“Wonderful. Maddie, you’ve saved the day. I really didn’t know how we were going to manage. And, hey, here’s an idea. We don’t close until after ten, and it’s a long drive back to Menemsha in the dark. Why don’t you sleep upstairs in Rex’s apartment? I’m sure he won’t mind … you’ve stayed there before, haven’t you?”
Maddie blushed. As always, she was grateful that her light copper-colored complexion would have pretty much concealed it if Francine had been there in person. But the flash of shame remained the same. “I was there a couple of times, but I didn’t think anyone knew.”
Francine giggled. “This is an island, Maddie. And it’s off-season, when not much gets past us. The good news is we don’t get into gossip.”
“Then I won’t be embarrassed.”
“Don’t! Personally, I think it’s cool. Rex is a good guy. And … oh, girl, no wonder you’ve been preoccupied …”
“And it’s why, if I can lend a hand now, I’ll feel like I’m helping him in a small way.”
They fell silent, then Francine said, “I’m glad you called. And I’m so sorry I haven’t been up to Menemsha since right after his accident.”
“You have a family, Francine. This has been hard for you, too.”
“I guess.” She sighed into the phone. “But now that we’ve both felt sorry for ourselves and each other, I can’t thank you enough for offering to help. It’ll be an onslaught—we’re booked absolutely solid.”
“Great. A good onslaught ought to give me a final shake back to reality. So thanks back.” They said good-bye, then Maddie realized she had no idea how her father would feel when she told him he’d be dining alone with Grandma all weekend.
Her father’s response was a surprise.
“Don’t worry about me,” Stephen said when Maddie gave him the news that night after Grandma had gone to bed and Maddie stood by the refrigerator, trying to decide if she wanted a bowl of ice cream for dessert or an apple. “Your grandmother will be at Joe’s all day. I was thinking about asking Evelyn out to lunch. She’s been a good friend—she helped me set up the books for the shop. Did you know she and her late husband formed a charitable foundation for island services?”
Maddie knew about the foundation; the surprise was that her father wanted to take Evelyn out on Valentine’s Day. It would be nice for her, as each day the woman soldiered through a heart condition that too often threw her active life an unwantedcurve ball. Maddie also supposed that Stephen, like his daughter, deserved some fun—especially after spending so much time around his mopey daughter, not to mention Grandma, who’d taken up pacing as if it were an Olympic sport.
So she said it would be nice of him to treat Evelyn. Then she turned from the freezer, foregoing another snack, nutritious or not. Instead, she decided to pack. So she said good night to him and set out to hunt for proper waitress attire.
Several minutes later, as she stood in front of the lovely white ash armoire, Maddie discovered that her black dress was tight—the cakes and casseroles had definitely affected her dimensions. Racing around the Lord James all weekend would provide a good start for her commitment to scale back, even if her hormones didn’t agree. Maddie promised herself that, after the weekend, no matter what, she’d get back to running every day; her only exceptions would be cold, snow, wind, or, worst, high tide.
Continuing to rummage through her meager wardrobe, she found an old black cardigan. It was sad and tired, but the lighting in the restaurant would be romantic, which, with luck, would help mask her outfit’s cling and its age.
Next, she tossed clean undies into her suitcase, makeup, and other essentials, then she layered black jeans (also old, but they’d always felt too big) and a black turtleneck, so if she dumped food on the dress, she could wear those. Then she added her flannel pajamas. If Rex were there, she would have packed the sexy-ish nightie she’d bought on a whim after they’d slept together the second time.
But she wouldn’t be sleeping with him that weekend.
Not wanting to sink back into a hollow of depression, she slipped on an old nightie, crawled into bed, and forced herself to get excited about the weekend.
Arriving in Edgartown earlier than planned, Maddie found Francine already hard at work.
“Got time for the tour now?” Maddie asked.
“Absolutely,” Francine answered.
They headed to the kitchen to check it out; after all, Maddie had never seen it, having only been at the address three times: once as a restaurant customer, once as an unexpected upstairs visitor who had quickly followed Rex into his bedroom, and the last time—again, only upstairs—soon after they’d been stranded on the Cape.
Ahhh, she thought, then reluctantly pushed aside the memories as Francine introduced her to Rex’s sous chef, who was busy prepping vegetables, and whose name Maddie promptly forgot.
Next, she had a quick lesson in kitchen basics, after which Francine presented her with a crisp white apron that she’d set out on a desktop next to a small stack of iPads.
“When you need another clean apron, they’re over there in the bottom drawer,” she said, pointing across the room, “in the chest next to the freezer.”
The freezer, Maddie thought. It was bigger than the one upstairs in the apartment, where Rex had kissed her the first time and melted her heart and her body. She choked back a sneaky tear as Francine continued.
“Okay, grab an iPad and let’s go into the dining room. I’ll teach you how to take orders. You won’t have to worry about taking phone reservations because we’re booked—unless there are cancellations, but those are probably doubtful.” She handed Maddie a menu, took one for herself, and they left the kitchen, thankfully away from the freezer, because Maddie had no time to dwell on the past, wonderful as it had been.
Friday night the Lord James was crowded with joyful couples, some with faces Maddie recognized from around the island, though she didn’t know their names. The only diners she knew were Kevin and Taylor, who were there “to support my brother,” Taylor said, her voice more gentle than somber, as if her time with him in California had softened her. Or scared her.
Maddie would have liked to have said something kind, but she didn’t dare start a conversation about Rex, fearing she’d cave to her emotions. So she merely nodded and tapped in their orders.
