Driftwood Point (26 page)

“Owen be here if I need help. Which I won't. You go on.” Ruby had glanced up at Lis, then back to whatever article she'd been reading.

“I won't be long.” Lis headed toward the door.

“Take your time,” Ruby said. “You be sure to get something nice. But nothing that be showing your business all over St. Dennis.”

Lis paused in the doorway, then shook her head. There was no point in asking Ruby how she knew where she was going.

Okay, could be that she figured if I changed into something nicer than shorts, that I was going into town. And if I'm going into town, I might be stopping at Bling. And if I'm going to Bling, I might be looking for a dress. If I'm looking for a dress, it shouldn't be too revealing lest I scandalize the entire town.

Yes,
Lis nodded to herself as she started her car.
That had to be it.

That Ruby was able to cut to the chase so quickly
was still a mystery, but at least Lis had come up with what sounded like a logical explanation.

She parked on Cherry Street and walked around the corner to Bling. Vanessa waved from the counter as she rang up a customer and had several more in line. Lis went straight to the rack where the dresses were separated by color, not size, and began to search through them. She found several contenders and caught Vanessa's eye to let her know she was headed for the dressing room. Three try-ons later, Lis returned two dresses to the rack and went to the counter.

“Found something?” Vanessa's eyes lit when she saw the dress in Lis's hands. “Oh, I love that one. I wish I'd seen it on you. I bet it looked fabulous.”

“Thanks. I wasn't sure about the style.” Lis held up the dress with the V-neck and halter straps that tied around her neck.

“The fabric's so pretty,” Vanessa went on. “And I love the colors. The shoes you bought last week will be perfect. Any particular occasion?”

“Something came up for the weekend.” Lis hadn't wanted to say she was going to a wedding but had no idea who was getting married. Vanessa would have asked whose and she'd have had to admit she didn't know. Or maybe she did and didn't realize their wedding was the one Alec had invited her to. Chances were that if the wedding was in St. Dennis, Vanessa would be there, too.

Lis drove back to the island, singing along with the radio. George Michael's “Father Figure.” She belted out the chorus as she pulled into the driveway.

“Whoa, kiddo.” Owen came down the steps. “If you're going to sing like that—and that loud—roll up your windows.”

Lis laughed. “Some oldies just beg to be sung along to. That's one of them.”

“Where'd you go?”

“I went to Bling.” She rolled up the windows and got out of the car, then reached into the backseat for the dress bag.

“New dress?”

She nodded and went past him on the steps.

“Didn't you buy a new dress last week?”

“Yes, I did.” She went into the store and straight up the steps.

Lis couldn't remember the last time she'd shopped for dressy clothes two weeks in a row; wasn't sure she ever had. She hadn't had that many places to go to before. Gallery openings, yes, but all in New York, where black is practically mandatory. Weddings? Once, in a restaurant, and it had been very casual. Even the bride had worn pants. And that had been the extent of her social life, other than going out for lunch or dinner or drinks with friends or with Ted, sometimes with her friends and Ted. At one of those get-togethers, Ted must have decided that Pam's voice didn't bother him so much after all, and Pam must have found that maybe he wasn't as much of a bore as she'd first thought.

Lis shook her head as if to clear it. What had she seen in him that she couldn't see now?

Love certainly can be blind.

She hung the new dress over the door in her
bedroom and admired the colors. If the dress she'd worn to the showing at the gallery had been sky and sea, this one was sunset. Pinks and lavenders and golds. Once again the contrast between the colors of the new dress and the singular black of the old one was apparent. It was the difference between the way her life felt now and the way it felt when she looked back on her life before she returned to the island.

Funny, how things go.
She sat on the stool in front of the front window and looked out on a beautiful day. She'd come back to the island to kill two birds with one stone—since she had to return for the showing of her work, it made sense to come early and spend some time with Ruby. Now, after just a few weeks here, she couldn't remember why she'd stayed away so long, and was seriously considering moving back permanently. She thought about keeping a condo in Hoboken, just someplace to hang her hat when she had business in New York, but even that lacked appeal. She felt more and more that this was where she belonged, and the prospect of leaving and living somewhere else, even for a short time, seemed less desirable. Yes, of course, her relationship with Ruby was part of that, but her brother was now back and planning to stay, at least for a while, and despite their occasional squabbles, she loved Owen and knew he loved her, too. Life had taken them in different directions for years, but now they were both here, where they'd grown up, and finally had the chance to reconnect as adults. Their mother was so wrapped up in her own life—her new marriage and her stepchildren and their children—that she had little time for
Lis or Owen and had no intention of ever setting foot on Cannonball Island again. In a way, Lis couldn't blame her. Kathleen may have had a great childhood, but her marriage to Jack had sapped away every bit of love she'd had for this place. But for Lis—and possibly for Owen—the island was offering new beginnings and new challenges and new opportunities. She felt invigorated here, and creative in ways she hadn't felt in a long time.

Invigorated, creative, and free.

And then there was Alec, and the second chance they might have to discover what could have been. Whatever they were destined to find once the dust settled, for better or worse, Lis was all in.

Diary~

I have always had a romantic soul—oh, it may have taken my Daniel awhile to find it, but it was there, all along. I love weddings and I love watching those I care about fall in love, and it seems that right now I can enjoy both, and I could not be happier.

I woke up with my sister Carole on my mind. I can see her face as clearly as if I'd just seen her yesterday, and not—oh, dear, could it really be almost thirty years since she's been gone? Almost thirty years since that too-tired truck driver crashed into the car that carried her and her husband—a wonderful man, her Allen was—and took them from us. Almost thirty years since we had to tell their darling son, our Alec, that his parents had left this life and traveled on to the next. I can still see his face, so filled with confusion. How could his mother be somewhere she could not reach him? How could his father have been taken from him, just like that?

That boy cried for so long and so hard that I know Carole
was crying through her son's eyes. And oh, how Cliff had wept—Carole had been the youngest in the family and Cliff had treated her like a little princess. That his princess was gone had broken his heart as surely as it had broken her boy's. There was no question that Cliff would take Alec in and raise him, and he did a fine job of it. By the time Cliff passed on—another unexpected blow, well, to everyone except me (I wish I could say that I don't see certain events unfolding, but I do, all too often, but that's a tale for another day). Anyway, as I was saying before I so rudely interrupted myself—by the time Cliff passed, Alec was grown and already in college, and he left the boy quite well off. Not only had Cliff invested money from the insurance settlement Alec received from the accident, but he'd saved enough money to cover all of Alec's college expenses. But more than financial security, Cliff had given Alec a home where he was loved and where he was told that he was loved. He gave the boy a future by passing on his carpentry skills and his love of the classic bay boats. But most of all, he taught him to love the bay and how best to protect it. Alec has grown into a fine young man because of the love he'd always had—Carole's and Allen's and Cliff's—and we are all proud of him.

All of this to say that I see that which he's been longing for so close to him now, and I want to tell him it will be all right, it's going to be fine. But he has to be true to himself and do what he knows is right for him. He cannot—he must not—deter from his path.

It's so hard to see these things and not share. I can see, but I cannot do anything that might change the outcome. And my, but it's hard to hold my tongue sometimes. Like now.

Grace

Chapter Fifteen

T
his may be the coolest place for a wedding ever,” Lis whispered to Alec after they'd been shown to their seats in the open-air cathedral that had been created by cutting down trees in a forest of hardwoods to create a sort of chapel.

“Jason, the groom, is a landscaper. He cut down the trees himself—well, with some help from guys on his crew. Sophie Enright—she's the bride—owns the land straight down to the river, and Jason owns all the property next door, where his business is located. She opened the restaurant last year and they've been living in the apartment on the second floor,” Alec told her.

“So they both live where they work? Awesome.”

“Especially for her. She opens the restaurant at five, and I've heard her say she's down there by three thirty at the latest. She makes everything from scratch, so she has to get an early start,” he explained.

“The restaurant looks adorable.” Lis had peeked through the window on her way from the parking lot
to the area where the ceremony would be held. “And I love the name. Blossoms. It sounds so cheery.”

“There's a story behind the name. There were three ladies in St. Dennis who were friends for a long time. Lily, Violet, and Rose. Rose was Sophie's grandmother. She died about twenty years ago.” Alec repeated the story he'd heard from his aunt Grace. “Lily is long gone, too, but Violet is still alive and well. She worked for Sophie's grandfather, Curtis Enright, for years. Now that he's retired and having some health issues, he deeded his family home to the town and he's living in Violet's house.”

“The Curtis Enright of the Enright Mansion?” Lis asked.

“Right. He was
the
attorney in town for many years. Represented my uncle Cliff for a number of things, including his estate. Now his grandson Jesse has taken over his practice. Jesse's my lawyer. Ruby's, too, I understand. Sophie's a lawyer as well, but she spends most of her time at the restaurant now, only goes into the law office when Jesse needs help.” Alec sat with one arm over the back of Lis's chair and leaned in so as not to be overheard by everyone in their vicinity.

“It was a really cool idea to carve out this area and bring in chairs. It's like a church, only outside and with natural air-conditioning.” The shade from the trees was welcome on this hot July day, and there was a bit of a breeze off the river.

“I'm sure that was the idea.” Alec glanced around, then said, “There aren't that many chairs set out, so I'm guessing they were trying to keep the wedding small.”

From somewhere behind them, violins began to play, and everyone stood as the bridal procession began.

“You're going to have to tell me who everyone is,” Lis whispered.

“That's Jesse Enright with their mother, Olivia,” Alec said as a young man walked up the center aisle with a handsome older woman on his arm.

“Who's the bridesmaid?” Lis asked as a pretty blonde who moved with incredible grace walked toward the makeshift altar.

“I think one of Sophie's half sisters, Georgia. She's a dancer.”

Lis nodded. The woman moved like a dancer.

“That's Zoey, Sophie's other half sister, coming up the aisle,” Alec said. “I remember her from a party they had for Curtis when he turned seventy-five.

“And . . . there's the bride. That's Curtis walking her down the aisle.”

“Where's her father?” Lis asked. “Why isn't he walking her?”

“Estranged from the entire family, last I heard. He's the black sheep, apparently.”

The bride passed by in a cloud of tulle and lace, the dress high in the front and low in the back. Her pace slowed to match that of her elderly grandfather, who was beaming with every step he took. Flowers wound through her dark hair, and she carried a huge bouquet of roses in every imaginable shade of pink and cream.

“Roses,” Alec whispered, “for Rose.”

“So pretty,” Lis murmured. The bride was being handed over to her groom, a tall, handsome man in a dark suit. Between them stood another dark-haired man. “Who's the minister?”

“The bride's half brother, Nick Enright. He got some sort of license to marry off the Internet for the occasion.”

“You're kidding. Is that even legal?”

“Shhh,” came the demand from behind them.

Lis cringed at having been chastised—though she knew she probably deserved it—and said nothing further throughout the brief ceremony, at the end of which the bride and groom were showered with rose petals and pops of a dozen champagne corks. Waiters immediately filled, then passed flutes of bubbly as the newly married couple went row by row greeting their guests.

“So much nicer than the usual grand exit with a receiving line,” Lis noted. Minutes later, Alec introduced her to the happy newlyweds, and she was surprised to learn that neither had grown up in St. Dennis.

“I lived in Ohio with my mom, and Jason is from Florida, so we're both new to the St. Dennis family. Where are you from, Lis?”

“Cannonball Island,” Lis replied.

“Isn't that right over there?” Sophie pointed in the general direction of the island.

“It is.” Lis nodded. “But it's not St. Dennis.”

“Oh. Well, it's nice to meet you. I'm sure we'll see you again.” Sophie and Jason moved on to the next row.

“You know, you really do confuse people when you say things like that,” Alec told her.

“Things like what?”

“That you're not from here, you're from Cannonball Island. It's confusing, because most people think the island is part of the town.”

“You're right. I need to stop doing that. Without an explanation, it makes no sense. And I'm tired of explaining. I'll try to be more conscious of that from now on,” she agreed.

“I noticed that Owen doesn't do it,” Alec noted.

“No, he doesn't. I don't know that he ever did.” She watched the rows ahead of them begin to blend together into the center aisle, and the two of them moved toward the end of their row. “What were you two talking about the other night, anyway?”

“Just guy stuff. Why? Do you think we were talking about you?”

“Actually, I think you were talking about Cass Logan.”

After what seemed to Lis to be one beat too long, Alec said, “Why would you think that?”

“It's obvious that he's interested in her, and it looks like no one else around here knows her but you.”

“I don't really know her. I met her once before the art exhibit.”

“Who introduced you?”

“Her father. He's a client.”

“The client who was on the island? The one who drives the big white Caddy?”

“Yes, that one.”

“What kind of client is he?” Lis asked.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, is he a boat client, or someone who wants you to renovate some property for him?”

“He's looking to renovate some properties, yes.” It appeared to Lis that Alec was about to elaborate, when a voice called from across the aisle.

“Hey, Alec.”

“Hey, Dan.” To Lis, Alec said, “Have you ever met my cousin Dan? Ford's older brother?”

“I'm not sure. I don't think so.”

“I kept looking for him at the inn the other day, but I guess he was really busy, with so much going on. Come on. You should meet him and Jamie.”

Alec took her by the hand and together they joined Dan in the center aisle, where Lis was introduced to Dan and his fiancée, Jamie. Soon Ford and Carly appeared with Grace, and the entire group was off to the tent where the reception would be held.

“Sophie is actually catering her own wedding,” Grace told Lis. “She's an amazing chef. You'll be impressed, I'm sure. I know I was when she opened Blossoms.”

“Did she bake the cake, too?” Lis noticed the tall white confection on a flower-laden table just inside the tent.

“No, Brooke is the baker. Sophie's sister-in-law. She owns Cupcake, the bakery in town. Her brother, Clay, is married to my daughter, Lucy. He's the Mad in MadMac Brews.”

“The local brewery.” Lis nodded. “I remember. It's hard keeping everyone straight.”

“We are a tightly knit group here in St. Dennis,” Grace admitted.

“I think
slightly incestuous
might be more accurate,” Carly said. “Everyone is somehow related to everyone else. It's tough at first for us outsiders.”

“Why, Lis isn't an outsider,” Grace protested. “She's just lived away from home for a while, and now she's back. There's a lot to catch up on, granted, with so many new faces in town, but she's hardly an outsider.” Grace patted Lis's arm. “Her people were here long before mine were.”

“Sounds like there's a story there. I'd love to hear it. Come sit with us.” Carly took her by the hand. “Have you met Jamie, Dan's girl? You know she's J. L. Valentine, right?”

“The writer?
The Honest Relationship
?
The Honest Life
?”

Carly nodded. “Yes, and the mother of the bride's half siblings? Delia Enright.”

“Stop.” Lis's eyes grew wide. “My favorite mystery writer? Is she here?”

“She is. Would you like to meet her, too? She's a good friend of Grace's,” Carly confided. “She always stays at the inn when she's in town.”

“Damn. And I left all my Delia Enright books at my apartment. Not that I'd have brought them for her to autograph, of course,” Lis hastened to add.
Though it would have been a temptation,
she silently admitted.

“Come on. Let's see if we can find her . . .” Carly led Lis in search of the writer.

Delia was surrounded by her children and talking to Grace. Lis was introduced and found the writer to
be charming and warm, and when Lis told her she'd read every one of her books, Delia promised to leave a copy of her upcoming release at the inn for Lis.

“This has been the most incredible day,” Lis told Alec when they were seated for dinner. “I met Delia Enright, and J. L. Valentine, and Dallas MacGregor is here, and I think if I play my cards right, I'll meet her, too.”

“Too bad you didn't bring a little book to get autographs in,” Alec teased.

“I might have been tempted, but my good manners would have trumped the impulse. You just don't expect to find people like that all in a place like this and all at the same time.”

“If you mean St. Dennis, you still have a lot to learn. When Dallas is shooting a film at her studio, you wouldn't believe who you'll see walking down the street, or having coffee in Cuppachino, or dinner at Lola's or Walt's, or shopping in the local stores. We may be a small town, but these days, we're mighty.”

Dinner was served—rockfish over a bed of wild rice with a stir-fry of local vegetables—and Lis was, as Grace had predicted, impressed. After dinner, a band began to play, and the bride and groom took to the floor, but instead of the expected slow, romantic dance, they wowed their guests with a carefully choreographed tango.

“They've been taking lessons over in Annapolis for months,” Carly told the others at the table.

“That was amazing,” Lis replied.

“Would you like to dance?” Alec said as the band began to play a slower number. “I'm afraid I don't
tango, and I don't really know any steps, but I can probably push you around the floor adequately.”

“How could I resist an invitation like that.” Lis stood and Alec took her hand.

“I'll try not to embarrass you,” he said as they reached the dance floor, a patio that in good weather served as a charming outside café.

“Judging by some of the other moves I'm seeing, you'd have to go to some lengths to embarrass either one of us. Check out the guy in the light gray suit,” she giggled.

“That's the bride's brother-in-law. I forget which one.”

“He truly does have two left feet. I've never seen anything like it.” Lis tried unsuccessfully not to stare. “He's sort of the male equivalent of Elaine from
Seinfeld
.”

Alec laughed and turned her in the opposite direction, and the band began to play a slowed-down version of “Every Breath You Take.”

“Now, this takes me back,” Alec said. “This was big at that prom you turned me down for.”

“I always thought it was just a teensy bit creepy,” she told him. “Like he is always following her, watching her.”

“It's nice to dance to, though. I think it was considered romantic back in 1997.”

“There had to be a better song to dance to,” she said.

“There were several,” he told her. “I'm sorry we missed out on dancing back then.”

“So am I.”

They danced for a few minutes more, Alec holding her close and she resting against his body.

“I have an idea.” He broke the embrace and, taking her by the hand, led her from the dance floor.