabbed sodas for herself and the boys. When Janie gave Xander a look, he hurried to help his sister, grabbing snacks for the three of them and even offering them to Chloe and Janie. Janie had always maintained that boys and girls were needed for all tasks from serving to cooking to cleaning and housecleaning, among others. She was a feminist. She didn’t want her boys to be helpless.
Seagulls cawed overhead, and the day was dreamy and lazy. Janie was happier than she’d been in months.
With the kids distracted, Janie and Chloe began to talk lazily, drifting from one story to the next. Although they’d spent a great deal of time together since Chloe’s spontaneous appearance in Venice Beach, Janie still had numerous gaps when it came to Chloe’s story and what she’d been up to.
The thing was, Janie had never wanted Alexander to know how close she and Chloe still were. She knew that Chloe reminded Alexander of his dark past, of a father he didn’t really understand and who’d never fully tried to understand him, of his mother’s pain. No matter how often she pointed out that Francesca had also cheated on Benjamin (and first!), and no matter how often she said that was a long time ago, Chloe has never really recovered from it either. Alexander remained pained by the very thought of Chloe. For this reason, Janie had only had Chloe over to their place in Malibu when Alexander happened to be on one of his business trips. They’d kept up via phone calls as well. But as Chloe spoke about her past, Janie became increasingly aware that Chloe had lived numerous lives. She had properties all over the world and had many boyfriends and different, wonderful friends.
Hearing Chloe talk about her past made Janie feel a pang of loss. Back when she’d first met Alexander, Janie had been the one with the wild-eyed dreams. She’d been a vagabond, eager never to live in the same place for long. When she’d met Alexander, she’d thought he was the same.
