“Seriously? I thought you’d be elated.”
Annie paused. “I am. I think. But I need time to process it. To think about whatever questions I might have. Like, what do you mean I’ll work ‘side by side’? How will this affect the manuscript I’m working on? I have other commitments . . .”
“We all do, Annie. This one needs to move front and center. Most authors can only dream of a deal one-tenth as good as this.” Her chipper attitude turned back to all-business.
“I’m sure. But please. Can we talk tomorrow morning?”
Annie heard a slight huff. Then Trish said, “As long as you aren’t going to tell me you need to leave it up to your fiancé. That would be so last century, don’t you think?”
Forcing a laugh, Annie said, “I think you know me better than that.”
“All right, then. We’ll talk tomorrow. But I’m booked all morning, so let’s make it three o’clock. I’ll call then. Don’t let it go to voice mail this time or I’ll think you disappeared, and we won’t know where to send your contracts.”
Trish didn’t say good-bye but simply disconnected, the way Taylor often did.
Annie sat for a few minutes, staring into space, her space, the little cottage that she called her own, where she’d been so happy. She still didn’t know what this news would entail. She only knew she had to change out of her date-worthy outfit and put on something that wouldn’t make her sweat as if she’d just received a blockbuster TV network series offer that she’d have to tell John about.
* * *
She settled on a short black skirt, leggings, a red-and-white striped shirt, and chunky red jewelry—the same outfit she’d worn for the Christmas Eve party at the community center the previous year. Though no one had had the nerve to say so, she’d thought it made her look like a middle-aged woman trying to mimic a candy cane.
At breakfast that morning, she’d asked if anyone could give her a lift down to the ferry as her car was in Edgartown at John’s. Harlin, one of their year-round renters, whose day job was a restaurant server and whose night job was leading a marimba band, offered. He told her he was heading over to work, that he wanted to grab as many hours as he could while some tourists wandered back for the holidays before they headed south for the winter. He was a nice young man who’d had his eye on Francine when he’d first met her. But with his erratic schedule, Annie knew it had been just as well that Francine had chosen Jonas; besides, Harlin seemed to have his pick of many girls, judging on the frequency with which he was out late, often missing the lastOn Timeand staying who knew where.
As they rode across the channel, Annie couldn’t believe she was thinking about her tenant and not about the deal that Trish had just unloaded on her.
Harlin brought her straight to John’s door, which was nice of him, especially since her legs had been a little numb since she’d received the call.
Restless greeted her with his usual enthusiasm, dispersing puffs of white fur all over her leggings.
Neither of John’s daughters was around.
John, however, trundled down the stairs, looking far too handsome in his Sunday, off-duty attire, which included jeans and the pearl-gray sweater that she’d given him last Christmas because it matched his eyes.
He kissed her sweetly, perhaps not noticing that they both looked like they were stuck in last year, which might not have been such a bad place to be stuck, given their latest challenges.
“Do you have a list?” she asked once their embrace seemed it might lead to more, which would have meant the shopping list would be forgotten.
He tapped his temple. “It’s all up here.”
She laughed. “Are we shopping in Edgartown?”
“Later, maybe. First, let’s go to Vineyard Haven. I think the girls like a couple of the shops there.”
They buttoned their jackets, put on gloves and hats as the wind was picking up, and went on their way.
Rainy Day, Green Room, Bunch of Grapes, and more. In each store, they found perfect things for Abigail and Lucy, though John admitted he probably would not have chosen them.
“Teenage girls are easier to buy for if you’ve actually been one,” Annie said as she leaned against him when he pulled out his debit card—again—to ring up another purchase, that one a book on archaeology, which had become Lucy’s favorite topic since skeletal remains had washed up on the beach at the Inn the year before.
They even found a buffalo-plaid jacket for Restless, which they decided Earl would have a thing or two to say about because he had a shirt with the same design. They found a polished slab of island stone for Earl and Claire that had one-of-a-kind striations and would make a unique trivet for their dining table now that so many people were eating there again.
As they made their way in and out of stores, they found lots of baby things for Francine and Jonas; a pretty silver necklace with aqua sea glass for Francine; a collection of acrylic paints for Jonas; pink leggings for Bella with a pink parka that matched and had a fuzzy hood, and a couple of winter outfits because she’d outgrown last year’s. Best of all, Annie knew that she was practically glowing because she was with John, having fun together before their married life began.
He told her he’d also ordered Lucy a new laptop to help make up for buying Abigail the car; he asked if he’d forgotten to tell her about that. Annie decided it would be childish of her to feel slighted.
Up and down Main Street, small brass bells rang at Salvation Army stands, and all the people on the sidewalks seemed to be smiling. They ran into so many who knew one or both of them (mostly John) that Annie could not keep track. It crossed her mind that Vineyard Haven was definitely not L.A., but she quickly buried the thought.
Before she knew it, it was three o’clock.
