Chapter 6
June 4, twenty years ago
The sun felt divine against Maddy’s skin.Divinewas her favorite new word, and it fit perfectly. She rolled over onto her stomach and sifted the sand through her fingers, losing herself in the familiar sound of the surf hitting the shore.
A light wind was brewing, carrying the briny scent of the sea and rustling the sea oats. Beyond the rolling dunes, the beach cottage squatted on a rise, the white paint blinding under the noon sun.
Mama and Daddy were still inside, lingering over their lunch, and Nora was probably somewhere with her nose stuck in a book. She came outside only under the cover of a beach umbrella, as her porcelain skin burned easily.
Maddy couldn’t wait for Emma to arrive. Though there were ten years between them, they were still close. Ever since Emma had gone off to college three years ago, Maddy cried every August when summer at the cottage was over and she had to say good-bye. Good-bye to Gram, good-bye to the ocean, good-bye to Emma.
Maddy wasn’t as close to her other sister, Nora, who sometimes seemed irritated by Maddy’s immaturity. But Nora could be helpful too. She was sensible, wise, and discreet, making her the best person to ask for advice. Daddy said Nora was twenty-three going on fifty.
She even looked older than her years with her hair back in a bun most days and her librarian glasses perched on her nose. If Maddy had Nora’s long auburn hair she’d wear it down around her shoulders. But brainy Nora cared little about her looks.
Nora and Emma, only two years apart, were the closest of the sisters, which drove Maddy crazy. Was it her fault she’d been born so far behind them? Sometimes the two of them would go on excursions that Maddy wasn’t deemed old enough to participate in.
But Emma always made it up to her by treating her to an ice-cream run or looking for shells with her or taking her kayaking around Pelican Point. Still she’d wished many times that there wasn’t such a large age gap between them.
This summer was sure to be different from others, though. Emma was bringing her fiancé, Jonathan, home from college. He’d already met the family—minus Nora, who’d been away at college when they’d visited the family in Charlotte. Maddy hoped he didn’t hog all of Emma’s time.
Maddy didn’t see Nora until her sister lowered herself gracefully onto a beach towel. She had on a floppy straw hat, and her hair was down for once. She wore a grass-green one-piece that made Maddy wish God would hurry up and give her some curves.
“You’re gonna get burnt,” Maddy said. “What’s the big occasion?”
Nora gave her a wan smile. “Impertinent child. Mama and Daddy were having one of their quiet conversations, so I wanted to get out of the way. Besides, you’d better get used to hanging out with me. Emma will be otherwise occupied for the next three months.”
Maddy scowled. “She’ll make time for us. We’ve known her a lot longer than Jonathan has.”
Nora gave a wry chuckle, leaning back on her pale straight arms. “She’s in love, Baby Boo. That changes everything.”
“Not everything.”
“You’ll see,” Nora said in that annoying big-sister way.
Maddy heard a squeal behind her and turned to see Emma running awkwardly through the thick sand, barefoot, arms outstretched.
“We’re here!” Emma called.
“Emmie!” Maddy jumped up and ran toward her sister, and a moment later found herself swallowed in a big hug. “I thought you’d never get here! We’ve been here two whole days!”
“We had to stop and see Jonathan’s family in Boston.” Emma gave her a big squeeze. “They’re not too happy we’ve stolen him for the summer.”
Maddy was nearly as tall as Emma now, she realized. She’d grown a full two inches over the last year, making her five foot four.
“You got taller,” Emma said, as if reading her mind. She drew away to embrace Nora.
Whereas Nora was long and lean with subtle curves, Emma was built more like their mother, all soft and curvy. She was also the prettiest one, in Maddy’s opinion.
“What?” Emma asked over Nora’s shoulder. “You’re out in the sun in the peak heat of the day? I can’t believe it.”
“Why is everyone so concerned about my skin health?” Nora said, laughing.
Good feelings bubbled up inside Maddy, widening her smile. She loved her family so much, and they had the whole wonderful summer ahead of them. Life couldn’t be better.
Her eyes drifted behind Emma to where Jonathan stood, straight and tall. His short black hair was covered by a Red Sox cap, and his blue eyes squinted against the sunlight. He was very handsome, if a little overdressed in khakis and a short-sleeved button-down.
He was almost thirty—ancient!—and he came from old money, whatever that meant. Even though he was a Yankee, her parents liked him. Daddy thought he was smart and ambitious. He was a mortgage broker (something to do with selling houses), and he worked from home. This summer he’d be working from the cottage, which surely meant Emma would be free to spend time with them.
